Saint Vincent had a very high appreciation of the Infinite Majesty of God. His attitude of deep lowliness was manifested by the way in which he fulfilled all his religious exercises; by his words, always full of respect, when he was speaking of God, and by the ardent zeal with which he strove to communicate his own sentiments to others.
Although he usually went to bed very late he rose regularly at four o'clock, and did it with such holy eagerness that the second stroke of the bell never found him in the same position as the first. He began his day by offering to God his thoughts, words and actions, in union with those of Jesus Christ. Then he made his meditation and afterwards recited aloud the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus. Then he either went to Confession, (which happened frequently because, as one of his Directors testifies, he could not endure even the faintest trace of sin in his soul) or to make his preparation for Holy Mass. We can affirm, that in saying Mass he can well serve as a model for the most scrupulously reverential priests. He pronounced every word so distinctly and with such loving stress that one saw clearly the perfect harmony between his heart and his lips. His modesty and his tone of voice in pronouncing those words of the Mass which remind the priest both of his faults and of his dignity; the serenity of his face when he turned towards the people to give them the peace and blessing of the Lord; in one word, his whole exterior was such as to make an impression on those even who seemed least capable of receiving it; one felt as if one saw an Angel at the Altar.
He celebrated Mass every day with the exception of the three first days of his annual Retreat, as was the custom in the Community; and so long as he could manage it, he never failed to do so, even on a journey. His ordinary indispositions did not hinder him from ascending the Altar, even in that state of fever from which he suffered almost without intermission.
Through love for the Lamb, immolated for the Redemption of men, he often heard or even served another Mass after having said his own. One saw this venerable old man, more than seventy-five years old, at a time when he could only walk with difficulty, consider it a privilege to serve as an acolyte. "It is a shame," he said, "for an ecclesiastic, who has been consecrated for service at the Altar, to allow those who have no such charge to fulfill this office in his presence."
His piety was not less admirable during the solemn Offices. To hear him singing and chanting in the Choir one would have taken him for a Seraphim rather than a man. He wished the singing to be slow, with eyes fixed on the book, without looking right or left.
Although each one of the Mysteries of our Holy Faith was to him an object of tender devotion, he honoured with a special predilection those of the Holy Trinity and of the Incarnation, the sources of all the rest. One would need to be imbued with his piety to be able to give some idea of what he practised towards the Sacrament of the Love of a God Who wills to remain with His own, even until the consummation of the world.
When he entered the Sanctuary, hallowed by the Presence of Jesus Christ, he usually remained bowed down on his knees in such a humble posture that one would have thought he would willingly abase himself to the very centre of the earth, to show his respect more openly. Watching his deep recollection would make one believe and declare that the Saint really saw in vision Jesus Christ Himself. He avoided talking in churches, and if anybody wanted to say a word to him, even were he a Bishop or a Prince, he found a way of leading him outside the door, and he did it with such good grace that nobody could take offence.
If he were going out into the town he went first to salute the Master of the house (so he expressed it); on returning he went again to salute Him; and he introduced this practice into the Community. A man so full of love for the Adorable Sacrament was extremely sensitive to the outrages inflicted to It at this time by heretics and licentious soldiers. He tried to make good these sacrilegious outrages by voluntary penance, bitter tears, mortifications, generous gifts to several desecrated churches.
He could not bear to see one of his own Religious genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament in a thoughtless way, and he said that those who made only half a genuflection were "like marionettes, that perform light movements and curtsies without soul or spirit." We must not think that on this point he was mixing up true devotion with mere exterior signs; but he had the intimate conviction that, wherever there is genuine devotion, there too, these exterior signs would exist.
We must not separate Saint Vincent's tender devotion to God the Son from that which he had for His Blessed Mother. In order to celebrate worthily the Feasts of the Queen of Heaven he fasted on the eves together with all the members of his household. On the Feast itself he officiated solemnly, and put before his Sons the examples of virtue indicated by the Mystery of the day.
In whatever place he happened to be, even should he be speaking with a prince, the moment he heard the Angelus bell ringing he knelt down (except in Pascal time or on Sunday) and recited it reverently. After the example of Saint Bernard, he often invoked the "Star of the Sea" in the midst of those tempests which so often trouble our existence. "Each of our days," he said, "bears the signs of the protection of Her who is pleased to be our Mother if we are willing to be Her children."
To convince oneself that Saint Vincent was a zealous Servant of Mary it is sufficient to remark that he did all in his power to extend and make devotion to Her more attractive. He wished that his Religious should honour Her every day of their life; that they should imitate Her virtues as far as possible; that they should cause Her to be honoured by all those to whom they had an opportunity of making known Her greatness. Her power with God and Her tenderness towards sinners. On all the Missions given by himself or by his priests, he wished always that the faithful should be taught what gratitude and love they owe to that sublime Creature, who indeed is infinitely below God but inferior to none other but Him. And among the many associations and reunions that he instituted there was not a single one he did not place under the special protection of the Blessed Virgin.
The devotion of Saint Vincent for the Mother of God and the other Saints drew its source from the same principle: the "desire of glorifying God in the person of those whom He Himself willed to glorify." He honoured especially the Apostles, who had the happiness of seeing and touching with their hands the Word of God made Flesh, and who sealed with their blood the words of Eternal Life which they preached.
He always had vividly in his mind the presence of his Guardian Angel, to whom he addressed some prayers each day. He also bequeathed this practice to his Religious, and when they knelt down on entering or leaving their room, they were recommended to have as their secondary intention the honouring of the Angel to whom God had given the charge of watching over them.
His affection for Saint Joseph resembled much that of Saint Teresa for this worthy Spouse of the Mother of God; he made him Patron of his Intern Seminaries. He congratulated the Superior of Genoa because he had recourse to the mediation of this great Patriarch to procure capable workers for cultivating the vineyard of the Lord. Besides this, he expressed the desire that on his apostolic journeys he should inspire the people with great confidence in this "Faithful Guardian of the Immaculate Mother of Jesus." These are his own words.
We must not forget to mention here the rule he had made for himself of helping the souls in Purgatory by his prayers, and especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. He often exhorted his priests to fulfil this duty of Christian piety. "These dear deceased," he said, "are the living members of Jesus Christ; they are animated with the life of His Grace, and assured of sharing one day in His Glory; for these reasons we are obliged to love them, to serve them and assist them with all our power." Still less did Saint Vincent forget the Benefactors of his Congregation; he made a rule that the De Profundis should be recited three times every day for their intention; that is to say, two at the Particular Examen before meals, and the other at the General Examen in the evening. It is splendid thus to see a Community not sitting down to take their repasts before having prayed for those who have done them good.
Practice - If we wish to acquire a true spirit of devotion we must show great respect and veneration for everything connected with religion, being well on our guard never to speak of these things in a tone of pleasantry, or in any other way which might diminish our esteem for them.
- text taken from Virtue and Christian Refinement According to the Spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul, by Saint John Bosco