Putting On the Virtue of Gentleness
December 3, 2022

Gentleness should be accompanied by firmness, especially in superiors. St. Vincent touches on this theme frequently in his letters to Louise de Marillac and to various superiors. In a letter written to Louise on November 1, 1637, he says: “If the gentleness of your spirit needs a dash of vinegar, borrow a little from Our Lord’s spirit. O Mademoiselle, how well he knew how to find a bittersweet remark when it was needed!”¹ In putting Monsieur Portail in charge of a mission team, in 1632, he encouraged him to honor “la douceur et l’exactitude” of Our Lord.² In writing to the superior at Nancy, François Dufestel, Vincent tells him to be firm and uncompromising in regard to the end, but gentle and humble in regard to the means.³ He gives the same advice almost verbatim in a letter written four days later to Jean Guérin⁴ and repeats it in another letter to Guérin four months later.⁵

¹CCD I, 393.
²CCD I, 176.
³CCD II, 298.
⁴CCD II, 300.
⁵CCD II, 355.

Source: Fr. Robert P. Maloney, C.M. A Further Look at “Gentleness”

Let us pray

Lord, grant that we may follow the advice of Vincent as he often told Louise to “honor Our Lord in his gentleness and firmness”.

Scripture

What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

1 Corinthians 4:21