As human beings, our legitimate needs are best understood in relation to each of the four aspects of the human person—physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. These needs exist not only in these different areas but also on different levels.

Our spiritual needs have a tendency to change as the seasons of our lives change. Each of us has a unique spiritual journey. In different stages of the journey, we have different needs. And yet, there are some needs that are unchanging and necessary in all seasons of our lives—silence, solitude, and simplicity. The way we seek to experience these habits of the soul may change, but all the same, they remain essential to our spiritual diet if we are to find lasting joy in this changing world.

Saint Vincent Ferrer treated his spiritual needs with the care they deserved, and as a result, lived a rich life that we can all learn from.

Born in 1350 in Valencia, Spain, Vincent was drawn as a young boy to quiet contemplation and reading of the sacred Scriptures. This love of silence, solitude, and simplicity—as well as learning—led him to become a Dominican friar. 

In the stillness of the monastery, Vincent dedicated three whole years to reading the Bible and the Bible alone. They were three of the most fulfilling years of his life. Eventually, he committed the entire Bible to memory. This later helped him immensely in his life as a missionary and preacher. Even while traveling through France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain to spread the Gospel, Vincent prioritized his prayer life, and made time each day to withdraw from his active pursuits and enter the classroom of silence, where he could connect with God on the most intimate level. 

Silence. Solitude. Simplicity. Three great friends! They may be the subtlest of our legitimate needs, but when they are honored our spirits soar to unimaginable heights, and we are left only to wonder how or why we ever followed the promptings of all the jeering voices of this world.

Saint Vincent Ferrer cared for his spiritual needs. Will you do the same in your life?

Patron Saint of: Builders, Prisoners, Construction Workers, Plumbers, Fishermen, and Spanish Orphanages

Symbols: Tongue of Flame

Canonized: June 3, 1455

Canonized By: Pope Callixtus III