Episode Transcript  

One

Slavery

Today, we celebrate the life of St. Vincent DePaul, a striking example of trust in Divine Providence.

Vincent was ordained a priest in 1600 but did not finish his studies until October 1604. When he graduated, he was saddled with a large student loan. Then, in 1605, good news came: a family friend had died and left him money to pay off the debt. To collect it, Vincent had to sail across the Mediterranean. But on the return voyage, with the money in hand, the ship was overtaken by Muslim pirates, and Vincent was carried off to Tunis as a slave. In Tunis, Vincent was put up for auction. His first master was a fisherman, but since Vincent was constantly seasick, he was quickly sold again. His next owner, an alchemist and inventor, soon died, and Vincent was sold a third time. This time, his master was a former Franciscan priest from Nice who had once been captured himself. To gain his own freedom, he had converted to Islam, settled in the mountains, and was living there with his three wives.

The second wife, a Muslim by birth, was struck by the peace that seemed to surround Vincent. She would visit him often while he worked in the fields, especially when she heard him singing the Salve Regina. Drawn by his faith, she began asking many questions, and through their conversations, she came to believe that Jesus is truly God and that the Catholic faith is the true religion. She reproached her husband for renouncing Christianity, and her words stirred his conscience. Remorseful, he resolved to return to the faith and to France and to bring Vincent with him. But leaving Islam without being killed was no easy matter. For ten months, they waited, searching for the right moment, until at last they secretly slipped away in a small boat and crossed the Mediterranean. In June 1607, after more than two years of slavery, Vincent was finally free.

Two

Return to France 

Upon his return to France, Vincent was given a small parish. Preaching missions to the rural peasants, who in those days lived almost like slaves under the landowners, brought back memories of his own captivity. Moved with compassion, he resolved to dedicate his life to the care of the poor.

He began asking the wealthy of Paris to contribute funds, and with their support, he launched mission projects, founded hospitals, cared for war victims, and even ransomed 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. From these humble beginnings, his work has grown into more than 260 charitable organizations in over 130 countries, serving hundreds of millions of people every year.

But here’s the question: without his own experience of slavery, would Vincent have taken this path? What looked like the darkest and most humiliating chapter of his life was in fact the hand of God shaping his mission. Providence was guiding every step, even when Vincent could not see it. And the same is true for us. What seems the worst is often God’s hidden way of preparing us for the best. Vincent trusted God when everything looked lost, and because he trusted, he could receive the full benefit of God’s Providence. Providence is always at work for us, too—but the danger is that when trials come, we panic, seize control, make foolish or even sinful choices, and end up thwarting God’s plan. The key is simple: trust.

Three

What Governs the World?

I once asked a group of young adults, “What governs the world?” Many answered, “Nothing! The world came from nothing, and it will end in nothing. So nothing governs the world except chaos.” That is Nihilism, the belief that life has no real meaning. Nietzsche made it famous, and some modern thinkers claim science backs it up, though they misuse physics. Even if they call Nihilism “freedom to invent our own meaning,” that meaning has no foundation. If it’s only invented, it collapses back into nothing.

The truth is this: a good God created a good world, He made you very good, and He is guiding everything toward the greatest conclusion. That is how St. Vincent de Paul saw his life.

Even though God permitted Vincent to be captured and enslaved for two years, He allowed it only to bring about a greater good—that Vincent would dedicate his life to serving the poor and enslaved, and inspire more than four hundred years of charitable work in his wake.

Four

How will we respond to the trials and suffering of life? 

Divine Providence means God is so All-Powerful and Good that He can work all things to our greatest good. Even our sinful and stupid decisions, if we turn back to Him. However, we can ruin God’s Providence in our lives if we don’t trust him, take matters into our own hands and do sinful things, and never turn back. 

Think about it. If Vincent DePaul hadn’t trusted in God’s Providence, he might have responded to his enslavement by renouncing Christianity, becoming Muslim to gain his freedom, taking three wives, and living the easy life. But Vincent responded with Faith, with Trust, with Hope, and Love for God, which carried him through the suffering and inspired him to go on to do great things for God and for others. 

So, how will we respond to the suffering and trials of life? 

Five

The Ultimate Purpose 

When the storms of life rage, how will we respond?  Our anchor is to know that nothing can happen to us unless God wills directly or allows. And if God allows something painful or difficult, then it can only be that He is doing so for a greater good. We must keep the ultimate purpose of life in mind. God created you for transforming union with Him, so that you would be like God and live like God forever. This transforming union can only come about once we are stripped of all the earthly things we cling to for our identity, happiness, and safety. 

So, if you are going through a storm, remember this: God is allowing it to purify and strengthen you to be transformed to share in His divine life and be like Him. On top of that, if you let Him, then He will be able to use you for even greater good in this life and for the good of many people. 

So, no matter what, trust God because, as St. Catherine of Siena said, “Everything comes from love, all is ordained to the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind.”

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