Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00 Okay.
Speaker 1 00:02 In the year 1374 the whole of northeastern Spain was suffering terribly from famine and disease. One Spring Day in the midst of all this suffering, a crowd of about 20,000 starving people gathered in the great square of Barcelona to hear the message of a young Dominican preacher named Friar Vincent. He told them that their forgetfulness of the laws of God had brought this famine upon them. It was a punishment for their sins. He called on him to repent. He called on them to trust totally in the divine mercy, and then when he's preaching, he suddenly paused and then announce at two ships filled with wheat would arrive that night in port this and not some angered the starving people as a season of stormy weather at see. In fact, under the current circumstances, whether it was impossible, totally impossible, or any vessel to make port back at the priory has fellow Dominicans were even more annoyed.
Speaker 1 01:05 The prior, strictly forbid fire Vincent from making any sort of prophecy or doing anything at all in the future, which would single him out. Five Vincent took the correction with sincere humility. He didn't lose his peace, his soul. He spent the rest of the day in prayer. Imagine the surprise in Barcelona that night when two ships reached harbor filled with wheat that got everyone's attention. One thing was certain, although he'd been forbidden under obedience, do anything remarkable. The faithful now all new who five Vincent was and where no doubt about his powers. And so it happened that one day some black masons working out pie on a wall on a, on a prison roof and they spotted for our Vincent as he's walking along down the street approaching the work side and just as he passed along, one of the Mason slipped was unable to keep his balance and fell off the roof crying out fryer Vincent Fire Vincent.
Speaker 1 02:02 So five rinse it, yelled at the Mason, stay right where you are until I come back. And immediately the man stopped falling and suspended. Admin air hung their high above the street just dangling there. Well five Vincent ran back to the priory to get a permission. When he got back to the priory, he found the prior and said a man who was falling off a roof has asked me to help him. So he's waiting until I have your permission waiting. Yes, he's waiting. Prior said, well, go back and finish it off. Undoubtedly there's a crowd for our, Vincent went back by this time. In fact, there was a whole crowd of astonish people gaping up into the air staring at the Mason who this whole time had been dangling there in midair. The Pryor says, you may come down, sit. Friar Vincent and man floated down gently to Earth.
Speaker 1 02:56 Saint Vincent Ferrara was the fourth of eight children born on January 23rd, 1350 in Valencia, Spain for his birth. His father had a dream in which a Dominican priest was preaching a sermon and steadily stopped and announced that the baby would be a Dominican whose deeds would fill heaven with joy and hell with fear. His mother, who generally had very difficult pregnancies, felt great throughout her pregnancy. She was accustomed to bling flower to blind woman every month. And she asked the Biden woman to pray that she'd have a safe delivery. The blind woman leaned her head on Saint Vince's mother and said, may God bestow that favor on you. And then all of a sudden cried out. The child, your bearing has restored my sight. The woman could see. And like another Saint John the Baptist little Vincent inside his mother wound began jumping up and down naturally. This is already one little famous baby before he's born.
Speaker 1 03:53 In fact, his baptism turned into a town event. Important Dean, Terry's the city president arguing over what the child should be named until the parish priest finally broke the deadlock by deciding the child will be named after the patron saint of Valencia, Saint Vincent Martin. And so what happened now that there were a lot of other miraculous events even as childhood, we'll just jump forward. 2017 and 1367 and the wee hours of the night. The prior of a Dominican friary had a dream or an apparition which saint Dominic appeared and presented him with his 17 year old young man. The next morning, the prior met in the flesh, the young man he had seen in the previous night's apparition when St Vincent arrived and presented himself as a postulate to make an overt saint. Vincent applied himself to prayer, to study theology and the study of sacred scriptures to the point where after some time he knew the whole Bible by heart and he had such a thorough knowledge of Hebrew.
Speaker 1 04:50 He was able to quote every text of the Old Testament in Hebrew from memory. Besides all that, he also had encyclopedic knowledge of the fathers and doctors of the church. As we seen by the middle 1370s he began to preach and prophesied a great effect. Now in order to understand the particular mission of Saint Vincent for its necessary to have a pretty clear idea of the times in which he lived. When author describes those times, quote, the state of Europe was terrible. Rome named one pope and avenue on another, and Europe was divided between two camps. Just explain that. The cardinals elected to pope in Rome. Then they got mad, fled away, went to ave and elected. Another one. People aren't sure which one was the pope. The two pod has fought a war of interdicts threats and insults. They died and were placed and their successors ex-communicated right and left.
Speaker 1 05:46 Well. The third pope elected by the console of Piza hurled anathemas at the other two. It was no longer possible to know which pastors to obey. It was the most absolute disorder and Christianity had never been reduced to such chaos. It was as if Satan had mobilized his legions in the gates of hell were open. The earth belonged to the spirit of evil, and he'd be staged the church a second without respite. Gathering all this forces to overthrow her. She had traders in high places. She had horrible pulps, and beyond all that, Satan inspired the impurities of Nocturnal Savvis and the depths of the forests. Most actual crimes and acts of sacrilege were committed. Black masses were celebrated. Sourcers plucked off the entrails of little children seeking in their remains as secrets of Alchemy, the power to turn worthless metals into gold. The most vehement heresies arose and multiplied from an end of the world to the other.
Speaker 1 06:42 GNOSTICISM sprang up a new spread and proclaim the reign of Lucifer who had been unjustly expelled from paradise and in the political order, most of the rulers were the rogues maniacs or libertines close quote, a contemporary of Saint Vincent for our French mystic Murray Ravine had a vision which summarizes the state of affair within the church. When she saw quote, all the carrots of the world appeared before Christ. All the priors, the parish priests, the bishops, the Pope and 12 cardinals, they were simply dressed, but their words were lying against them was raised the cry, vengeance of all those who had died without being helped through the fault of these clergyman, poets quilt. Saint Vincent himself describes his times, quote, I do not believe there ever existed in the world. So much pomp and vanity. So much impurity is at the present day to find in the world's history and epic.
Speaker 1 07:42 So criminal. We must go back to the days of Noah and the universal flood. The INS and the cities and villages are filled with persons of abandoned character are so numerous that the entire world is infected by them. Avarice and usury and crease under disguise. Name of contracts, 70 rains among the clergy. Envy among the religious gluttony prevails to such an extent in every rank of social life that the fasts of lent, the vigils and ember days are no longer observed in a word. Vices held in such great honor that those who prefer the service of God to that of the world are held up to scorn as useless and unworthy members of society. Close quote. So now that we have some idea of the state of society, we can better appreciate his mission. On October 3rd, 1396 when St Vincent was at death's doors tricking with a terrible fever, a lord appeared to him, touched him on the cheek, and instantly cured him.
Speaker 1 08:42 And the imprint of his fingerprints remained on St Vincent's face the rest of his life. Our Lord instantly cured him and commanded him to preach, go out throughout the world, preaching the approachment of Judgment Day in a move, which was later confirmed by both the cons of Constance and Pope Martin Fifth Benedict the 13th took this mission so seriously that he sent Saint Vincent out to preach this message, a message so important that the Vincent was made, or the goddess of Terry Christi. What does that mean? Means he was sent out by the pope, quote with almost limitless geritical powers to preach anywhere. No diocese, no city, no church could be close to him. St Vincent's powers of an exemption from jurisdiction were second only to those, and the pope himself close quote to Saint Vincent, travel across Europe, preaching the Covenant, coming to the judgment and during his preaching, he regularly made an absolutely astounding claim.
Speaker 1 09:42 For example, a preaching near Salonica. He told the crowd that the day of judgment was near and that he himself was a messenger of the judgements spoken of in the apocalypse. Chapter 14 verse six the apocalypse quote, and I saw another angel flying to the midst of Heaven having the Eternal Gospel to preach unto them that sit upon the earth and over every nation and tribe and tongue and people saying with a loud voice, fear the Lord and give him honor because of the hour of his judgement is come close. Quote the book of the apocalypse. During the sermon, he told some pallbearers who just buried a woman to open the grave and quote, bring your body to the foot of the platform. They're speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard above the murmurs of a crowd. There was not surprised in the indignant because he had taken to himself a title out of the scriptures.
Speaker 1 10:29 He said, dead woman arise and tell these people whether or not I'm the Messenger. The apocalypse sent to preach the coming of the last day, the woman rose up in her coffin and answered, yes father, you are that messenger and immediately fell back rigid in lifeless close quote. Now imagine the effect that sermon had on the people listening. There seems to be a problem here though. Obviously 600 years have come and gone. The world has not ended. So what does all this mean? How is it that God would prove the truth of this kind of preaching of St Vincent's message by miracles like that? In order to understand that, we have to realize that this was a contingent event just as God's sent Joe Jonas to preach clearly to Nineveh, that unless it citizens repented would be destroyed. So also he sent St Vincent to preach at the end of the world is eminent unless there were true repentance and conversion of Christians in a corresponding reform of the society because the Ninevites repented, Denovo was saved and because Saint Vincent's heres were converted by his preaching, God delayed the advent of the antichrist, the end of the world.
Speaker 1 11:49 St Vincent himself made it clear that quote, the whole duration of the world rests a certain conditional pronged nation obtained by the Virgin Mary in the hope of the conversion and correction the world close quote. In other words, the reason the world didn't end is that there was ultimately a reprieve. Why? Because in response to Saint Vincent's preaching, vast numbers of people met the conditions of conversion and correction, which enabled our lady to obtain a delay in the time of the general judgment. So for nearly 20 years, Saint Vincent traveled around Europe preaching end of the world. He'd arrive in a town, go to the principal church, pray before the bus had Sackman at dawn, he'd sing mass and then preach, announcing the judgement and calling people to repentance. And the reformation. There are lives. Contemporaries testify that he frequently had 80,000 listeners that he could always be heard distinctly, no matter where people were standing.
Speaker 1 12:44 And then even though he spoke the Valencian dialect is Spain and preached in that dialect, no matter what language is, listeners spoke, each of them could understand him as if he was speaking to them in their own native tongue. He would insist that everyone should recite the apostle's creed each morning and evening as a defense against errors in the faith and that quote, faith fall. A simple obedience and not argument or reasoning. Argument may be good for the strengthening of the intellect, but is not the true foundation of faith. Those whose faith rests on reason, we'll lose it when they hear this specious reasoning of the antichrist. Those in the contrary who rely on a firm belief founded in obedience, who apply away with your arguments. Such reasonings are not the grounds of my faith. Close quote St Vincent. In other words, St Vincent reminds us their faith must be rooted in a simple attitude of God said it.
Speaker 1 13:38 God said it. I believe it that settles it. St Vincent Austin says that every man who wished to preserve the gift of faith must conform his behavior to his beliefs. As he pointed out, quote, the diamond is lost easily in a Dung Hill and the precious pearl of faith is in great danger of being lost in a conscience, defiled with the filth of sin. Those quotes St Vincent. In other words, St Vincent reminds us that if our moral behavior is not in line with the teaching of faith, other different leading bad lives, who in great peril of losing our faith after he finished preaching a bell called the Bell, miracles would be wrong and then he would bless and cure the sick. Later in the day you'd preach once again here. Confessions till towards the evening, the bell miracles would once more be rung and again you'd bless and cure the sick.
Speaker 1 14:24 His preaching was always accompanied by miracles, conversions of life and conversions of unbelievers. For example, on one occasion, haven't been invited by the Muslim king of the king of Granada to preach 18,000 Muslims who converted. After hearing three sermons, the king in his entire court decided to be baptized, but the mom's threatened them with revolution lost the throne. At which point the king decided as Saint Vincent to return to the country, the Christians. On another occasion, over 30,000 Jews were baptized at the close of his preaching, one area in Spain. Some cases entire synagogues became Catholic according to contemporary Jewish scholars. As a result of his preaching. More than 200,000 Jews were converted in the year 1412 alone. He cared. The sick healed, lepers brought priests to troubled families and feuding communities delivered. The possessed stopped storms multiplied loaves and fishes converted retrofit centers raised more than 30 people from the dead.
Speaker 1 15:26 So why not to points out, quote heady. In the course of the last 20 years of his life, only performed eight miracles a day. They would have reached extraordinary number of 58,400 with this calculation clearly falls far short of the mark. Hence the common saying it was a miracle when he did not work miracles and the greatest miracle was when he performed no miracles at all. Saint Louis Bertrand confirmed this testimony, quote, God's sanctioned the teaching of Saint Vincent for air by so many miracles that there never was a saint since the days of the apostles to your own time that rot more God alone knows their number as he alone knows the number of stars in the sky. Close quote St Louis Bertran if 1419 after almost 20 years of traveling Europe from north to south east to west Saint Vincent groups, seriously ill will, he's preaching. Brittany has companions insist that he returned to Spain where the climate might be more conducive to his health, although it had been revealed to him that he was to die there in Brittany in order to avoid troubling his companions.
Speaker 1 16:24 One evening he set out with them on a journey towards Spain. After traveling for an entire night at daybreak, they find themselves at the gate of the city. They'd left the night before they trail and entire night without getting anywhere. St Vincent turned his companion, said, my brother, and let us not speak of returning to Spain. You see clearly that it's God's will that I should end my days here, and dd did die on April 5th, 1419 in the bullet canonization, Popeyes. The second confirmed Saint Vincent claimed to be the angel apocalypse. When he stated quote the last day, the Terrible Day of judgment was almost forgotten, but at a favorable moment, God sent into the world for the salvation of the Faithful Vincent of Valencia, of the order of friars preachers, a skillful professor of sacred theology like a vigorous athlete. He rushed to combat the airs, the Jews, the Saracens, and other infidels. He was the angel, the apocalypse, flying to the heavens to announce the day of the last judgment, to evangelize inhabitants of the earth, to sow the seeds of salvation among all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, and to point out the way of eternal life. Close quote, the vicar of Christ. So as we close, what are the lessons that St Vincent can teach us to live today? Well, just briefly consider to message of reverend fear and a message of profound hope. The message of reverend fear. There is a judgment coming. There are no excuses possible. St Vincent reminds us that we must repent. We must convert our lives. We must do penance. Well, we will face the most terrible consequences.
Speaker 1 18:09 Matt, you found hope conversion and pennants can buy reprieve. Yes. There will come a time in the last reprieve has been granted and then that terrible judgment will fall upon mankind. But even if we are indeed living in that very time, if we ever redeem the time by converting, if we've redeemed the time by manfully doing battle with the world, the flesh and the devil, if we redeem the time by living a life of faith, a life of Penance, a life of good works, then we have every reason to hope that come. What may we too will be saved this land? Let's keep this message of reverend fear and this message of profound hope before mind's eyes. Your inspire us to greater generosity in our prayers, her fasting in her arms, givings to inspire, to truly strip free of all our worldly desires and attachments, any sinful attachments and draw ever closer to the cross of Christ in us by our daily conversion to prepare ourselves for the chest judgments of our lower.
