Vincent De Paul Quotes

But the blessed Bishop of Geneva taught his nuns another kind of prayer, which even the sick can make: to remain peacefully in the presence of God, manifesting our needs to Him with no other mental effort, like a poor person who uncovers his sores and by this means is more effective in inciting passers-by to do him some good than if he wore himself out trying to convince them of his need.

All beginnings are somewhat strange; but we must have patience, and little by little, we shall find things, which at first were obscure, becoming clearer.

[E]ven if the whole world should rise up to destroy us, nothing will happen except that God, in whom we have put our hope, will allow.

All comes at the proper time to him who knows how to wait.

[I]t is His good pleasure that we remain always in the holy joy of His love ...

[P]resent misfortune presupposes good luck in the future.

The angels would become incarnate if they could, so that they might come to earth to imitate the example and virtues of the Son of God!

That's what our Rules engage us to do, to help poor persons, our lords and masters.

Who will excuse us before God for the loss of such a great number of people, who could be saved by the slight assistance we could give them?

It is no wonder you are tempted; on the contrary, it would be something new if you were not, because man's life is nothing but temptation, and no one is exempt from it, especially those who have given themselves to God; his own Son even passed through this trial. But if it is necessary for everyone, it is also a source of merit for those to whom God grants the grace of turning all things to good, as you do.

A man who behaves poorly in a Community will not do well in a parish.

Noise makes no good, good makes no noise.

God uproots the vine that He Himself has not planted.

A great good is worth being long desired.

If we want to find the manna hidden in our vocation, let us restrict and confine all our desires within it.

And what are we doing if we are not doing God's Will?

If there is any danger in the present weather, in the name of God, Monsieur, wait until spring

Put your trust in Him and following His example, always act humbly, graciously, and in good faith.

Make an effort to serve good bread and good meat and not to sell the better wine so as to serve what is inferior ...

I have never come away from you without reflecting that the Spirit of God and His holy workings reside in you.

[P]ersons who love very much, easily take offense at trifles. No doubt your excessive affection for me makes you a little diffident about mine. But there is no harm done; I hope you will soon be over this slight jealousy and be convinced that nothing can change the genuine affection Our Lord has given me for you

Remember, Monsieur that roses are not gathered except in the midst of thorns and that heroic acts of virtue are accomplished only in weakness.

Our Lord is pleased to deprive us of temporal goods; may it please His Divine Goodness to give us spiritual ones!

You say you experience great difficulty in the mission. Alas! Monsieur, there is no lot in life where there is nothing to be endured.

It's a pity you think that the world can be righted through murder. Isn't there enough death in the world already from hunger, starvation, calamities, and the stupid wars you stupid humans wage against each other?

[A] sick mind cannot be cured by the sheer force of persuasion.

In the name of Our Lord, Monsieur, do all you can to regain your health and take good care of it so that you can serve God and the poor for a longer time. This moderate care does not preclude the obligation we have of generously risking our lives when the salvation of our neighbor is concerned.

Perfection consists in a constant perseverance to acquire the virtues and become proficient in their practice, because on God's road, not to advance is to fall back since man never remains in the same condition.

God has great plans for you, directed towards helping you do what Jesus Christ did when He was on earth. This requires you do resist temptation vigorously, with special confidence in the assistance of His Divine Goodness. Courage then, Monsieur. Be faithful to Him, and the Divine Goodness will be favorable to you.

Even convicts, with whom I have spent some time, are not won over in any other way. Whenever I happened to speak sharply to them, I spoiled everything; on the contrary, when I praised them for their resignation and sympathized with them in their sufferings; when I told them they were fortunate to have their purgatory in this world, when I kissed their chains, showed compassion for their distress, and expressed sorrow for their misfortune, it was then that they listened to me, gave glory to God, and opened themselves to salvation.

Since you know the means of getting better, in the name of God, make use of them. Do not take on anything beyond your strength, do not be anxious, do not take things too much to heart, go gently, do not work too long or too hard.

Remember, Monsieur, that the downfall of most Communities comes from the cowardice of Superiors in not holding firm and in not purging them of the troublesome and incorrigible.

Let us do our duty well; let us go straight to God; let us work to become very humble, very patient, very mortified, and very charitable.

If we divested ourselves, once and for all, of all self-will, we would then be in a position of being sure of doing the Will of God, in which the angels find all their delight and men all their happiness.

[I]n order to raise a soul to the highest perfection, He allows it to pass through dryness, brambles, and combats, causing it thereby to honor the times of weariness in the life of His Son, Our Lord, who suffered various kinds of anguish and abandonment.

Let each of us accept the truth of the following statement and try to make it our most fundamental principle: Christ's teaching will never let us down, while worldly wisdom always will. Christ Himself said that this sort of wisdom was like a house with nothing but sand as its foundation, while His own was like a building with solid rock as its foundation.

If you do not see any good in these persons, then say nothing, but if you do see some, speak about it to honor God in them because all good proceeds from Him.

Practice teaching catechism and preaching. Missionaries must apply themselves to these tasks and although they do not accomplish them as successfully as others do, according to the opinion of men, it must be enough for them that they are doing the Will of God and perhaps producing more real fruit.

It will be easier for you to bring him around to where you want him more by gentleness and patience than by being too uncompromising.

[I]n the kingdom of charity, one prefers to suffer some inconvenience rather than inconvenience the neighbor.

Ordinarily, God allows these things [i.e. evil suggestions and wickedness] to happen to free us from some hidden pride and to engender in us holy humility.

All of you desire to belong entirely to God, and God also wants all of you to belong to Him

I hope that this man can be won over by your bearing charitably with him, advising him prudently, and praying for him. This is what I do for your family in general and for you in particular.

I have heard that M. Guesdon is dictating lessons to his seminarians. This is contrary to the custom of the Company and a somewhat ineffective way of teaching, since the students rely on their notes and do not exercise either their judgment or their memory, In this way, their minds remain empty while they pile up papers which they will perhaps never look at again.

I am determined, even if they throw mud in my face, never to show any resentment, nor break with them, nor deviate from the esteem and honor I owe them in the sight of God. If they forget themselves and say or do something offensive against your little bark, even if it is done purposely to make it sink, bear with it for the love of God, who will save you from shipwreck and calm the storm. Do not complain or even say a single work about it. In spite of everything, continue to compliment them when you meet, as if nothing were amiss.

What a reason the Company has for observing its Rules faithfully: to do what the Son of God came into the world to do! That there should be a Company, and that it should be the Company of the Mission, composed of poor men, and that it should be entirely dedicated to that purpose, going here and there through hamlets and villages, leaving the towns behind-something that's never been done-and going to announce the Gospel only to persons who are poor; yet, those are our Rules!

There is no act of charity that is not accompanied by justice or that permits us to do more than we reasonably can.

There are good, God-fearing persons who still fall into certain faults, and it is better to bear with them than to be hard on them.

[T]hese losses of the Church in the past hundred years give us reason to fear in the present misfortune that in another hundred years we may lose the Church entirely in Europe. So, keeping this fear in mind, blessed are those who cooperate in extending the Church elsewhere.

We should take as a maxim never to be surprised at current difficulties, no more than at a passing breeze, because with a little patience we shall see them disappear. Time changes everything.

So, we pray well when we remain in this way in the presence of God, with no exertion of the understanding or will. Therefore, you will do well to listen to God in the urge you feel to return to us.

Never betray His principles for any reason whatsoever, and take great care not to spoil God's affairs by too much haste in them.

Three can do more than ten when Our Lord puts His hand to things, and He always does so when He takes away the means of doing otherwise.

In this way, through experience they will be formed adequately, will be encouraged, and will be capable of rendering service to God.

I have never made any distinction between those who have taken vows and those who have not; some should not be overburdened in order to spare others.

Furthermore, the apostolic life does not exclude contemplation but encompasses it and profits by it to know better the eternal truths it must proclaim

A doctor who keeps a person from becoming ill deserves more merit than one who cures him.

The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.

Naturally, everyone loves his freedom, but we must beware of this as of a broad road that leads to perdition.

You must moderate yourself according to your strength. When you have done all that you can to see that no Christian is perverted, you must find your consolation in Our Lord, who could prevent this misfortune and who is not doing so.

I thank God for having given the Company subjects who belong more to Him than to themselves, and who serve the neighbor at the risk of their lives! They are like unrefined gold, which becomes visible in fire and which would otherwise remain hidden under ordinary actions and sometimes under faults and failings.

It is true that zeal is the soul of the virtues, but most certainly, Monsieur, it must be according to knowledge, as Saint Paul says; that means: according to knowledge of experience. And because young people ordinarily do not possess this experiential knowledge, their zeal goes to excess, especially in those who have a natural asperity.

With God's help, you will continue to succeed in your leadership and in your duties, because Our Lord's work is accomplished not so much by the multitude of workers as by the fidelity of the small number whom He calls.

If you no longer have any income, you will not be neglected-you will not starve to death ... We panic at first, but God does not always allow the evil that is feared to happen.

Charity is the cement which binds Communities to God and persons to one another ...

Do not be afraid of undertaking too much of what you can do without coming and going; but fear only the thought of doing more than you are doing and more than God is giving you the means to do.

[A]s a rule, the most learned persons do not produce the greatest results. We see that only too often.

God has seen fit that, since our services are useful to many persons, everyone approves them, but only when they are carried out in the spirit of Our Lord.

Experience teaches that what is feasible at the beginning is sometimes harmful as things go on, or subject to troublesome inconveniences

Just as stinginess is blameworthy so is the fault of facility in paying more for things than they are worth ...

His Divine Goodness asks that we never do good in any place to make ourselves look important but that we always consider Him directly, immediately, and without intermediary in all our actions.

If you grant asylum to so many refugees, your house may be sacked sooner by the soldiers; I see that clearly. The question is, however, whether, because of this danger, you should refuse to practice such a beautiful virtue as charity.

If you say that a good reputation serves to benefit the neighbor more, I admit that. However, since it should be based on a good life, it is, therefore, preserved by the practice of virtue and not by human intrigue.

Let us be submissive to Providence, He will see to our affairs in His own time and in His own way

Do not be surprised by your trials, since the Son of God has chosen them for our salvation.

[M]ay you be more advanced in the school of solid virtue, which is practiced in an excellent way in the midst of suffering, and which keeps good servants of God in fear when they have nothing to suffer!

Remember, Monsieur, that Saint Augustine says that a person who does not obey the doctors is doing his best to kill himself.

If you must be in a hurry, then let it be according to the old adage, and hasten slowly.

Peace is worth more than all worldly possessions; in addition, God rewards it even in this life.

Our Lord and the saints accomplished more by suffering than by acting.

Be acted upon rather than active. In this way, God will do through you alone what all men put together could not do without Him.

To this end, we should help and support one another and strive for peace and union among ourselves. This is the wine that cheers and strengthens travelers along the narrow path of Jesus Christ.

Laws must never be made compatible with crimes, no more than lying should be in harmony with the truth.

Seek counsel of very pious, disinterested persons, and follow the call of O[ur] L[ord] and the advice of those persons.

It will be most pleasing to O[ur] L[ord] if you husband your strength in order to serve Him better.

Since I am a great sinner, I cannot reject those who have been, provided they have good will.

In order to become soundly virtuous, it is advisable to make good practical resolutions concerning particular acts of the virtues and to be faithful in carrying the out afterwards. Without doing that, one is often virtuous only in one's imagination.

One beautiful diamond is worth more than a mountain of stones, and one virtuous act of acquiescence and submission is better than an abundance of good works done for others.

We should spend as much time in thanking God for his benefits as we do in asking him for them.

We must love our neighbor as being made in the image of God and as an object of His love.

Man's condition is never the same; he is humbled, then exalted; sometimes at peace, sometimes persecuted; enlightened today and plunged into darkness tomorrow. What is to be done? As I said, let us be prepared for whatever may happen.

Let us allow God to act; He brings things to completion when we least expect it.

The kingdom of God is peace in the Holy Spirit; He will reign in you if your heart is at peace. So, be at peace, Mademoiselle, and you will honor in a sovereign way the God of peace and love.

Is it not better to fail after asking advice than to risk acting on our own?

He also always blesses humble beginnings much more than those accompanied by a lot of show.

Nature makes trees put down deep roots before having them bear fruit, and even this is done gradually.

The works of God are not accomplished when we wish them, but whenever it pleases Him.

THE MAIN DUTY OF LAW enforcement is law breaking. Right now the disciplined forces jobs are the reserve of the 'elite' and security has little meaning, money is the arbiter of law breaking.

Cast from your heart the bitterness ...

An honorable man would never abandon his friend in time of need, especially if they were in a foreign country. Why? For fear of acting like a coward or of being boorish. I repeat, I admire the fact that, those persons have, through human respect, more courage than Christians and priests have, through charity or through their good intentions.