(d.304) Vincent was a deacon alongside Saint Valerius, bishop of Saragossa, Spain. Vincent was commissioned to do the preaching because the bishop had a speech impediment. During the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian, Bishop Valerius was banished, and Deacon Vincent was tortured on the rack, the gridiron, and with scourgings. He finally died a martyr in captivity.
Saint Vincent was an inspiration to great figures, like Saint Augustine of Hippo, the master theologian and Doctor of the Church. How does the following reflection speak to your recovery?
“He displayed his faith in what he said, his endurance in what he suffered. No one ought to be confident in his own strength when he undergoes temptation. There is no need to wonder then, my dearly beloved brothers, that Vincent conquered in him who conquered the world. It offers temptation to lead us astray; it strikes terror into us to break our spirit. Hence if our personal pleasures do not hold us captive, and if we are not frightened by brutality, then the world is overcome” (Saint Augustine of Hippo on Saint Vincent of Saragossa).
Reflection by Brad Farmer