Blessedness of the Merciful

Through your infinite mercy … destroy in me all my cruelty; give me your mercy, transform me in your mercy, and let my life be a life only of works of corporal and spiritual mercy for the benefit of all. (OOCC, X, p. 369; STA, 396)

St. Vincent Pallotti recognized the blessedness of the merciful, for he knew that God, who had been ever merciful to him despite his repeated unfaithfulness, was blessed. He was personally conscious of his own misery and his own need for the mercy of God, which God never denied him. The experience of being the object of God’s mercy made St. Vincent live a life of mercifulness towards others. He realized that he needed to be merciful for two reasons. First, he wished to show mercy towards others because God had shown him mercy. In other words, St. Vincent desired to return his gratitude to God by being merciful to others. Second, by being merciful to others, he wanted to be counted among the blessed ones who were qualified to obtain mercy from God. He often expressed his mercy towards others by his sympathetic acts to alleviate the material and spiritual needs of anyone who came to him with such needs. Besides, he also got involved in performing corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Living a life of mercifulness was indeed the reason for the blessedness of St. Vincent Pallotti.

Am I merciful to others even though they fail me many times? Am I conscious of my shortcomings and my need for the mercy of God? How do I express my mercifulness towards others in my daily life? Does my mercifulness lead me to my blessedness?

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy. (Mt. 5: 7)