Thursday, May 5th, 2011
Daily Archive
St. Vincent Ferrer! (1350-1419)
Posted by Fr. Bruno M. Shah, O.P. on 05 May 2011 | Tagged as: Dominican Saints
Today we celebrate our patron! Patron of our church, our priory, our convent of sister, and our school! It is also the anniversary of our church’s dedication. Much to be celebrated!
Go here to see our website’s information on St. Vincent Ferrer. What follows is an example of his preaching, thanks to our brothers in the Central Province.
“He who shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved,” (Mt. 10:22).
Because some simpletons err saying that are we bound to live a good life only in Lent, I wish now to declare how we must live well not only in Lent but at all times. But first the Virgin Mary is saluted.
“He who shall persevere.” etc. Authority: St. Gregory, an excellent doctor of the holy church wishing to declare the virtue and perfection of good works, briefly said so in his Easter homily, “The virtue of good works is perseverance.” The reason is: Geometers say that the spherical figure is not perfect until the circle is completed to the point from which it began, or until the end is joined to the beginning. Give an example at hand in the manner from [compassu] So Christ is the beginning and the end of all things. Whence he says Rev 1, “I am Alpha and Omega,” – The first letter of the Greek alphabet is alpha and the last , omega. In the alphabet of the Jews the first letter is aleph, the last thau.— He wishes to say ,”I am Alpha and Omega,” that is I am the beginning and the end of all good. If therefore Christ is the beginning of a good life, therefore it should also end in him, because “All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made,” Jn 1:3, otherwise it would be a minor thing to begin a good life unless it is continued. Therefore Gregory says “The virtue of a good life is perseverance.” Therefore the theme says, “He who shall persevere,” namely from day to day, from week to week, from month to month, from year to year, “unto the end,” that is Christ, “he shall be saved,” (Mt. 10:22). See the declared theme. Now, good people, out of love for you I have sought out in sacred scriptures how many ways, in general, in which we ought to persevere unto the end, and I have found in three: