Union of Catholic Apostolate: Reflection of God’s Infinite Love

My God … in your infinite mercy allow me … to promote, establish, propagate, perfect and perpetuate the pious institution of a universal apostolate … so that you may be known in the world by a reflection of your infinite charity. (OOCC, X, pp. 198 - 199; STA, 281)

The spirituality and the apostolate of St. Vincent Pallotti began with his personal experience of God as the Infinite Love. God, who loved him infinitely, reached out to him unconditionally and generously. Overwhelmed by and caught up in this love of God, especially on 9 January 1835, St. Vincent was inspired to respond to God by manifesting him as the Infinite Love. In order to do this task effectively he promoted, established, propagated, perfected and perpetuated a pious institution of universal apostolate, called the Union of Catholic Apostolate. Hence, the Union of Catholic Apostolate, as visualized by St. Vincent Pallotti, was meant to be a reflection of God’s infinite love in the world. The members of this institution involved in a universal apostolate of charity, manifest God, who is charity-in-essence, in the diverse and concrete situations of human living. Thus, the Union of Catholic Apostolate in proclaiming God as infinite charity to everyone in the world, brings eternal and infinite glory to God.

Do I, as a member of Union of Catholic Apostolate, recognize God as the infinite love? Do I respond to God, the infinite love, by participating in the universal mission of charity? Do I manifest God as infinite-love-in- essence through my mission of charity, thereby bringing infinite glory to God?

Above all let your love for one another be intense … As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another … Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (I Pet. 5: 8, 10-11)