If ever there was a model of Consoling spirituality, it's St. Vincent de Paul, whose feast we celebrate on Sept. 27.
A man who'd entered the priesthood in order to pursue a comfortable life, St. Vincent's life changed radically when he was taken as a slave and endured that state until he managed to escape. He poured himself out in service to the Lord's little ones.
Born with an irascible temperament, he was faithful to the graces God gave to him, and by the end of his life, was outstanding in his empathy and kindness to others.
How did he change from being a crotchety man attached to his own comfort into a self-sacrificing, kindly, generous saint? This quote might give us a clue:
Strive to live content in the midst of those things that cause your discontent. Free your mind from all that troubles you; God will take care of things. You will be unable to make haste in this [choice] without, so to speak, grieving the heart of God, because he sees that you do not honor him sufficiently with holy trust. Trust in him, I beg you, and you will have the fulfillment of what your heart desires (St. Vincent de Paul, Letters).
"Jesus, I trust in You." The same prayer that is at the foot of each Divine Mercy image also marked the heart of St. Vincent de Paul. It was by trusting in Jesus, knowing that God would take care of all things, that St. Vincent de Paul consoled the Heart of God.
Let us ask St. Vincent de Paul to pray for us, that we all might trust Jesus as he did. Let us ask his intercession for ourselves and all our loved ones, both friend and foe, so that we all may grow in faith, hope, and charity in the family of God.
