“Vincent de Paul’s vision of Christ is an original one. For him, Christ is most of all the Evangeliser of the Poor. He is a missionary Christ, coming from the Father and returning to Him, emptying Himself of His condition as Son of God in order to free His people from the bondage, both corporal and spiritual, in which they are changed. He identifies with, and makes his home within, the poor themselves. His vision is universal, impelling Him to preach the Good News to the poor even to the ends of the earth. This Christ draws others together, male and female, rich and poor, and forms them to share in His mission. The virtues that particularly characterise Him are five missionary ones: simplicity, humility, meekness, mortification and zeal. Even in the midst of great activity He stands before his Father constantly in prayer, seeking His will and trusting in Providence.

“As members of the Congregation of the Mission we strive to live in conformity with the Gospel and especially with the spirit of Jesus as it is defined in the Gospel. For ourselves, there are five particular characteristics which we strive towards. These virtues are of a missionary character and are the source of the attitude which Jesus held towards the Father and the poor. The late Rev Vincent de Paul CM. believed that there was a symbiotic relationship between our apostolic activity and these five virtues. For this reason he insisted that the poor were our Lords and masters and that true religion would be encountered among them.”

An extract from The Way of Vincent de Paul by Fr. Robert P. Maloney CM.