17
The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable

The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

The Life of St. Vincent de Paul

as Parable

Page 2: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

The Beginning

s:1581-1609

Page 3: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Dealing with our roots and shame

• Born in Pouy, France, third of six children of poor, peasant family

April 24, 1581• Studies humanities in

Dax, theology in Toulouse

1595-1600• Shame over father and

humble origins

The Word:Mark 5:25-34;

2 Corinthians 4:5-15

Page 4: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

The poverty of our first motives

• Vincent ordained September 23, 1600 by 84 year bishop in Chateau l’Eveque

• Dimissorial letters falsely testify he had proper canonical age of 24The Word:

Mark 10:35-45

Page 5: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

“The disfigured and desolated . . .

Holy Spouse of the Savior”• 1597: “Over one

hundred and forty bishoprics and forty-three sees are vacant . . . Not many of them [the bishops] are intelligent, . . . and hence the number of ignorant, mendicant priests . . . .”

• 1643: “Concubinage and drunkenness among the clergy were widespread . . . . and looked upon as common practice.”

The Word:Revelation 21

Page 6: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Dealing with scandal

• 1600-1604: Returned to Toulouse to pursue baccalaureate in theology

• 1605-1607: disappears; the account of the Barbary pirates

• 1607-1608: in Avignon and Rome

The Word:Matthew 18:5-9

Page 7: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

The Formative

Years:1609-1617

Page 8: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Vital importance of a good spiritual director and friend

• 1608: arrives in Paris seeking a benefice; meets Pierre de Berulle, member of the parti devot

• 1609: falsely accused of theft

• 1610: letter to mother, “But I have such trust in God’s grace, that He will bless my efforts and will soon give me the means of an honorable retirement so that I may spend the rest of my days near you.”

The Word:Acts 9:23-28; 11:21-26;

13:1-5

Page 9: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

The process of metanoia, conversion

• 1610: becomes almoner for Marguerite de Valois, repudiated wife of Henri IV

• 1610: letter to mother, “But I have such trust in God’s grace, that He will bless my efforts and will soon give me the means of an honorable retirement so that I may spend the rest of my days near you.”

• 1611-1615: endures temptation against faith; resolution comes from decision to dedicate full-time to service of the poor

The Word:Mark 1:14-20

Page 10: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Learning to honor the many gifts of the Body of Christ

• 1612: becomes pastor of small parish of Clichy near Paris – “This [stay at Clichy] gave me so much consolation and made me so happy . . . [to be] a parish priest in the midst of such goodhearted people. . . . One day his Eminence, Cardinal de Retz, asked me, ‘Well, sir, how are you?‘ I told him, ‘My Lord, I am so happy that I cannot express it!’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because I have such good people . . . . ‘”

The Word:1 Corinthians 12

Page 11: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Walking in faith, taking things one step at a time

1612-1617: begins residing at home of Philippe-Emmanuel de Gondi, general of the galleys of France – involved in education of de Gondi children, spiritual direction of me de Gondi, catechizing of household servants

The Word:Genesis 18:1-15; The Book of Ruth

Page 12: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Apostolic Fruitfulnes

s:1617-1660

Page 13: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Attentiveness to detail,“events and circumstances”

• 1617: death bed confession of farmer in Gannes

• January 25, 1617: preaches sermon on “General Confession” in Folleville

The Word:Luke 21:1-4; Mark 8:1-9

Page 14: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

The Reign of God comes slowly

• Lent 1617: flees to Chatillon-les-Dombes from the de Gondi estates

• August to December 1617: established first “Confraternity of Charity” for the assistance of the poor sick

• December 1617: urged by Madame de Gondi and Berulle, returns to de Gondi family; begins to distance himself from Berulle and consults more frequently with Andre Duval

• 1618-1624: devoted to preaching of missions and establishing of Confraternities of Charity on the de Gondi properties

The Word:Matthew 13:31-

33; Mark 4:26-29

Page 15: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Not how “much”but how it is done

The first Rule – and all subsequent Rules -- of the Confraternity of Charity are personal, particular, and detailed. “The one whose turn it is . . . will prepare the meal, take it to the sick and, drawing near them, will greet them joyfully and charitably. She will place the little tray on the bed, and place on it a small napkin, an eye-cup, a spoon, and a piece of bread. She will have the sick people wash their hands and will say the blessing over the food; she will put the soup in a bowl, arranging everything on the little tray.”

The Word:

1 Corinthians 13

Page 16: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

The Central Place of the

Poor

• 1623: returns for visit to Pouy; renounces all desire for future wealth; endures extreme temptation for three months

• 1624: retreat at Soissons – received the grace of “indifference” – “took away the pleasure and the hurry” – regarding the foundation of the mission

• April 17, 1625: foundation of the Congregation of the Mission for the “purpose of preaching missions to poor country people.”

• 1625: Vincent meets Louise de Marillac

• 1633: approval of Congregation of Mission by Urban VIII

• November 29, 1633: first Daughters of Charity begin living with Louise de Marillac

The Word:Matthew 19:13-15; 25:31-46;

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Page 17: The Life of St. Vincent de Paul as Parable. The Beginnings: 1581-1609

Overwhelming importance of example and witness of life

• 1619: meeting St. Francis de Sales • 1620: the heretic at Montmirail – “I

cannot believe [in the Church of Rome] while the Catholics in the countryside are abandoned into the hands of some vicious and ignorant pastors…. On the other hand, the cities are filled with priests and friars who do absolutely nothing…. Do you want to convince me that this is under the direction of the Holy Spirit? I cannot believe it.”

• 1631: pre-ordination retreats• 1633: beginning of “Tuesday

Conferences”• 1636: establishment of first of 18

seminariesThe Word:

Matthew 5:1-16