Stories & Legends
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
St. Vincent Ferrer Resurrects a Jew
of Andalusia
St. Vincent Ferrer called himself as “The Angel of the Judgment” and preached that the end of the world were near. In fact, the end of a world and an era was at hand. The world was that of the Middle Ages and era of Christendom. The Revolution was on the verge of opening a new age dominated by the Devil, beginning with the Renaissance and the Protestant Revolt, which split the rich garment of Christendom.
He once converted 10,000 Jews at one time by marching right into their synagogue and preaching to them; the Jews turned their synagogue into a Catholic Church.
So great a missionary was St. Vincent Ferrer that he can only be compared to the 12 Apostles. His accomplishments were incredible and rare in the whole History of the Church. His life story contains one amazing story after another, many of these documented in the book St. Vincent Ferrer – The Angel of the Judgment by Fr. Andrew Pradel, O.P.
When St. Vincent Ferrer was 46 years old, suffering from a grievous illness, Our Lord appeared to him, accompanied by St. Francis and St. Dominic. Our Lord told Vincent: “Arise, then, and go to preach against vice. for this have I specially chosen thee. Exhort sinners to repentance, for My judgment is at hand.”
Our Lord told St. Vincent that his preaching before the coming of Antichrist would be for mankind a merciful occasion of repentance and conversion. During this vision St. Vincent was immediately cured.
Two years later, in 1398, he was given permission to begin his apostolate of preaching. St. Vincent travelled all over Western Europe preaching penance, attracting enormous crowds, and followed by thousands of disciples. Vincent had the gift of languages: Preaching in his Valencia idiom he was understood wherever he went; and in conversation he spoke French, Italian, German or English as fluently as his native tongue.
During his preaching travels, St. Vincent Ferrer converted 25,000 Jews and 8,000 Moors, and many consider this a conservative estimate. This is one instance when he converted a stubborn Jew through a resurrection.
The conversion of Abraham
There was a rich Jew of Andalusia named Abraham who, out of curiosity, went to a church where St. Vincent Ferrer was preaching. Instead of being moved by his words, he became irritated and angry at what he was hearing.
He began to leave a church while Vincent was preaching. When some Catholics at the door made an effort to stop his passing through, St. Vincent cried out: “Let him go! Come away, all of you, at once, and leave the passage free!” The people did as he ordered, and at the instant the Jew left, part of the porch structure fell on him and crushed him to death.
Then the Saint left the pulpit and went to the crushed and dead body. He knelt there in prayer over the stubborn Jew. Shortly Abraham came to life, and his first words were: “The religion of the Jews is not the true faith. The True Faith is that of the Christians.”
In memory of this event the Jew was baptized Elias, in honor of the Prophet who had raised the boy from the dead. The new convert established a pious foundation in the church of the “accident” and the miracle, and many other Jews were converted because of this miracle and his testimony.
He once converted 10,000 Jews at one time by marching right into their synagogue and preaching to them; the Jews turned their synagogue into a Catholic Church.
So great a missionary was St. Vincent Ferrer that he can only be compared to the 12 Apostles. His accomplishments were incredible and rare in the whole History of the Church. His life story contains one amazing story after another, many of these documented in the book St. Vincent Ferrer – The Angel of the Judgment by Fr. Andrew Pradel, O.P.
St. Vincent Ferrer, 1357-1419, warned of the end of the world of the Middle Ages
Our Lord told St. Vincent that his preaching before the coming of Antichrist would be for mankind a merciful occasion of repentance and conversion. During this vision St. Vincent was immediately cured.
Two years later, in 1398, he was given permission to begin his apostolate of preaching. St. Vincent travelled all over Western Europe preaching penance, attracting enormous crowds, and followed by thousands of disciples. Vincent had the gift of languages: Preaching in his Valencia idiom he was understood wherever he went; and in conversation he spoke French, Italian, German or English as fluently as his native tongue.
During his preaching travels, St. Vincent Ferrer converted 25,000 Jews and 8,000 Moors, and many consider this a conservative estimate. This is one instance when he converted a stubborn Jew through a resurrection.
The conversion of Abraham
There was a rich Jew of Andalusia named Abraham who, out of curiosity, went to a church where St. Vincent Ferrer was preaching. Instead of being moved by his words, he became irritated and angry at what he was hearing.
He began to leave a church while Vincent was preaching. When some Catholics at the door made an effort to stop his passing through, St. Vincent cried out: “Let him go! Come away, all of you, at once, and leave the passage free!” The people did as he ordered, and at the instant the Jew left, part of the porch structure fell on him and crushed him to death.
Then the Saint left the pulpit and went to the crushed and dead body. He knelt there in prayer over the stubborn Jew. Shortly Abraham came to life, and his first words were: “The religion of the Jews is not the true faith. The True Faith is that of the Christians.”
In memory of this event the Jew was baptized Elias, in honor of the Prophet who had raised the boy from the dead. The new convert established a pious foundation in the church of the “accident” and the miracle, and many other Jews were converted because of this miracle and his testimony.
Adapted from Albert J. Herbert, Raised from Death,
Rockford TAN Books & Publishers, 1986, pp. 96-98.
Posted October 20, 2024
Rockford TAN Books & Publishers, 1986, pp. 96-98.
Posted October 20, 2024
______________________
______________________
 |
 |
 |