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May 24th - St. Vincent of Lerins
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May 24, 2013, 1:39:42 PM5/24/13
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May 24th - St. Vincent of Lerins
A leading theologian of the Church of Gaul in the 5th century, St. Vincent settled in the island monastery of Lerins off the southern coast of France in order that "avoiding the concourse and crowds of cities... I can follow without distraction the Psalmist's admonition, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Here he wrote his celebrated “Commonitorium”, a "Reminder," where he wrote down "those things which I have truthfully received from the holy Fathers ," which they "have handed down to us and committed to our keeping." Among these things is the celebrated definition of orthodoxy as quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus: that which has been believed in the Church "everywhere, always, by everyone." St. Vincent lived in an age of great historical uncertainty; barbarian tribes were a constant menace and although four hundred years of Christian tradition had already passed, the foundations of the faith had been only recently clarified by decisions made in the Ecumenical Councils--the Council of Nicea (325), the Council of Constantinople (381) and the Council of Ephesus (431). It is, therefore, not surprising that St. Vincent was so concerned to preserve the authority of Christian tradition. This is not to say that he was opposed to progress or doctrinal development; each age must face its own particular problems and develop a Christian response in answer to them. "But it must be progress in the proper sense of the word, and not a change in faith. Progress means that each thing grows within itself, whereas change implies that one thing is transformed into another .... The growth of religion in the soul should be like the growth of the body, which in the course of years develops and unfolds, yet remains the same as it was."
"In ancient times, our forefathers sowed the seeds of the wheat of faith in that field which is the Church. It would be quite unjust and improper if we, their descendants, gathered, instead of the genuine truth of wheat, the false tares of error. On the contrary, it is logically correct that the beginning and the end be in agreement, that we reap from the planting of the wheat of doctrine the harvest of the wheat of dogma. In this way, none of the Characteristics of the seed is changed, although something evolved in the course of time from those first seeds and has now expanded under careful cultivation. What may be added is merely appearance, beauty, and distinction, but the proper nature of each kind remains."
His defense of the traditions of the Fathers and his condemnation of innovation and novelty in the Church are as appropriate today as they were in his time:
"The Church of Christ, zealous and cautious guardian of the dogmas deposited with it, never changes any phase of them. It does not diminish them or add to them; it neither trims what seems necessary, nor grafts things superfluous; it neither gives up its own nor usurps what does not belong to it. But it devotes all its diligence to one aim: to treat tradition faithfully and wisely; to nurse and polish what from old times may have remained unshaped and unfinished; to consolidate and to strengthen what already was clear and plain; and to guard what already was confirmed and defined. After all, what have the councils brought forth in their decrees but that what before was believed plainly and simply might from now on be believed more diligently; that what before was preached rather unconcernedly might be preached from now on more eagerly."
Also see:
www.newadvent.org/cathen/15439b.htm
<><><><>
Saint Quote:
"Let us therefore celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. He rose, and He brought up with Him the world. He rose, breaking the bonds of death, resurrecting us by breaking the chains of our sins. Adam sinned and died. Christ died but did not sin. This is new and strange. The first sinned and died, the second died having not sinned. For whom did this happen and why? So that he who had sinned and died be liberated from the bonds of death through Him Who died having not sinned. This also happens with those who owe money. Someone is in debt but is unable to repay his debt and therefore is put in prison. Someone else who does not owe the money but is able to pay repays the debt and the debtor is released. This same things happened with Adam and Christ."
--St. John Chrysostom.
Bible Quote:
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:8)
<><><><>
O Mary, Mother of mercy and Refuge of sinners, we
beseech thee, be pleased to look with pitiful eyes upon
poor heretics and schismatics. Thou who are the Seat of
Wisdom, enlightened the minds that are miserably
enfolded in the darkness of ignorance and sin, that they
may clearly know that the Holy Catholic Church is the
one true Church of Jesus Christ, outside of which neither
holiness nor salvation can be found. Call them to the
unity of the one fold, granting them the grace to accept
all the truths of our holy Faith, and to submit themselves
to the Supreme Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Jesus Christ
on earth; that so, being united with us in the sweet chains
of divine charity, there may soon be one only fold under
the same one Shepherd; and may we all, O glorious
Virgin, sing forever with exultation: Rejoice, O virgin
Mary, thou only last destroyed all heresies in the whole
world. Amen.
Hail Mary... (thrice)
A leading theologian of the Church of Gaul in the 5th century, St. Vincent settled in the island monastery of Lerins off the southern coast of France in order that "avoiding the concourse and crowds of cities... I can follow without distraction the Psalmist's admonition, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Here he wrote his celebrated “Commonitorium”, a "Reminder," where he wrote down "those things which I have truthfully received from the holy Fathers ," which they "have handed down to us and committed to our keeping." Among these things is the celebrated definition of orthodoxy as quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus: that which has been believed in the Church "everywhere, always, by everyone." St. Vincent lived in an age of great historical uncertainty; barbarian tribes were a constant menace and although four hundred years of Christian tradition had already passed, the foundations of the faith had been only recently clarified by decisions made in the Ecumenical Councils--the Council of Nicea (325), the Council of Constantinople (381) and the Council of Ephesus (431). It is, therefore, not surprising that St. Vincent was so concerned to preserve the authority of Christian tradition. This is not to say that he was opposed to progress or doctrinal development; each age must face its own particular problems and develop a Christian response in answer to them. "But it must be progress in the proper sense of the word, and not a change in faith. Progress means that each thing grows within itself, whereas change implies that one thing is transformed into another .... The growth of religion in the soul should be like the growth of the body, which in the course of years develops and unfolds, yet remains the same as it was."
"In ancient times, our forefathers sowed the seeds of the wheat of faith in that field which is the Church. It would be quite unjust and improper if we, their descendants, gathered, instead of the genuine truth of wheat, the false tares of error. On the contrary, it is logically correct that the beginning and the end be in agreement, that we reap from the planting of the wheat of doctrine the harvest of the wheat of dogma. In this way, none of the Characteristics of the seed is changed, although something evolved in the course of time from those first seeds and has now expanded under careful cultivation. What may be added is merely appearance, beauty, and distinction, but the proper nature of each kind remains."
His defense of the traditions of the Fathers and his condemnation of innovation and novelty in the Church are as appropriate today as they were in his time:
"The Church of Christ, zealous and cautious guardian of the dogmas deposited with it, never changes any phase of them. It does not diminish them or add to them; it neither trims what seems necessary, nor grafts things superfluous; it neither gives up its own nor usurps what does not belong to it. But it devotes all its diligence to one aim: to treat tradition faithfully and wisely; to nurse and polish what from old times may have remained unshaped and unfinished; to consolidate and to strengthen what already was clear and plain; and to guard what already was confirmed and defined. After all, what have the councils brought forth in their decrees but that what before was believed plainly and simply might from now on be believed more diligently; that what before was preached rather unconcernedly might be preached from now on more eagerly."
Also see:
www.newadvent.org/cathen/15439b.htm
<><><><>
Saint Quote:
"Let us therefore celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. He rose, and He brought up with Him the world. He rose, breaking the bonds of death, resurrecting us by breaking the chains of our sins. Adam sinned and died. Christ died but did not sin. This is new and strange. The first sinned and died, the second died having not sinned. For whom did this happen and why? So that he who had sinned and died be liberated from the bonds of death through Him Who died having not sinned. This also happens with those who owe money. Someone is in debt but is unable to repay his debt and therefore is put in prison. Someone else who does not owe the money but is able to pay repays the debt and the debtor is released. This same things happened with Adam and Christ."
--St. John Chrysostom.
Bible Quote:
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:8)
<><><><>
O Mary, Mother of mercy and Refuge of sinners, we
beseech thee, be pleased to look with pitiful eyes upon
poor heretics and schismatics. Thou who are the Seat of
Wisdom, enlightened the minds that are miserably
enfolded in the darkness of ignorance and sin, that they
may clearly know that the Holy Catholic Church is the
one true Church of Jesus Christ, outside of which neither
holiness nor salvation can be found. Call them to the
unity of the one fold, granting them the grace to accept
all the truths of our holy Faith, and to submit themselves
to the Supreme Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Jesus Christ
on earth; that so, being united with us in the sweet chains
of divine charity, there may soon be one only fold under
the same one Shepherd; and may we all, O glorious
Virgin, sing forever with exultation: Rejoice, O virgin
Mary, thou only last destroyed all heresies in the whole
world. Amen.
Hail Mary... (thrice)
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