St. Vincent on War

The words of  Vincent ring true across the changing circumstances of our day as Ross Reyes Dizon reminds us in his weekly reflections on the Sunday readings from a Vincentian Perspective.

St. Vincent de Paul, who said during the repetition of prayer on July 24, 1655 (cf. number 125[1]): I like to reiterate the recommendation that I made, and which will never be sufficiently made, that we pray for peace, so that God may be pleased to unite the hearts of Christian rulers.

There are wars throughout Catholic kingdoms: war in France, in Spain, in Italy, in Germany, in Sweden, in Poland, attacked on three fronts, in Ireland, in the poor mountains and places hardly inhabited. Scotland is not much better;about England, everyone knows its sad situation. War all over, misery everywhere.

In France, so many people are suffering. Oh Savior! Oh Savior! If after three months ofwar over here, we have had so much misery in the heart of France, where provisions used to be abundant in just every place, imagine the sufferings of those poor people at th borders who have been enduring these miseries for twenty years!

Yes, it has been twenty years that they have continuously had this war; if they sow, they are not sure they will be able to harvest; the troops come and pillage and steal everything; and what the soldiers do not steal,the constables get hold of and take for themselves.

After all this, what can be done? What will happen? The only thing left is to die. If true religion exists, … what I am I saying, oh miserable me! … If there is true religion, God pardon me for this! I am speaking materially. It is among them, among this poor people that the true religion is kept, the living faith ….