In order to understand the character of a man we must examine him on three points: his physical constitution, his heart, and his mind. Therefore, to form a correct idea of Saint Vincent, we will consider him from these three points of view.In order to understand the character of a man we must examine him on three points: his physical constitution, his heart, and his mind. Therefore, to form a correct idea of Saint Vincent, we will consider him from these three points of view.
(1) His Physical Constitution - Saint Vincent was of middle height but well proportioned. His head was big, his forehead broad, his eyes bright, his expression very gentle. He had a sedate carriage and an affable manner, which was bestowed on him by Nature and embellished by virtue. In his manners and in his bearing appeared that ingenuous simplicity which manifests true peace and uprightness of heart. His temperament was passionate and hot, his constitution strong and vigorous. On a journey from Marseilles to Narbonne he was taken prisoner and wounded by an arrow from some pirates, who captured the ship and its crew. His captivity in Tunis must have considerably weakened his strong constitution, for after his return to France he was very sensitive to changes of temperature and subject to frequent discomfort.
(2) His Heart - Saint Vincent had a noble, generous, tender heart; very open to compassion, always showing self-control under unforeseen difficulties, and courageous whenever there was question of duty. He was always on his guard against the seduction of honours, ever attentive to the cry of poverty; never evincing coldness nor ill-humour; so much so that he seemed, on the contrary, to have lived only to help the poor and comfort the sorrowful. This kindness of heart bound him in friendship with all those who professed to love virtue sincerely.
Besides that, his mastery over his passions was so absolute that their very existence was scarcely perceptible. He was a tender father, but his tenderness was well regulated; he loved equally every child of his Congregation, and in this family, although it was very numerous, there was never any member who inspired the slightest jealousy in the hearts of his brethren. For a very long time (this fact is certain) there had never been a man who was called upon to occupy himself with so many different duties, which brought him in touch with all kinds of persons of every class and condition. Being exposed continually to the most dangerous occasions, he knew how to keep his whole life not only sheltered from all suspicion, but honoured by universal approbation.
(3) His Mind - His mind was broad, circumspect, apt for great things - it was difficult to take him unawares.
When Saint Vincent took a matter in hand he went carefully into everything that had reference to it, and found out every circumstance connected with it, whether little or great; he knew how to forestall in advance the inconveniences or consequences thereof. Nevertheless he avoided as far as possible making his opinion known straight away; he first weighed carefully the "for and against," consulting God in prayer and conferring with persons whose experience fitted them to enlighten others. This characteristic, so far removed from what could be called precipitation, saved him from any false step and opened the way to much good.
Any difficulties in his business left him untroubled and without fear; on the contrary, he carried them out with a strength of mind superior to all obstacles; he applied himself with the most enlightened skill, bearing the weight of them, the anxieties and delays, with such tranquillity as great souls alone are capable of.
If he had occasion to deal with some important matter by word of mouth, he listened attentively to those who spoke, without ever interrupting them. If someone came and interrupted him, faithful to the great principle of humility and of politeness, that "one must be silent when another is speaking," he stopped immediately and kept silence until the interrupter had finished. Then at once, with admirable presence of mind, he would resume the thread of his discourse.
His reasoning was just, full of strength and precision; he expressed himself with a certain natural eloquence, calculated to rouse and attract those who were listening to him; he knew all that was necessary when there was question of doing good to others. The most difficult questions, especially those concerning spiritual or religious matters, were explained by him with such order and clearness that the cleverest people were astonished. Being a consummate master in the art of adapting himself to all kinds of characters, of coming down to the level of all capacities, he playfully stammered with the little children and conversed intelligently with the most enlightened men. In unimportant discussions the ordinary man believed himself to be equal to Saint Vincent. In the handling of the most serious affairs, on the other hand, the greatest geniuses of the century never found him inferior to themselves.
The holy man was an enemy of ambiguous and crooked ways of speaking; he said things just as he thought them, without his frankness ever infringing the rights of prudence.
He knew how to be silent when he thought it useless to speak; never did a word escape him showing bitterness, loss of esteem or charity cooled with regard to anyone whatever.
In general, he was by character antipathetic to all singularity, impulse or novelty. He held to the principle that, when things are going well, there is no need to change them too readily under pretext of improving them. He conformed to the customs and opinions accepted by all, principally on matters of religion. "The human mind he said, "is very quick and restless; the most enlightened minds are not always the best, unless they are very reserved; one walks safely when one does not stray from the path trodden by the greater number of wise men."
The exterior of things made little impression on him; he examined carefully their nature, their aim, their consequences, and, thanks to the exquisite sense which controlled his mind, he distinguished, with unusual perfection, between the true and the false, the good and the bad, the best and the less good, even when both were presented to him under the same form and appearance. Hence he derived his extraordinary tact in discerning spirits, and his great penetration of mind in judging the qualities and the defects of those about whom he had to give information; so much so that Le Tellier, Lord Chancellor of France, never spoke of him but with admiration.
Saint Vincent conducted himself in such a way that he was said to be a perfect observer of justice under every form. He was an enemy of favour in the distribution of benefices and was known to give a public reproof in Council about the choice of a Bishop, and the sequel proved how right he had been in showing opposition.
He was full of zeal for the reputation of his neighbour; if sometimes he was obliged to listen when the faults of others were discussed he was very skillful in his holy way in destroying the bad impression made, by telling all the good he knew about the accused person.
He was delicate even to scrupulosity with regard to the slightest injury of which he might have been the occasion; he blamed himself even for things which were merely accidental. His coachman having involuntarily dropped some loaves, Saint Vincent, fearing that they might be more difficult to sell in consequence, had them paid for immediately.
I could quote other facts of the same kind, but they might perhaps appear too unimportant to those who do not know that the Son of God authorizes these recitals, by Himself giving praise for the simple gift of a glass of cold water and for the alms of a poor widow.
The Servant of God was not like those favourites who make a trade and draw profit from the favour of a King by selling, at a very high price, what cost them nothing. One day the governor of an important town asked him to make use of his credit at Court in order to render him a service; and the better to secure this help he promised the Saint he would stand by the Priests of the Mission in the opposition raised against their establishment by very influential persons in the town. "I will serve you, since I am able to do so," answered Saint Vincent, "but as to what regards the Gentlemen of the Mission, I beg you to leave that in the Hands of God. I would rather they were not in your town at all than see them there thanks to the favour and credit of men."
An enemy of discord and of lawsuits, he strove always to make peace. Hearing that two families were on the point of a quarrel, he immediately set to work, trying by all means to keep them calm and peaceful. "A lawsuit," he said, "is a difficult morsel to digest, and the best of lawsuits is not worth as much as a reconciliation."
One of his relations having of his own accord engaged in an affair, which turned out badly, Saint Vincent wrote to him: "We go to law as little as possible, and when we are obliged we do so only after taking counsel within and without; we would rather lose what belongs to us than scandalise our neighbour." However, God permitted that the Saint should have to go through several lawsuits, gaining some and losing others, because Providence wished him to be a model for every kind of situation, and those who are litigants need great example. His conduct, in fact, was admirable in lawsuits; he put forward everything favourable to his enemies, without omitting a single iota, showing their reasons very cleverly, better perhaps than they could have done it themselves.
All steps that were taken to conciliate the favour of the judges appeared to him to be little conformed to justice. He said that "a judge who fears God has no regard for persons." He himself, when he belonged to the Queen's Council, said that he made no account of recommendations, but only troubled to find out whether the thing desired was, or was not, conformed to justice.
He managed the interests of those who brought an action against him better than his own interests. Once he was seen paying the expenses of a lawsuit which he had won; and, besides that, he gratuitously provided his adversaries with food and lodging, and then gave them money enough to take them home.
To complete his portrait it is sufficient to add that he had taken Jesus Christ for his model; it was from the Gospel that he drew all his philosophy, all his refinement, all his policy. This is what Saint Vincent was, according to the opinion of persons of his day, who were greatly esteemed and best able to judge. If we have given a high idea of him, it will be seen later on, in the course of this little book, that we have merely sketched a marvellous combination of very real virtues.
Practice - A recollected manner and reserve in speech are the two foundations upon which we can build up within us a Christian and religious character, on condition also that our words and actions be always regulated according to the maxims of the Gospel.
- text taken from Virtue and Christian Refinement According to the Spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul, by Saint John Bosco