St. Vincent Pallotti and the Year of Mercy
By Pat Fricchione
“Keep multiplying your commitment because what Vincent Pallotti prophetically announced, the Second Vatican Council authoritatively confirmed, becoming a happy reality, and all Christians are authentic apostles of Christ and the church and in the world!" -St. John Paul II, 1986
Every January 22nd, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Vincent Pallotti. He is the patron of the Catholic Apostolate Center and his vision guides the Center in all of its works. Today is a special day in which we remember the works, deeds, and vision of St. Vincent Pallotti. I could write to you about his many deeds, his self-sacrificing attitude, or his disdain for honors, but I feel that that is not the proper way to celebrate him. He would be satisfied knowing that we are spending our time recounting his life, and would encourage us to go out into the world doing works of charity and preaching the gospel. St. Vincent Pallotti inspires me. Especially in this Year of Mercy, we need examples of people like him who have led merciful lives.
St. Vincent Pallotti had a very simple question that he asked, that took him a lifetime to answer: "Who is God and who am I before him?" Over the past few years this simple question posed by St. Vincent Pallotti has driven my prayer. Many of us have ‘stock’ answers for the first part of the question such as: God is the Father, He is all powerful and ever loving, He is the creator of the universe, the Unmovable mover, and the very essence of infinite love. But for St. Vincent Pallotti, these ‘stock’ answers are just that, stock. They're not the answers from the heart that St. Vincent Pallotti demands. He wants us to form the answer that only we can answer. He then asks us to find ourselves in this context. Let us ponder how we are to respond to his question because the two are intimately connected. At every stage of our lives, this answer is challenged. I invite you to take it back to prayer every single time you pray.
"Learn from the Lord to be merciful to your brethren. Trust you will receive from Him a loving and compassionate heart." –St. Vincent Pallotti, 1833
St. Vincent Pallotti expressed that we need to show mercy to all and led by example. As a priest, he would minister to anyone in need. He would visit prisoners, revolutionaries, students, popes, and future popes. He gave himself completely to those in need and wanted those around him to do the same. St. Vincent Pallotti’s example invites us to express mercy even when it seems impossible to do so. This is the way to serve all.
The spirituality of St. Vincent Pallotti is relevant to us today. His
writings on mercy, for example, sound like they could be quotes from
Pope Francis and not the writings from over 180 years ago. In my own
spiritual life, St. Vincent Pallotti’s vision inspires me to act with the
merciful heart that reflects the power of God's infinite love to all, no
matter who they are. This manifests itself in my interactions with my
family, friends, coworkers, and anyone I meet. I also make sure that I
give back to the community by volunteering and serving others. We
can also show mercy to anyone with a simple smile. In times when I
feel uninspired and defeated by the world, I can turn to St. Vincent
for a quote or gesture that gets me through the challenge. He has
revived my faith, rekindled my charity, formed me into an apostle,
and will continue to do so every day of my life by leading me to
Christ.
St. Vincent Pallotti’s vision is as relevant today as it was over 180
years ago. We at the Catholic Apostolate Center and Pallottine
apostolates all over the world continue to be inspired by his work.
We thank God for this great Saint.
May the charity of Christ urge us on!