Augustine of Hippo

We have witnessed a great spectacle with the eyes of faith, the holy martyr Vincent constantly triumphing. He triumphed in words, he triumphed in sufferings; he triumphed in confession, he triumphed in tribulation; he triumphed burned by flames, he triumphed submerged by waves: finally, he triumphed tortured, he triumphed dead. When his body, in which was the trophy of Christ the victor, was cast into the sea from a small boat, it silently said: We are cast down, but we perish not. Who granted such patience to his soldier, except he who first shed his blood for him? To whom it is said in the Psalm: For thou art my patience, Lord; Lord, my hope from my youth. A great contest gains great glory; not human, nor temporal, but divine and eternal. Faith fights; and when faith fights, no one overcomes the flesh. For even if it is torn, even if it is lacerated; when does he perish who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ? A powerful man cannot lose what he bought with his gold, and does Christ lose what he purchased with his blood? But all this should be attributed not to the glory of man, but of God. From him truly is patience, true patience, holy patience, religious patience, right patience; Christian patience is a gift of God.