Poverty of Saint Vincent

The more the heart of man becomes detached from the things of this world the closer he gets to Heaven, and the better he knows Jesus Christ. This disposition gives birth to the spirit of poverty, which consists in detaching oneself from the things of the world and only using them in so far as they may lead to everlasting happiness. Before he was aware of God's designs upon him Saint Vincent had good grounds for dreaming about a state of life worth living; indeed he declared later on that he had always felt a secret inspiration in his soul which made him desire to possess nothing of his own, and to live in Community. God granted him both the one and the other. He became the Father of a numerous family, and, although the state in which Providence placed him was not incompatible with the right of ownership, still Saint Vincent knew how to make it compatible with the most rigorous poverty.

In general, he took all that was bad for himself. He wore his clothes for as long as it was possible, or he took those which other priests about his own size had already worn for a long time, so that he might avoid having new things. The necessity of appearing frequently at Court did not make him change anything in his dress; he presented himself before the King in the clothes he wore at home. Cardinal Mazarin, taking hold of him one day by his worn-out cincture, said to those round about the Queen: "Look at Mr. Vincent's Court dress; and what a magnificent cincture he wears!" Perhaps at the hour of death this wealthy minister of State would have very willingly changed soul and fortune with this poor priest.

His meals corresponded with his clothing, and his lodging with both. As to nourishment, the only difference noticeable between his brethren and himself was his strict abstinence. He was only pleased when something was wanting, and willingly dined on what was left, or on what the others had not wanted. Sickness made no difference. In his most acute sufferings he believed himself to be prohibited from taking what others were not allowed to take. He thought the example of Saint Francis Xavier was admirable, when he had to beg for his bread, which he also did himself sometimes. As he never carried any money, when he was in the country and was pressed by hunger he would go to some woman and beg for a piece of bread for the Love of God. Doubtless his meagre fare testified to an incredible sobriety, and yet, seeing nothing in himself but a useless servant who has no right to be nourished, he reproached himself for even this small amount of poor food and repeated that expression, which was as familiar to him as it was unsuitable: "Oh, miserable man, thou certainly hast not earned the bread thou eatest."

His lodging was as simple as could be imagined: a room without a fireplace, a bed without curtains, a palliasse without a mattress, a table without a cloth, bare walls, two straw chairs, one paper picture, a wooden crucifix - that was all the furniture of his room. The King's Chief Physician was astonished to see a man of such great merit and such high reputation lodged so miserably, and he declared that he had found nothing there except what was absolutely necessary.

The spirit of poverty followed him everywhere. If he was obliged to warm himself a little in the winter he spared as much of the wood as possible to give to the poor. He wished the ornaments for his churches to be of a plain material, except on Feast days. When they attempted to replace the old worn-out furniture by new he had it removed immediately. "Whatever the House possesses," he said, "is the patrimony of the poor; we are only the managers, and not the owners, and we shall have to render a strict account for all that is not necessary for us. . . . Although we are not, strictly speaking, Religious, as it was not found expedient that we should be so and we are not worthy of it, still we live in Community, and poverty is the bond of Communities, and especially of ours; it is the bond which, releasing it from all earthly things, attaches it perfectly to God. . . . Alas! what will become of our Society if we give way to greed of these riches, which the Apostle says are the root of all evils? . . . And if this misfortune should happen to the Society . . . how could one live in it? Some would say: ' We have so many thousand pounds of revenue, why not stay in peace . . . why labour so hard? Let us leave the poor country people alone; let their curates take care of them as they think best; as for us, let us live quietly, without bothering ourselves so much' Thus laziness would result from the spirit of avarice; one would henceforth be occupied only in preserving and increasing one's temporal goods and in seeking one's own ease. One might bid adieu to all the exercises of the Mission, and to the Mission itself, for it would exist no longer. One need only read history to find numberless examples which prove that riches and abundance of temporal goods have caused the destruction, not only of many ecclesiastics, but of whole Communities and of entire Orders, through their not having been faithful to their first spirit of poverty."

One of his priests represented to him one day the needs of his House. "What is your procedure," the Saint asked him, "when you are thus short of necessities for the Community? Do you have recourse to God?"

"Yes, sometimes," answered the priest.

"Well," he replied, "that is poverty; it makes us think of God. If we were comfortable we should perhaps forget God. And for this reason I am overjoyed that voluntary and real poverty is practised in our Houses. There is a hidden grace which underlies poverty which we do not realize."

"But," replied the priest, "you procure goods for others, and yet you leave your own without any."

"I beg God," said Saint Vincent, "to pardon you for these words; I see well that you have spoken thus in simplicity, but know this: that we are never more rich than when we are like Jesus Christ."

Such counsels, confirmed as they are by the example of him who gave them, made a deep impression on his children; indeed, speaking generally, no created thing seemed to have any attraction for them. Saint Vincent was never lavish with his praises in their regard, especially if they were present. However, one day, after having told them that a man who has the true spirit of poverty fears nothing, can do everything, can go everywhere, he was obliged to do them justice by adding: That through the Mercy of God this spirit did exist in the Congregation; that we must beg God to preserve it and esteem ourselves happy to die after the example of our Divine Saviour, Who began His mortal life in a manger and ended it on the Cross.

Practice - Let us think now how to make good use of riches; otherwise they will become thorns, which will make us suffer at the hour of our death. "We shall never be so rich as when we shall be like to Jesus Christ," Who had not even a stone whereon to lay His Head.

- text taken from Virtue and Christian Refinement According to the Spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul, by Saint John Bosco