God Sustains His Mercy in the Human Person
God is infinite, eternal mercy itself; I am cruelty and barbarism itself. It is he who … mercifully nourishes me with his infinite mercy and completely destroys my cruelty and … remains in me. (OOCC, X, pp. 456 - 457; STA, 500)
God revealed himself to St. Vincent Pallotti as the Eternal and Infinite Mercy. He felt that though his actions were not according to God’s plan, yet God not only forgave his shortcomings and limitations, but also chose him to be his instrument to propagate the idea of the universal mission of charity and to carry it out in the city of Rome. Although he did not deserve it, God had showered him with many other blessings both in his spiritual journey and apostolic ministry. Hence, for St. Vincent, God is “Infinite, Eternal Mercy Itself ” and in comparison with God, he is, as he calls himself, “cruelty and barbarism itself.” St. Vincent Pallotti believed that he was able to act kindly and mercifully towards others despite his cruel nature only because God nourished him with his infinite mercy and destroyed all traces of cruelty from him. God remained within St. Vincent with his merciful love and sustained the transformation he had effected, that is, the transformation from cruelty to mercy in the heart and life of St. Vincent. In this manner, St. Vincent became a manifestation of the infinite mercy of God, and his actions became as if they were the actions of God, the Infinite Mercy.
Do I believe in God’s merciful love in my life? Do I acknowledge that my mercifulness depends on God’s infinite mercy? Do I allow God to effect and sustain the transformation from cruelty to mercy in me? Are my merciful actions like that of God?
The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing his kindness for a thousand generations. (Ex. 34: 6-7)