Today’s saint is Vincent de Paul. Many of us are familiar with this French saint because of his many works of charity. Many Catholic parishes have a St. Vincent de Paul Society that seeks to provide food and shelter to those in need. St. Vincent de Paul lived from 1581 until 1660. He was canonized in 1737 by Pope Clement XII.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society was founded in 1833 by French university students and is present in 132 countries. This charitable organization is dedicated to the service of the poor. I have heard wonderful stories of loving service from the local society in our St. Peter’s Parish.
In an article found on the website aleteia.org, blogger Philip Kosloski writes: “Two hallmarks of Vincent’s spirituality are attention to the poor and a healthy dose of humility.” The two virtues together led him to a life of holiness and can serve as a blueprint for our lives as we follow him in holiness. In that spirit, here are some quotes from our saint that will encourage and challenge us to live holy lives in our own time.
- The poor are your masters. You are the servant.
- Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.
- Be careful to give no credit to yourself for anything; if you do, you are stealing from God, to whom alone every good thing is due.
- The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.
- Go to the poor: you will find God.
- We should spend as much time in thanking God for his benefits as we do in asking him for them.
- Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances. (A good reminder in the Kavanaugh hearing)
- Fear not; calm will follow the storm, and perhaps soon. (A good reminder in the Church scandals)
- Virtue is not found in extremes, but in prudence, which I recommend as strongly as I can.
- There is nothing good that does not meet with opposition, and it should not be valued any less because it encounters objections. (A good reminder as we seek to live as faithful Catholics!)
St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us!
Caritas in Veritate 