Love: Pure Self-gift to God
Even if [my God] you never loved me, even if you hated me always and tormented me as much as possible … still I would love you and want to love you as much as you merit, because you are infinitely lovable, through yourself and in yourself. (OOCC, X, pp. 207 - 208; STA 321)
St. Vincent Pallotti believed that there should be no conflicts of interest and personal preferences when it comes to loving God. There should be no expectations, no placing of conditions of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts,’ and no seeking of one’s own interests when one is called to give himself to God in love. St. Vincent, fully convinced of this truth, loved God unconditionally and totally. He desired to love God without reward of any kind. He believed that his love for God should not depend on what God did to him. This attitude made him say that even if God never loved him and even if God hated him always bringing many torments into his life, still he would love God as much as he merited. In other words, the manner of God’s dealing with him would not in any way influence his actions towards God because he believed that God is infinitely lovable. He was ready to sacrifice anything, for he knew well that love is a pure self-gift of himself to God. Spiritual authors call this manner of loving God ‘love of delight.’ It consists of resting meditatively in God’s goodness and perfection without taking into account the blessings we may receive from God’s goodness. St. Vincent Pallotti, intoxicated with the love of God, lived the ‘love of delight’ in the most perfect manner.
Do I love God unconditionally and without expectations? Do I believe that God is infinitely worthy of my love? Do I offer myself as a pure self- gift to God? Do I practice the ‘love of delight’ in my spiritual life?
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones. (Heb. 6: 10)