To commemorate this 400th anniversary year for the Congregation of the Mission, Fr. Ray Van Dorpe, C.M., offers insite into the Vincentian Vows and Virtues in this regular series: What Makes a Vincentian?
Mention the virtue of “meekness” to almost any Christian, and more than likely they will immediately think of the Beatitude that Jesus spoke when he gave the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) But in a more secular context we might hear a meek person described as being a “shrinking violet” or a “wallflower”; a highly introverted person with a reticent personality.
St. Vincent de Paul regarded meekness in a different light. In his early life, Vincent admitted that he had a quick temper; he would judge people and situations hastily and without much reflection. Eventually, Vincent overcame what we today would call a character flaw, but what he simply called a vice. St. Vincent himself tells us that were it not for divine grace he would have been “in temper hard and repellent, rough and crabbed.” He came to seek the virtue of meekness as an antidote to his rash judgments and angry outbursts.
Meekness is the ability to anger by expressing one’s displeasure in a loving way. In practice, it is a combination of gentleness and firmness, standing fast to one’s principles, but always willing to listen and speak with affection. The outward appearance of being a gentle person makes a Vincentian an approachable and non-threatening minister. Because people, especially the poor, find a Vincentian approachable, they are more willing to share with him their struggles, pains, hopes, and histories.
The virtue of meekness helps the Vincentian to be patient in moments of frustration and setbacks. Meekness allows us to deal patiently with people who are difficult or offensive. At root, the virtue of meekness mirrors the quality of Jesus as he reached out to all those who suffered, especially the poor. In Jesus, they found a man of God who was friendly, welcoming, warm, and yes, meek and humble of heart. No wonder they flocked to him!
Another French priest and bishop, who would also be declared a saint, was St. Francis de Sales. Around the year 1618, Vincent and Francis met in Paris. The spirituality and writings of Francis de Sales were to have a profound influence on Vincent, especially the virtue of meekness or gentleness, which de Sales was known for in his dealings with Protestants. A saying that is usually attributed to Francis de Sales is, “Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.” Whether or not Vincent was aware of his friend’s saying is unknown, but he certainly was aware of the truth of this saying in practice.