Conversion

By: José Mulet Coll

[This is one of the 100 articles found in the publication, Diccionario de Expiritualidad Vicenciana, published by Editorial CEME in 1995. This article has been translated and made available in the on-line Vincentian Encyclopedia with the permission of Editorial CEME].

Toward a concept of conversion

The concept of conversion can be understood:

• in relationship to any reality: it implies change, mutation, transformation of all or some aspects of that specific reality

• in relationship to the human person: it supposes a change in thinking or action, in the direction of one’s life, in one’s interpersonal relationships, in one’s commitment or in the intention that guides one’s activity.

• in relationship to religion: it supposes the transformation of people’s relationship with God. It can imply the recognition of God as one abandons idolatry or atheism or it can imply the acceptance of salvation in Jesus Christ or the acceptance of a state of life consecrated to God or repentance for the lack of integrity in one’s life.

In each one of the previous situations, conversion can indicate the initial movement in a process of change, a path that will lead to an on-going process of change. Here, in Saint Vincent, we will reflect on conversion from the perspective of the Christian religion. Therefore, we will speak about conversion as a transformation that occurs in the life of men and women who, in Jesus Christ, recognize that they are related to God, freed from sin through the Spirit and able to establish good and friendly relationship with other people ... this is the Christ centered aspect of the Vincentian spirit in which Christ is the Rule of the Mission.

Conversion is also expressed by the words repentance, penance, the following of Jesus Christ, offering of one’s self to God, evangelization, sanctification. Conversion always expresses a movement away from one reality and a movement toward a different reality.

Conversion is a divine grace that precedes and guides the process. Vincent stated: Conversion is a result of the absolute mercy and omnipotence of God alone (CCD:VII:583). Conversion has two dimensions: one dimension has its starting point in unbelief and idolatry and moves toward the acceptance of God; the other dimension has its starting point in the recognition of God, the recognition of attitudes that leads believers, on a daily basis, to remain faithful to God, to the God of their faith and hope. The two dimension, though distinct, are inseparable, that is, the same conversion that leads one from unbelief to faith also nourishes and expresses the integrity of a life of faith. One then starts with unbelief and is revealed in a new vision of life, one that is in accord with the recognition of God. On the other hand, the other dimension is concerned more about the life of the person who is converted and the resulting behavior (Cfr., Diccionario Teológico Interdisciplinar [The theological Interdisciplinary Dictionary]).

Conversion is a salvific event

Conversion has its origin in the attitude of God who is benevolent and who offers and gifts individuals with the grace of conversion. That is what Vincent believed and said. Conversion is: a result of the absolute mercy and omnipotence of God alone (CCD:VII:583) … [conversion is a reality] beyond human power (CCD:VIII:66) … It is a great presumption to imagine that God needs our talent, as if he could not convert souls by some other means (CCD:II:388) … I hoped Our Lord would grant me the grace to mend my ways (CCD:II:304) … your letters give me reason to thank God and that reconciliation seems to me like a miracle (CCD:II:349) … [with regard to a scandalous division in a parish] Was it in the power of men to reunite them? Indeed, even if an entire Parlement had been involved in such a difficult compromise between persons so strongly alienated, it would scarcely have managed to settle what concerned only external discipline (CCD:XI:5) … Guiding souls to God … There’s certainly nothing human in that, Monsieur; it’s not the work of a man, it’s the work of a God, grande opus. It’s the continuation of the ministry of Jesus Christ; consequently, all human diligence can do here is to spoil everything, if God doesn’t take a hand in it. No, Monsieur, neither philosophy, nor theology, nor discourses can act in souls; Jesus Christ must be involved in this with us-or we with Him-so that we may act in Him and He in us … to reach that point Our Lord himself has to imprint firmly on you his stand and his character (CCD:XI:310, 311).

Conversion, however, is also the work of men and women

Even though conversion is a salvific action, it is also the activity of men and women who freely respond to God’s grace, who seek God and who allow themselves to be saved and transformed by Jesus Christ. Vincent said: The things of God come about by themselves, and that wisdom consists in following Providence step by step (CCD:II:521) … Humble yourselves profoundly and be prepared to suffer from Turks, Jews, and false brothers. They can cause you trouble, but please do not be surprised at this, for they can do you no other harm than what Our Lord wills to be done to you. Whatever comes to you from him will be only to allow you to merit some special favors with which he plans to honor you (CCD:IV:361) … The more God’s affairs are thwarted, the better they will succeed, provided our submissiveness and trust do not falter (CCD:IV:361) … There are some matters in which we must take only a passive role (CCDVII:47) … we recognize that this abundant grace comes from God, a grace which he keeps on giving only to the humble who realize that all the good done through them comes from God (CCD:I:183) ... God will take this grace away from you as soon as you allow vain complacency to enter your mind, attributing to yourself what belongs to God alone (CCD:I:183) … We do not want to choose our own ways but to walk in those it will please God to set down for us ... Let us offer ourselves to him to do and suffer all things for his glory and the building up of his Church ... Let us open wide our hearts and wills in his presence, not deciding to do this or that until God has spoken (CCD:VII:531-532) … What we have to do, Monsieur, is to humble ourselves profoundly and abandon ourselves entirely to God (CCD:VII:559) … How good it is to let oneself be guided by God’s providence (CCD:II:154).

People have to work for conversion

Vincent said: We should not stop working at [conversion] when the opportunities present themselves because God wills this (CCD:VII:583) … I am working at it [conversion], as a matter of fact, through the goodness of God (CCD:II:304) … we have to learn which are genuine insights, so we can free from deception those who walk in darkness and console souls plagued by false illusions! And if we don’t do it, we’re guilty before God of as many souls who perish by our fault, because our priestly character obliges us to that (CC:XII:280) … Let us love God, brothers and sisters, let us love God, but let it be with the strength of our arms and sweat of our brows (CCD:XI:32) … God destined his prophets for certain persons and didn't want them to go to others. W hat answer will we give to God if, through our fault, some one of these souls should happen to die and be lost? Wouldn't we be the ones, so to speak, who damned it? ... But woe to us also if we become lax in carrying out the obligations we have to help poor souls! For we have given ourselves to God for that purpose ... As for me, despite my age, before God I don't feel excused from the obligation I have to work for the salvation of those poor people (CCD:121, 122, 123).

Conversion demands humility and other virtues

Saint Vincent said: Let us work humbly and respectfully … we do not believe a person because they are learned but because we consider them good and we love them (CCD:I:276) … obedience, mortification, prayer, patience and similar virtues win souls better than the lofty sciences and all human industry (CCD:II:388) …as a rule, the most learned persons do not produce the greatest results. We see this only too often (CCD:IV:131) … it is not the most learned persons who have the best results but rather those who have greater grace from God (CCD:VII:534) … I have never seen or known any heretic who was converted by the strength of the debate or the subtlety of the arguments bur rather by gentleness (CCD:XI:55).

Saint Vincent, a great convert

Between the time in which Vincent wrote the letter, dated February 17, 1610, to his mother and October 19th of the following year when Vincent gave 15,000 livres to the Charity Hospital, something profound happened to him. He had grown in virtue and that growth would continue. Day after day he was concerned about imitating Jesus Christ and following, step by step, the movement of Divine Providence. Vincent had allowed himself to become caught up in Jesus Christ and as a result his attitudes, his whole life and existence, became a process of clothing himself in the spirit of Jesus Christ in order to imitate him and follow him faithfully. The witness of Vincent de Paul created an awareness among those who came forward and experienced the same call to imitate Jesus Christ. Vincent’s words offer a profound message to those who desire or are already journeying along the same path.

Vincent de Paul called to be a minister of conversion

In January 1617, in Gannes, an infirm man confessed to Vincent de Paul: Madame, he said to Madame de Gondi, were it not for this general confession I would have been damned. I was guilty of several grave sins which I had never dared reveal (Abelly I:60) … “Ah. Monsieur! What's this?” that virtuous lady then said to the saint. “What have we just heard? No doubt it's the same for most of these poor people. If this man, who is considered an upright man, was in a state of damnation, what will it be like for others who live more badly? Ah! M. Vincent! How many souls are being lost! How can this be remedied?” Then M. Vincent continued. “That took place in the month of January 1617, and, on the twenty-fifth, the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, that lady asked me to preach a sermon in the church of Folleville to urge the people to make a general confession, which I did, pointing out to them its importance and usefulness. Then I taught them how to make it properly; and God had such regard for the confidence and good faith of that lady --- for the large number and enormity of my sins would have hindered the success of this act --- that he blessed what I said; and those good people were so moved by God that they all came to make their general confession. 1 continued to instruct them and to prepare them for the sacraments, and I began to hear their confessions. But there was such a large crowd that, even with the help of another priest, I couldn't hear them all. Madame sent someone to ask the Jesuits of Amiens to come to assist us, writing to the Rector, who came himself. Since he couldn't stay very long, he sent Fr. Fourche of the same Company to take his place. The latter helped us hear confessions, preach, and teach the catechism and, by the mercy of God, found plenty to keep him busy. Next, we went to the other villages belonging to Madame in that area, and did the same as in the first one. There was a huge crowd, and God gave his blessing everywhere. That was the first sermon of the Mission and the success God gave it on the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, and he certainly had a plan in mind on that day (CCD:XI:3-4). The mission in Folleville clearly showed what God expected of Vincent.

Vincent de Paul, an organizer of popular missions

The year following the mission in Folleville, 1618, popular missions were given in other towns and villages and Vincent was assisted by other virtuous ecclesiastics (Coste I:95). Vincent de Paul had asked various religious communities to take responsibility for the project of Madame de Gondi, namely, to offer periodically popular missions to the people who lived on her estate. It was Madame de Gondi who helped Vincent understand that he should establish a community of missionaries (Coste I:145).

The first person to follow Vincent was Antoine Portail, a good priest who collaborated in giving popular missions. Saint Vincent said: The three of us used to go and give missions, passing from village to village (Coste I:150).

The third missionary was probably Father Belin. At least that is what we are led to believe as a result of the words that Vincent spoke on December 16, 1634: Rest assured that Our Lord has made you a missionary, and that you played one of the chief parts in the conception, pregnancy, birth and progress of the Mission and that, were it not for the evident signs God has given you that he desired you to be in Villepreux … you would belong entirely to the Mission. As for me, I look on you as a perpetual and very perfect missionary (Coste I:151).

The Congregation of the Mission, inherits “the mission” = conversion

Through the documents:

[a] Foundation Contract of the Congregation of the Mission, April 17 1625: since his Divine Goodness has provided in his infinite mercy for the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the towns of this kingdom through a large number of Doctors and religious, who preach, catechize, and exhort them and preserve them in the spirit of devotion, only the poor people of the rural areas remain, as it were, abandoned. They thought, that ... in accord with the wishes of the Prelates, each within the limits of his own diocese, they could devote themselves entirely and exclusively to the salvation of the poor common people. They would go from village to village, at the expense of their common purse, to preach, instruct, exhort, and catechize those poor people and encourage all of them to make a good general confession of their whole past life (CCD:XIIIa:213-214).

[b] Act of Approval by the Archbishop of Paris, April 24,1626: concerned about catechizing, preaching, and encouraging the poor country people to make general confessions (CCD:XIIIa:218).

[c] Act of Association of the First Missionaries, September 4, 1626: some priests who commit themselves and come together to devote themselves, by way of the mission, to catechize, preach, and exhort poor country people to make a general confession ... to live together as a Congregation ... and to devote themselves to the salvation of the poor country people (CCD:XIIIa:222).

[d] First Petition to Urban VII for Approval of the Congregation, 1627: certain priests, zealous for the salvation of souls, should go to give missions in the rural areas for the conversion of heretics, the instruction of the faithful and the conversion of sinners (CCD:XIIIa:228).

[e] Minutes of the Session at which Propaganda Fide considered the Approval of the Mission, June 5, 1627: they may be able to devote themselves to the conversion of heretics, instructing the ignorant in the mysteries of faith and Christian commandments, guiding sinners on the right path (CCD:XIIIa:228).

[f] Act of Union of the Coll?ge des Bons-Enfants to the Congregation of the Mission, June 8, 1627: they labor for the salvation of the souls of the faithful … and assuage the consciences of the common people (CCD:XIIIa:231).

[g] Royal Letters Patent for the Union of the Coll?ge des Bons-Enfants to the Congregation of the Mission, September 15,1627: to go from village to village to preach, hear confessions, instruct, and catechize free of charge the poor country people (CCD:XIIIa:236).

[h] Faculties granted to the Priests of the Mission by the Archbishop of Paris, April 10, 1628: to absolve any persons from ecclesiastical censures (CCD:XIIIa:241).

[i] Letter of Louis XIII to Pope Urban VIII, June 24, 1628: to preach, exhort, hear confessions and catechize the poor common people (CD:XIIIa:243).

[j] Letter of Louis XIII to the Comte de Bérthune, French Ambassador to the Holy See, June 24, 1628: to preach, exhort, hear confessions and catechize the poor common people (CD:XIIIa:244).

[k] Letter of the Nuncio to Cardinal Ludovisio, August 15, 1628: leading souls back to the bosom of Holy Church and extricating them from sin (CCD:XIIIa:246).

[l] Report to the Propaganda Fide on Vincent’s request, August 22, 1628: preaching and hearing confessions in the towns and villages, causing enmities to disappear and introducing peace, converting heretics (CCD:XIIIa:247) … Judgment: to disband the Mission when the need no longer exists (CCD:XIII:A:249).

[m] Letters Patent order the Parlement to Ratify the letter of May 27th, February 15, 1630: to preach, hear confessions, exhort and catechize (CCD:XIIIa:253)

[n] Approval by the Archbishop of Paris of the union of Saint-Lazare to the Congregation of the Mission, January 8, 1632: zealously exhorting everyone to make a general confession of all the sins of their past life (CCD:XIIIa:276).

[o] Bull of Erection of the Congregation of the Mission, January 12, 1633: it would be beneficial for the salvation of souls … along with their own salvation, to dedicate themselves to the salvation of those who live on the estates, in the countryside, on farms, in hamlets, and in insignificant places ... instruct those who are to be promoted to Orders and have been sent to them for a two-week period before ordination. So that these Orders may be received worthily, they make a spiritual retreat and a general confession of their whole lives (CCD:XIIIa:298) ... experience has shown that the greatest results have come from this Institute (CCD:XIIIa:311).

[p] Document related to Pontifical Approval of the Congregation of the Mission, January 1632: The Missionaries are to instruct the above-mentioned country people in the rudiments of Christian doctrine, hear their confessions, administer to them the sacraments of the church, preach to them and teach them all the other things concerning their salvation (CCD:I:141).

[q] Approval by the Archbishop of Paris of the Union of Saint-Lazare to the Congregation of the Mission, December 31, 1632: in spiritual exercises, namely, general confession (CCD:XIIIa:291-292).

In all these documents it appears that the Congregation of the Mission is to engage in and help others to engage in the process of conversion as a second acceptance of the faith, that is, that they live their life in a manner that is consistent with their faith.

Vincent de Paul and the Congregation of the Mission called to the missions ad gentes

On March 30th, 1648, in the Document titled: Authorization for Charles Nacquart and Nicolas Gondrée to travel to Madagascar, Vincent de Paul stated: we are bound to devote ourselves to procuring the salvation of souls wherever God has called us by a special plan, chiefly in places where the need is greater and other evangelical workers are lacking. We are aware, moreover, [that] in the Indies, especially on the island of Madagascar, known otherwise as Saint-Laurent, there is a very great scarcity of workers and the harvest is abundant, both with regard to encouraging Catholics in the faith, and to inviting pagans to the Catholic faith ... we have sent and, by the present letters, do send you to the aforesaid island and other parts of the Indies so that, in line with the functions of our Institute, you may, with the grace of God, apply yourselves with all your strength to the salvation of souls (CCD:XIIIa:358). In a letter that Vincent wrote to Charles Nacquart on March 22, 1648, we read: Our Lord has given your heart the desire to render him some special service. When the opening of missions to the Gentiles and idolaters was given in Richelieu, I think Our Lord made your soul aware that he was calling you there ... it is now time for this seed of the divine call to take effect in you ... the Nuncio has chosen the Company to go and serve God on Saint-Laurent Island, also called Madagascar ... your chief concern will be to help these poor people, born in the darkness of ignorance of their Creator, to understand the truths of our faith, not by subtle theological reasoning, but by arguments taken from nature. You have to begin in that way, trying to let them see that you are only developing in them the signs of himself that God has left on them and which corrupt nature, long accustomed to evil, had effaced in them (CCD:III:278, 280).

On December 20, 1655 a foundation was established to assist the Barbary slaves: a gentlemen from this city of Paris has entrusted us with the sum of 30,000 livres to be used by us and our successors for the relief and redemption of poor slaves (CCD:XIIIa:421).

Letter written by Claude Dufour from the ship that was taking him to Madagascar, July 1656: Is there anything more praiseworthy than to make every effort to eliminate all vice from a boat so that virtue might take its place, to eliminate the bad habits and give some comfort to the sorrowing, to exhort people to observe God’s commandments (Not found in CCD).

In a letter to written to François du Coudray: Since I left God has been pleased to make use of this wretch to convert three people (CCD:I:58) … You must make it understood that the poor are being damned for want of knowing the things necessary for salvation, and for lack of confession (CCD:I:112).

All those who present themselves to join the Company will come with the thought of martyrdom, desiring to suffer martyrdom in it and to devote themselves entirely to the service of God … and to the salvation of the neighbor. And if Our Lord loves us to the point of dying for us, why should we not desire to have this same disposition with regard to him (CCD:XI:334, 335) … the Son of God came to evangelize the poor. And are not we, Messieurs, sent for the same purpose … what a happiness to do on earth the same thing Our Lord did there (CCD:XI:284).

What a great favor! What a great grace God has bestowed on this house, to call so many souls to it for the holy exercises of a retreat and to use this family as an instrument for the instruction of those poor souls! What else should we think about but winning a soul to God, especially when the person comes to us! We should have no other intention and should aim only at that, and that alone … what good results, what marvelous results! … a very upright man said to me: I would have been lost without it [ a retreat]: I owe you everything because it gave me peace of mind and helped me to adopt a way of life that I continue to live, by the grace o f God and to my greatest satisfaction. Ah, Monsieur! I’m so indebted to you for this that 1 talk about it everywhere,. in all the gatherings in which I find myself; 1 tell people that, without the retreat I made, thanks to you, at Saint-Lazare, 1 would have been damned (CCD:XI:214-215).

Conversion, a Vincentian demand

Conversion for the Congregation of the Mission

With regard to charity: To remind one another charitably and humbly of the failings we have noticed, and see that this practice is in force and growing stronger among us (CCD:XI:95) … Charitable behavior toward the neighbor should always be characteristic of us. We should try, then: (1) to behave toward others in the way we might reasonably expect to be treated by them; (2) to agree with others, and to accept everything in the Lord; (3) to put up with one another without grumbling; (4) to weep with those who weep; (5) to rejoice with those who rejoice; (6) to yield precedence to one another; (7) to be kind and helpful to one another in all sincerity; (8) finally, to be all things to all people so that we may win everyone for Christ (CCD:XII:213; Common Rules II:12).

Be united among yourselves and God will bless you; but let it be through the charity of Jesus Christ, for any other union that’s not cemented by the Blood of this Divine Savior can't subsist. So, it’s in Jesus Christ, through Jesus Christ, and for Jesus Christ that you must be united with one another (CCD:XI:137).

With regard to humility: M. Vincent strongly recommended that the Company ask God for the virtues proper to the same Company, but especially for humility ... He's content if he, as an individual, is despised, and even the Company in general (CCD:XI:293) … after having thought and rethought several times about finding a means to acquire and maintain union and charity with God and the neighbor. I've found no other nor any more suitable than holy humility (CCD:XI:137-138).

With regard to mortification: To be very mortified and to make ourselves indifferent in everything, particularly with regard to food, lodging, and clothing … to desire the achievement of perfection (CCD:XI:93).

With regard to poverty: The state of being Missioners is an apostolic state, which consists of leaving and abandoning all things, like the Apostles, to follow Jesus Christ (CCD:XI:157) … Poverty is a voluntary renunciation of all worldly goods for the love of God, in order to serve him better and to reflect on our own salvation (CCD:XI:227).

With regard to chastity: It is very important for the Congregation to be strongly determined to possess this virtue. And we must always and everywhere uphold it in a clear and decisive way (CCD:XII:328; Common Rule IV:1).

With regard to obedience: Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us obedience by word and example ... we should be completely obedient to every one of our Superiors, seeing the Lord in them and them in the Lord (CCD:XII:345; Common Rules V:1).

With regard to the vows: The little Congregation of the Mission came into existence in the Church to work for the salvation of people, especially the rural poor. This is why it has judged that no weapons would be more powerful or more suitable than those which Eternal Wisdom so tellingly and effectively used. Every confrere, therefore, should keep to such poverty, chastity, and obedience faithfully and persistently, as understood in our Congregation (CCD:XII:297; Common Rules II:18).

With regard to Penance: priests have to devote themselves to study and to enlightening the People of God not only with their preaching but by entering into the spirit of penance and by performing acts of penance: (1) to satisfy the justice of God, (2) to make reparation for the wrong that’s been done to God, (3) because Our Lord was the perfect model of the priesthood and showed us a constant example of penance, even though he himself was innocent (CCD:XI:117-118).

With regard to good example: On the other hand, how many good works and holy acts of virtue will be due to the good members of the Company who have laid a firm foundation and given good example! For, in the measure that those who follow them do good and maintain themselves on the right path they traced out for them, their glory will increase and they’ll receive their reward for this from God in heaven (CCD:XI:203).

With regard to the evangelical councils: Even though we should do our utmost to observe all these Gospel teachings, which are very holy and useful, some among them are, nevertheless, more proper to us than others, namely, the ones that recommend particularly simplicity, humility, gentleness, mortification, and zeal for souls. The Congregation, therefore, will strive in a very special way to see that these five virtues may be, so to speak, the faculties of the soul of the whole Congregation (CCD:XII:253).

Conversion for the Company of the Daughters

With regard to charity: you are bound to be always ready to practice charity (CCD:X:92) … We must imitate the Son of God, dear Sisters, who did nothing except from the motive of the love he had for God his Father. So, your intention in coming to the Charity should he to come here purely for the love and pleasure of God (CCD:IX:18) … The first is to love God above all things, to belong totally to him, to love nothing but him; and if you do love anything else, that it be for love of God (CCD:X:368) … Can you imagine that a young woman, after giving up all that was most dear to her and then going off to a place a hundred leagues away, can be led to such a generous undertaking for any other motive than the love of God and the desire to serve him more perfectly than in the world? (CCD:X:419) … do nothing against one another, tolerating no thoughts of aversion --- even natural aversion --- that you may have for one another. Never say anything that might distress your Sister, unless you're obliged to do so by your office (CCD:X:369) … We ought to mortify ourselves and pray for those Sisters who do not love God or their neighbor. I fear that, in the end, they may cause the Company to perish (CCD:X:370) … Sisters, when you find it hard to speak to a Sister who has done something that displeases you, try not to let her see it, show her every possible mark of affection. If you act like that, the Sister who had an aversion for you will be won over. If you find it hard, do it anyway. It's the characteristic spirit of the Daughters of Charity, who ought to love one another as daughters of the same Father (CCD:X:372) … Another sign of a true Daughter of Charity: to love her Sisters and her neighbor cordially. Dear Sisters, that's the sign Our Lord gave for recognizing his disciples: “In this,” he said to them, “will people know you are my disciples, if you love one another” (CCD:X:425) … Do you think you are pleasing to God if you are not united to your neighbor by charity? God prefers reconciliation between two persons who do not love one another to all your sacrifices (CCD:IX:375).

With regard to perfection: You have undertaken to do what Our Lord did on earth. Oh, Sisters, if you could only imagine what perfections your state demands (CCD:X:117-118) … Sisters, say within yourselves, “God is asking more of you than of nuns (CCD:X:118) … We must be very careful not to lose any opportunity of perfecting ourselves (CCD:IX:23) … Do not be surprised if you are told to avoid mortal sin but venial sin as well (CCD:X:99) … prayer being your first occupation, do whatever you can so that your mind may be filled with God (CCD:IX:29) … Sisters, take good, strong resolutions once again to treasure your vocation more than ever, and try to work with greater fidelity toward the perfection God is asking of you (CCD:IX:77) … May the Holy Spirit pour into your hearts the insight you need to enkindle in them a great fervor and make you faithful and attached to the practice of all those virtues (CCD:IX:77).

With regard to humility: Sisters, we must adopt this sentiment and often ask God to give us a disregard for ourselves so that we'll be content to be considered poor and wretched, love all that leads to this contempt (CCD:X:124) … So, Sisters, remember to consider all your Sisters more perfect than yourselves; believe that they're good and that you're the worst of all. If you take that as a basis, what will happen? You'll make this Company a paradise (CCD:X:353).

With regard to poverty: If you want to be good Daughters of Charity, and I a good priest of the Mission, we must have a hatred of, and aversion to, the maxims of persons who live according to the world. A maxim of the world is to shun poverty and misery and to consider ourselves happy when we can avoid them, for the world loves worldly things such as prosperity, honors and praise. A Daughter of Charity, on the contrary, must remember that the Son of God always preferred poverty to riches and contempt to honor (CCD:X:112, 114).

With regard to obedience: To be truly obedient, you have to do the thing in the way indicated, at the appointed time, without delay, obeying all your life and in all things. That's the perfection of obedience (CCD:X:314) … You will be pleasing to God only to the extent that you are obedient (CCD:IX:56) … When you obey, you will always be doing the will of God (CCD:X:313).

With regard to disunion: A reason for always maintaining perfect union among ourselves is that disunion in the Company would be a hindrance to the reception of God's grace (CCD:IX:82) … It seems to me that, as far as possible, we must prevent disunion from infiltrating the Company, because not only would we be disunited in body, but, what is worse, we would be cut off from God and unable to attain the perfection he asks of us (CCD:IX:84).

With regard to unity: Your Company represents the unity of the Most Blessed Trinity which is based on reciprocal love (CCD:X:308, 309) … That's why a person who is amenable and submissive to his Superiors contributes to the maintenance of this union. O dear Sisters, how happy those souls are! They'll grow in virtue from day to day (CCD:X:309).

With regard to good example: by means of the good example she sees in her Sisters while she's in the Community, she can get back on the path she left, helped by the prayers of others (CCD:X:350).

With regard to the Rule: They will think highly of all these Regulations and the body of all the praiseworthy customs they have kept until now. They will consider all of them as means given by God for their greater perfection and to save themselves more easily (CCD:X:433) … For your consolation I can tell you that nothing is more holy, nor more perfect in the Gospel maxims than what is prescribed for you by the Rules God has given you (CCD:IX248).

With regard to conversion: If you are in a state of imperfection and feel that God is calling you today to leave such a dangerous state, listen to him (CCD:X:430) … if, in order to make amends for the time she has lost, a person gives herself truly and wholeheartedly to God in a way of life that tends to his glory, all her observances make satisfaction to him for the punishments due to the sins she has committed. Therefore, she can apply to the forgiveness of her past sins everything her Rules order her to do (CCD:IX:250).

With regard to mortification: mortify your senses and you'll soon find a change in yourselves and great facility in doing good (CCD:IX:20) … Mortification, especially interior mortification, is necessary because, without it, dear Sisters, you can't follow the maxims of the Son of God (CCD:X:123) … The only thought [of those who mortify themselves] is to give themselves to Our Lord; they have no thought of wavering because they know that, if it's painful, it's a means of holding fast to Our Lord (CCD:X:320) … as soon as we see that we have an affection for anything, mortify it immediately (CCD:X:321).

With regard to prayer: As long as a Sister makes her prayer properly, she will be raised to a high degree of the love of God (CCD:X:470).

With regard to the evangelical maxims: the children of Our Lord do not trouble themselves to find satisfaction in what they undertake; they want only to please God; and that, Sisters, is what you must do by embracing the maxims of Jesus Christ … and acknowledge that you are unworthy of such a grace (CCD:X:116).

With regard to murmuring: They will often think of the name of Daughters of Charity that they bear and will strive to make themselves worthy of it by the holy love they will always have for God and their neighbor. Above all, they will live in great union with their Sisters and never murmur or complain about one another, being careful to dismiss any thoughts of antipathy they may have for one another, etc. (CCD:X:368).

Conversion with regard to individuals

You must have recourse to God through meditation in order to preserve your soul in his fear and love; for alas people are often lost while contributing to the salvation of others (CCD:XI:312).

You must believe most assuredly that God will take this grace away from you as soon as you allow vain complacency to enter your mind, attributing to yourself whal belongs to God alone ... Whal would it profit, therefore, the greatest preacher in the world, endowed with the most eminent talents, to have made his preaching resound with applause throughout an entire province and even to have converted several thousand souls to God, if, in spite of all that, he were to lose his own soul! (CCD:I:183).

I experience a very tangible consolation from the fact that it seems to me we have tried to follow that same Providence in all its humble direction … I can also tell you Monsieur, that I trust them (human means) no more than I would our enemy, and if the Company believes me in this, it will never act otherwise … all these maxims are irrelevant with regard to a Company which Our Lord has raised up for himself … rest assured, Monsieur, that experience will cause you to understand it (CCD:I:192-193).

as to whether it would be advisable at the end of the missions to request attestations of the work accomplished ... It is sufficient that God knows their good works and that the poor are assisted, without their wishing to produce any other proofs (CCD:II:46-47).

Too good a reputation is very harmful and that is usually why results do not meet expectations, either because we become conceited or because the public attributes to people what is due to God alone (CCD:I:567).

Be faithful to your faithful lover who is Our Lord (CCD:I:28).

Vincent de Paul directed and counseled the superiors of the local houses, guiding them and encouraging them through his letters. The Vincentian teaching that is contained in that correspondence is occasional, qualified, and fragmentary, but there is enough there to affirm that in the letters addressed to persons under his spiritual care, Vincent was concerned both about their spiritual life and their apostolic ministry. With regard to the concept of conversion that is found in those letters, we see that Vincent highlighted the idea of placing God ahead of all human activity. At the same time, we always find in those letters and exhortation to the individual to fully engage in the process of conversion.

References:

All references to the writings of Vincent de Paul are taken from: VINCENT DE PAUL, Correspondence, Conferences, Documents, translators: Helen Marie Law, DC (Vol. 1), Marie Poole, DC (Vol. 1-14), James King, CM (Vol. 1-2), Francis Germovnik, CM (Vol. 1-8, 13a-13b [Latin]), Esther Cavanagh, DC (Vol. 2), Ann Mary Dougherty, DC (Vol. 12); Evelyne Franc, DC (Vol. 13a-13b), Thomas Davitt, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]), Glennon E. Figge, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]), John G. Nugent, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]), Andrew Spellman, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]); edited: Jacqueline Kilar, DC (Vol. 1-2), Marie Poole, DC (Vol. 2-14), Julia Denton, DC [editor-in-chief] (Vol. 3-10, 13a-13b), Paule Freeburg, DC (Vol. 3), Mirian Hamway, DC (Vol. 3), Elinor Hartman, DC (Vol. 4-10, 13a-13b), Ellen Van Zandt, DC (Vol. 9-13b), Ann Mary Dougherty (Vol. 11, 12 and 14).

Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM