Fibbertigibbet! On the Feast of St Vincent Ferrer OP

By Lucy Strohl OPA ~ May 5, 2008

Readings: Acts19:1-8; Gospel: John 16: 29-33.

Fibbertigibbet.  Fibbertigibbet. Reflecting on the readings, praying and preparing this, I was so glad to find that word!  Why?  Because fibbertigibbet is a synonym that often describes my prayer and gathering of materials for preaching. It means scatterbrain. I look at Scripture background information, read and read, pray and wait, write and rewrite, pray and wait. My papers, books, and thoughts are very scattered and seem flung in all directions—for a long time, before anything comes together. Ever been down that kind of road yourself?

Looking closely, we can see that St. Paul was.  If we piece together his itinerary we might be tempted to say, what on earth was he thinking?  Today he is in Ephesus.  But following his biblical journey, we'd see that he would sometimes travel west one day, and the very next day  go east, retracing his steps.  Sounds very confusing. How fibbertigibbet!  Then again, we are talking about Paul's journey, just as he made it. Being on foot, he'd think things through, wouldn't he?  Why does he backtrack?  It's bewildering . . . . but not for Paul.  A word of caution: we're thinking logically!  Paul, on the other hand, would sometimes reach a town and realize he'd left the previous place too hastily.  Maybe more instruction was needed.  At other times he might be hundreds of miles into a journey when he felt a call to return to the first church on his path. Remarkably, he listened. The resulting zigzag pattern had the look of a journey led by the Spirit.

So maybe there's hope for you and me, too.  The twists and turns of our own journeys can leave us feeling off course, a bit flibbertigibbet, too.  Jesus, in the Gospel tells us—we will be scattered, that we'll have trouble, upsets, detours.  How will we find our way?  How will we listen for the Spirit? We can look to our Dominican brother Vincent Ferrer, whose feast we celebrate today. But wait a minute. His life, seems to be all about doom and gloom. His usual topics were sin, death, God's judgment, and hell. His delivery was intense, thunderous some reported.  Yet his sermons were described as masterpieces of naturalness, intelligence and poetry.  Vincent's foundation was the Gospel, the Eucharist, and a heartfelt devotion to Mary. He fought passionately against anything that would undermine the Church. In the midst of the Western Schism, 1378-1419, there were no less than three popes in residence. The antipope was a dear friend of our Dominican brother. Vincent focused all his efforts toward bringing order out of the chaos of his times.  Like Paul, it is impossible to follow Vincent in all his wanderings.  He, too, visited and backtracked to places—as he felt drawn by the Spirit.  He viewed himself as an instrument chosen by God to prepare people for the Last Judgment.  No matter what, Vincent clung relentlessly to the Truth.  Many men, women and children often followed him. He would tell them, (and us, too) “May others find in you a person full of compassion. Have the heart of a mother who caresses her children.  Exhibit toward everyone a tender charity, so that the sinner may always feel that it is love inspiring your words.  Merely to speak of vices and virtues scarcely touches the sinner at all.” Innumerable miracles and conversions were the result of Vincent's life. What a messenger of the Spirit he was!  He loved courageously, simply, patiently. Vincent was a fiery but peaceful person, always entreating others to trust wholeheartedly in Divine Providence.  At liturgy he encouraged his sisters and brothers to pray fervently, joyfully and thankfully.

Today we also celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  During this gathering we pray for the unfailing strength, courage and light of the Spirit for all of our immigrant families and those who minister alongside them.  As our Sr. Janice Thome in Garden City, Kansas reminds us, so many live in fear these days. In God's family, our paths are connected.

Our journey, like Paul’s and Vincent's, is not merely a trip through a maze of days and years. Our direction may seem confusing and unclear. Sometimes we walk in wonder and awe. Other times we shuffle and stumble in fear. We long for someone to translate the risks of our journey into logical explanations.  Still, it is a sacred journey.  We stand on the edge of our ancestors, our community's and our own hearts’ hopes and dreams.  We seek the same Holy Spirit that filled Paul, Vincent and their followers—may this joyful Spirit burn in us now.  We urge each other and all our Dominican family to tend this fire gently—in the ordinariness of our days. We pray that Paul and Vincent's burning love for God's Word inspires us to take courage—no matter the zigs and zags we encounter. The flame of the Spirit  is strong, deep and enduring. United with our sisters and brothers here and the needs of our global family, we keep it burning.  It is a vigilant fire in the hearth of our souls. As we prayed in the Gathering Song: ‘Come, burn in us now…Come to us, Spirit of God!’