A Pledge to Live the Virtues of St. Vincent de Paul
I commit myself to living the virtues of St. Vincent more deeply:
I pledge my heart to the virtue of SIMPLICITY. I will
speak plainly, converse honestly, and conduct my affairs with straight- forward goodness. I will strive to free my heart of attachments to the possessions, pursuits, and concerns that distract me from serving my God.
I pledge my heart to the virtue of HUMILITY. I will remember my own dependence on God, and consider others’ virtues ahead of their flaws. I will strive to cast aside pride, and to approach each day as a lowly servant of our good and loving God.
I pledge my heart to the virtue of MEEKNESS, i will be warm, approachable, respectful, and open to those I encounter. I will strive against any natural irritability, praying instead for a kindly spirit with which to serve God’s people.
I pledge my heart to the virtue of MORTIFICATION. I will be clear- eyed about my faults, resolving to die to sin daily. I will strive to be a faithful servant to people who are experiencing any form of poverty, placing their needs above my passing pleasures.
I pledge my heart to the virtue of ZEAL. I will live the life of faith joyfully, my heart burning within me as I respond to God’s call. I will strive to live a balanced life, so that my service of God’s people may long endure.
As members of a faith community modeled on the example of St. Vincent DePaul, we pledge ourselves to the virtues that St. Vincent held most dear: Simplicity, Humility, Meekness, Mortification, and Zeal. May our embrace of these virtues continue our conversion — as individuals and as a parish—into all that God longs for us to be in this world.
