The material cause of St. Vincent Ferrer is one: power. St. Vincent had the power to move people away from “vice toward a life of justice and penance” (p. 112). Pradel shows how every person who “serves the Lord is invested with great power” (p. 109). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he teaches us how to gain maximum power by serving the Lord.
The formal causes of St. Vincent Ferrer are three: purity, obedience and poverty. Pradel writes, “The true character of a Friar Preacher… consists in angelic purity, perfect obedience and divine poverty” (p. 12). St. Vincent Ferrer is a role model of purity. Pradel writes, “While he was one night sleeping in the Convent at Cervera, in Spain, St. Dominic appeared, and the rays of light which surrounded him were so bright that they woke Vincent. ‘My son,’ said the glorious Father, ‘You resemble me perfectly in the observance of the rule, and in your personal holiness, virginal purity’” (p. 106). Further, St. Vincent Ferrer is a role model of obedience. St. Vincent Ferrer writes in his “Treatise on the Spiritual Life,” Chapter V, “God will in that case give him grace, by reason of his obedience, that all may turn to his profit” (p. 171). Further, St. Vincent Ferrer is a role model of poverty. Pradel writes, “He observed the spirit of simplicity and poverty. He refused the use of a horse, and chose rather to ride on a mule” (p. 39). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he shows every Dominican how to be pure and “sweet,” obedient and “constant,” as well as poor and “affable” (p. 98).
The principal agent of St. Vincent Ferrer is one: the Lord. According to Fr. Pradel, St. Vincent Ferrer was a “valiant soldier of Jesus Christ” (p. 246). St. Vincent teaches his students how to follow the plan he receives from God the Father by working diligently to stay focused on the Lord. According to Pradel, St. Vincent “He frequently raised his eyes from his books and fixed them lovingly on the wounds of his crucified Lord” (p. 20).
The preparing agents of St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) involved nine steps. First, St. Vincent Ferrer prepared to serve the Lord as a Dominican by entering the Dominican “novitiate” (p. 11) in 1367 at age seventeen. Pradel writes, “Never did he omit any of the prayers or mortifications which he imposed on himself” (p. 13). Then St. Vincent made a “solemn profession of his vows” (p. 15) in 1368 at age eighteen. Pradel writes, “He pronounced them in the hands of Father Matthew Benincasa” (p. 11). Then St. Vincent taught “logic and philosophy” (p. 17) in 1369 at age nineteen at both “the convent in Valencia… and in Lerida” (p. 18). Pradel writes, “Many students from the city were desirous to become his auditors” (p. 18). Then St. Vincent “devoted himself… to the study of the Sacred Writings” (p. 18) in 1372 at age twenty-two. Pradel writes, he gained a “perfect knowledge of the Hebrew… and Greek” (p. 18). Then St. Vincent spent “one year more to teaching physics in the same Convent of Barcelona” (p. 18) in 1375 at age twenty-five. Then in “1876” (p. 19) St. Vincent “returned to Valencia, where he renewed his fervour by means of a spiritual retreat” (p. 18) at age twenty-six. Then St. Vincent taught theology (p. 19) in 1377 at age twenty-seven in “both Toulouse… and Paris” (p. 19). Pradel writes, “In both cities he continued to perfect himself in the divine sciences by teaching them to others” (p. 19). Then St. Vincent studied theology in 1379 at age twenty-nine. Pradel writes, “[H]e returned again to Valencia, and took charge of the theological course during six consecutive years” (p. 19). Then St. Vincent was ordained a priest in 1381 at age thirty-one. Pradel writes, "When he had completed the thirty-first year of his age, Vincent was promoted to the holy priesthood” (p. 21). Then St. Vincent completed his preparation by receiving “the degree of Doctor of Theology” in 1388 at age thirty-eight. Pradel writes, “He was then in his thirty-eighth year, and had been a priest only seven years” (p. 19). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he carefully shows a novice how to prepare to become a Dominican with nine steps requiring eighteen years.
St. Vincent Ferrer regularly had seven assisting agents who helped St. Vincent while traveling, performing miracles and encouraging people to enter the Catholic Church. 1. Blessed Anthony Fluster was a Dominican who “had a remarkable talent for reconciling rivalries” (p. 51). Pradel writes, “Blessed Antony compelled the inhabitants of that town to renounce their projects of vengeance, and united in mu tual affection those whom anger separated” (p. 51). 2. Blessed Geoffrey of Blanes was a Dominican “who possessed great eloquence” and regularly spoke with “the Blessed Virgin Mary” (p. 52). Pradel writes, “In life, and after death, [Blessed Geoffrey] wrought a great number of miracles” (p. 52). 3. Blessed Peter Cerdan was a Dominican who “preached with such talent” that people were astonished. Pradel writes, “At the moment when [Blessed Peter] expired… the bells began to ring of themselves” (p. 52). Blessed Blasé of Auvergne performed “great miracles.” 4. Blessed Blase of Auvergne assisted St. Vincent with finances. Pradel write, “God even favoured him with great miracles” (p. 52). 5. Blessed Peter Queralt was a Dominican who helped on the mission journeys. Pradel writes, Blessed Peter “shone with great glory in the company of St. Vincent” (p. 53). 6. Blessed John of Alcoy was a Dominican who was “the first to join St. Vincent” (p. 53). Pradel writes, Blessed John became one of his “most dear disciples” (p. 53). 7. The Venerable John of Gentilpré assisted St. Vincent with his preaching. Pradel writes, Venerable John “asked of God the grace to preach daily, and to die preaching” (p. 53). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he was assisted by seven six Blessed Dominicans and one Venerable Dominican.
St. Vincent Ferrer used five instrumental agents: communion, confession, prayer, mortification and bells. St. Vincent went to mass and confession every day. Fr. Pradel writes, “He made his confession every day, and received the Sacrament of the Eucharist” daily (p. 84). Further, St. Vincent was continent and remained attached to his prayer schedule every day. Fr. Pradel writes, “Never did he omit any of the prayers or mortifications which he imposed on himself” (p. 13). Further, St. Vincent used bells every day, because “Church bells are trumpets whose sound frightens our enemies” (p. 228). Fr. Pradel writes, “A bell summoned the people at that moment, and was called the Bell of Miracles” (p. 42). The moment when St. Vincent finished his morning sermon, his assistant rang the Bell of Miracles for the numerous people who were sick and suffering. Fr. Pradel writes, “At that well-known sound the sick re-assembled in the church to receive their health” (p. 42). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he went to mass and confession every day, prayed the Divine Office daily, performed daily mortifications, such as sleeping on twigs, and rang the Bell of Miracles every day after mass for people to hear and then meet him for miraculous cures.
St. Vincent Ferrer had three counseling agents who directed him: the Lord, Mary and St. Dominic. In 1398, the Lord healed St. Vincent and gave him a new project. Fr. Pradel writes, Jesus Christ “touched him on the cheek with His sacred hand as if caressing him, and at the same time made him clearly understand… that he should traverse the world, preaching as an Apostle” (p. 33). Further, in 1415, when St. Vincent was severely depressed about the condition of the papacy, the Lord healed St. Vincent again and gave him a new direction. Fr. Pradel writes, “St. Vincent was so deeply afflicted that he fell grievously ill. Jesus Christ appeared to him, consoled him, cured him, and announced to him that he should yet visit diverse countries” (p. 73). Further, Mary regularly worked with St. Vincent as a loving and caring mother. According to Fr. Pradel, “The visions of the Blessed Mother of God to her faithful servant Vincent were very frequent,” because “Mary dealt with Vincent as the tenderest of mothers” (p. 108; reference, Fr. Antonino Teoli, OP, “Vita di S. Vincenzo Ferrerio, Dell’Ordine de Predicatori,” Venezia 1740, p. 84). Further, the holy father St. Dominic regularly worked with St. Vincent as a counselor. Fr. Pradel writes, “While at Cerveva, St. Dominic appeared to Vincent in his cell, to encourage him in the execution of our Lord’s commands” (p. 69). In 1367, St. Dominic walked with St. Vincent to the Dominican House in Valencia on St. Vincent's first day as a Novice. Fr. Pradel writes, “The Prior, recognizing St. Dominic by the star which shone on his forehead, threw himself at his feet”and welcomed the young St. Vincent (p. 9). In 1409, St. Dominic again appeared to St. Vincent and gave him encouragement. Fr. Pradel writes, “St. Dominic appeared” to St. Vincent at night “and the rays of light which surrounded him were so bright that they woke Vincent” (p. 106). Then, St. Dominic said, “My son, the Lord has commanded me to visit you to impart to you most useful instructions which will redouble your ardor, and enable you to pursue the course of your apostolic preaching with much fruit” (p. 106). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he was guided by the Lord, the Blessed Mother and St. Dominic.
Induction is the process of making a conclusion from regular observations. St. Vincent Ferrer traveled for twenty years and regularly observed one curious thing about people. Fr. Pradel writes, “[I]n every rank of social life the fasts of Lent, the vigils and Ember-days, are no longer observed” (p. 36). Further, people regularly saw St. Vincent give an hour sermon, stop mid-way, obtain a pair of wings, fly off the pulpit to assist a person in need, fly back to the pulpit and then finish the sermon. Fr. Pradel writes, “Multitudes of people have witnessed him in the middle of his discourse suddenly assume wings, and fly off to console and encourage some suffering person who sought his help ; and having performed that act of charity, he would return in the same manner to continue his preaching” (p. 121). As a result, St. Vincent Ferrer is frequently shown with a pair of angel’s wings. Pradel write, “It is on this account that, like the angels, St. Vincent is represented with wings” (p. 121). Thus, St. Vincent is a good role model for preachers, because St. Vincent encourages us to moderate our meals and control our drinks during the forty days of Lent and the four sets of three Ember days every year. Plus, he used the wings of an angel to help others.
Two analogies serve to describe St. Vincent Ferrer: a soldier and warfare. Fr. Pradel writes, St. Vincent Ferrer was a “valiant soldier of Jesus Christ” (p. 246). A ‘soldier’ is defined as “a person engaged in military service.” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 1966: 2168). Plus, ‘military service’ is defined as “active duty in a branch of the armed forces.” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 1966: 1433). As a result, St. Vincent Ferrer was an active member in the armed forces engaged in battle. The difference between St. Vincent and military soldiers is that military soldiers have physical battles and St. Vincent had spiritual struggles. Further, Fr. Pradel writes, St. Vincent Ferrer was involved in “apostolic warfare” (p. 23). ‘Warfare’ is defined as “military operations between enemies” and “armed contests.” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 1966: 2576). Further, being ‘armed’ is defined as “furnished with something that provides security and strength.” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 1966: 118) As a result, St. Vincent Ferrer was armed with the security and strength of the Church to defeat spiritual enemies. Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he was a member of the Dominican order engaged in military service and furnished with the strength of the Church to defeat spiritual challenges, such as vice, apostasy and demonic possession.
Signs showing how St. Vicent Ferrer is a good role model are numerous: miracles. In 1450, Pope Callixtus III collected stories of the miracles of St. Vincent and found eight hundred and seventy-three (873) miracles. According to the Dominican friar Ubaldo Tomarelli, “Di tali prodigi cosi straordinari per numero e qualita, ben ottocentosettantatre furono poi da Roma riconosciuti per autentici” – “Of these wonders so extraordinary in number and quality, eight hundred and seventy-three were later recognized by Rome as authentic” (Bologna, 2005: 43). Further, the number of St. Vincent's miracles is much higher than the large number of 873. According to Fr. Pradel, the number of miracles of St. Vincent has “reached the extraordinary number of fifty-eight thousand four hundred” (p. 118). The calculation supporting Fr. Pradel’s total amount involves the strong possibility that St. Vincent performed an average of four miracles when he rang the Bell of Miracles twice a day for twenty years. My calculation is as follows: eight miracles a day, times three hundred and sixty-five days a year, times twenty years, equals fifty-eight thousand and four hundred (8 x 365 x 20 = 58,400.) Thus, over fifty-eight thousand miracles demonstrated the power of St. Vincent Ferrer. Further, Fr. Pradel adds, “But this calculation clearly falls far short of the mark.” (118) I agree, since St. Vincent performed miracles when he rang the Bell of Miracles twice a day as well as other times. Fr. Pradel confirms and says, “It was a miracle when he did not work miracles, and the greatest miracle was when he performed none at all” (p. 118). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers, since he gladly performed miracles to help others.
The motives of St. Vincent Ferrer are two: the monastic life and the military life. Fr. Pradel writes, “They who are in the simple monastic state reach heaven by ascending the ladder of contemplation ; and it is by ascending [the ladder] that the military orders arrive at the possession of their country” (p. 12) Because he was a contemplative in a monastic life, St. Vincent writes that we should “love Him with an active and ardent love” (p. 197). Because he was active in the military service of the Dominican Order, a branch in the Church, St. Vincent writes that we should “have a persevering zeal in His service” (p. 197). Thus, St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model, since he was both a contemplative focused on the Lord and an active preacher focused on his audience. St. Vincent wrote, “Carry always, in the midst of your heart, the Lord crucified, that He may one day admit you to a participation of His eternal glory” (p. 206).
St. Vincent Ferrer wrote a “Treatise on the Spiritual Life” and gives us many good suggestions about what to do with our feelings. St. Vincent writes, “God deserves to be loved and honored on account of His goodness” (p. 188). Lovable is the Lord's goodness and the Father's plan for each one of us. Further, St. Vincent writes, “Sing His divine praise with joy, thinking of the presence of the angels” (p. 175). We can feel joy while reciting the prayers in a breviary and think of how angels might be saying the same prayers. Further, St. Vincent writes, “Reflect on… the sorrows, and the bitter Passion which our Lord was pleased to suffer out of love for you” (p. 188). We can become sad when remembering that the Lord was sad when He suffered. Further, St. Vincent writes, “We may reasonably hope for a holy death after so holy a preparation” (p. 215). If we prepare for the next life by ascending the ladder of contemplation and descending the ladder for military service, then we can feel hope about the opportunities after death. Further, St. Vincent writes, “Fear above all things the loss of the friendship of God” (p. 195). No person should conclude that he is repulsive to the Lord and everyone should be afraid of inferring that silly conclusion. Further, St. Vincent writes that we should feel “determined to make satisfaction by true penance for the sins of our past life” (p. 235). We can become courageous by figuring out how to make “satisfaction for sins” and how to balance our account with the Lord.
I shall now use my freedom to review the above deliberation. Hmm... I shall now use my freedom to make a choice. I have decided that my two favorite reasons are the analogy and motive. I shall now use my freedom to make a command. St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) is a good role model for preachers, because St. Vincent Ferrer was involved in “apostolic warfare” (p. 23) and because St. Vincent Ferrer was motivated by “contemplation” and “military” service (p. 12).
Four objections support the conclusion that Vincent Ferrer is not a good role model for preachers. First, some people concluded that Vincent was not a saint and not a good role model and then wanted to destroy him. Fr. Pradel writes, “Three times they attempted to execute their wicked design” (p. 61) and kill Vincent Ferrer. The response to this first objection is to say the Lord always protected St. Vincent which shows that St. Vincent is a good role model. Pradel writes, “Three times did the visible protection of God shield him from their malice” (p. 61). St. Vincent was protected by God from jealous people who felt inferior around him and secretly hated him.
Second, Pradel writes that one person hated the Lord so much that he hated St. Vincent Ferrer. The foolish person said, “It is precisely on that account that I wish to be damned, to displease Jesus Christ” (p. 85). St. Vincent’s response to this second objection was to immediately pray the rosary. Pradel writes, “He immediately invited those present to invoke with fervor the Holy Virgin, mother of all goodness, and to recite the Rosary” (p. 65).
Third, St. Vincent Ferrer was blamed for creating an ethical group of Disciplinants who copied the unethical actions of the Flagellants. Fr. Pradel writes, “There were many who confounded the sect of Flagellants, who arose at that epoch, with the Disciplinants of St. Vincent Ferrer” (p. 80). The response to this third object is to show how St. Vincent set the record straight in two ways. First, St. Vincent was given advice from a prudent person and was told to correct the objection. Fr. Pradel writes that St. Vincent received “prudent and charitable advice regarding this. It behooves him to contradict these false and injurious reports” (p. 80). Second, St. Vincent scolded the illogical critics and said, the critics were like “Pharisees, whose eyes were always fixed on the Saviour of men with a view to find fault” (p. 110).
Fourth, some people watched Vincent Ferrer like a hawk in order to find little mistakes in order to broadcast them and to destroy his good reputation. The response to this fourth objection is to show how St. Vincent challenged his critics with good advice. Pradel writes, “Vincent readily… gave him a paternal caution. ‘Pay attention, said he, ‘to what you do yourself, and not to what others do’” (p. 110). In summary, if a person concludes that St. Vincent has a bunch of faults and is not a good role model for Dominicans, then that person needs to learn how to mind his own business and calculate the number of miracles performed by St. Vincent.
Final remarks. St. Vincent Ferrer is a good role model for preachers. His fifty-eight thousand and four hundred miracles are most interesting and fun to research.
© By Theodore Faulders, June 8, 2020.