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 monthly series: What Makes a Vincentian?
In the previous blog posts of “What Makes a Vincentian” the vows took center stage, especially as the confreres practice them in the 21st century. In addition to the vows, there are five character traits, or virtues, that the priests and brothers of the Congregation aspire to develop in their lives. Virtues are attitudes or dispositions that enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Virtues are developed through learning and through practice. In short, they are good habits of life.
In the Congregation of the Mission, we strive to acquire the five virtues of simplicity, humility, meekness, mortification, and zeal. St. Vincent said:
“The Congregation should pay special attention to developing and living up to these five virtues so that they may be, as it were, the faculties of the soul of the whole Congregation, and that everything each one of us does may always be inspired by them.” (Common Rules, II, 14)
Simplicity, as the first virtue, means to speak and act with clarity and honesty. St. Vincent called simplicity “my gospel,” and described the virtue this way:
“This means giving a straightforward opinion about things in the way we honestly see them, without needless reservations. It also means doing things without any double-dealing or manipulation, our intention being focused solely on God.” (CR, II, 4)
Although not included as one of the “five,” another virtue closely associated with simplicity is prudence. Having sound judgments about when to speak and act is, for Vincent, just as important as doing so with simplicity.
“We should speak and behave with discretion. We ought, therefore, to keep quiet about matters which should not be made known… In actual practice, this virtue is about choosing the right way to do things. We should make it a sacred principle, the, admitting of no exceptions, that since we are working for God, we will always choose God-related ways for carrying out our work.” (CR, II, 5)
Today, the practice of simplicity can be complicated and problematic. We live in an age where dissemblance and cover-up are so commonplace as to be expected. Moreover, in an age of instant communications, where one’s opinion can be disseminated beyond one’s original intent, practicing the virtue of simplicity can be difficult. One must constantly ask, “Am I seeking the truth? Am I speaking the truth? Am I witnessing to the truth? Am I practicing truth in love?” Difficult questions, but worth asking!