Power… a word that has intoxicated so many throughout history, so often signifying an oppressive or so-called retributive force, opposed to benevolence or mercy, the fruit of the exacerbation of passions disordered by original sin. How different is the dominion exercised by the Most High! “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord” (Is 55:8). He who has all power manifests it in a manner poles apart from human criteria.
St. Thomas dedicates an entire section of the Summa Theologiӕ (cf. I, q.21, a.1-4) to these two virtues – justice and mercy – as attributes of God, and explains that they are harmonious, even though apparently contradictory, and he analyses which of them most reveals divine omnipotence.
Our human comprehension makes it difficult for us to grasp their depth in God’s actions. We often understand mercy emotionally: a sadness for the misery of others. However, there is no sadness in God. That is why the Angelic Doctor says that this virtue should only be attributed to Him “as seen in its effect, but not as an affection of passion,” for “to sorrow […] over the misery of others belongs not to God; but it does most properly belong to Him to dispel that misery, whatever be the defect we call by that name” (a.3). He can suppress it through the perfection of some kind of goodness, since He is the first source of all goodness. Hence the harmonization between the two virtues: “in so far as perfections are given to things in proportion, the bestowal of them belongs to justice. […] in so far as perfections given to things by God expel defects, it belongs to mercy” (a.3).
Thus, God acts mercifully “not indeed by going against His justice, but by doing something more than justice. […] Hence it is clear that mercy does not destroy justice, but in a sense is the fullness thereof” (a.3, ad 2). Furthermore, “the work of divine justice always presupposes the work of mercy; and is founded thereupon” (a.4), for in this is the primary source of all of the Creator’s works. Indeed, “certain works are attributed to justice, and certain others to mercy, because in some justice appears more forcibly and in others mercy,” as is the case with the judgement of impenitent souls. “Even in the damnation of the reprobate mercy is seen, which, though it does not totally remit, yet somewhat alleviates, in punishing short of what is deserved” (a.4, ad 1).
Nevertheless, when grace touches the sinner, this double aspect can be further highlighted. This is what the Aquinate says, in the words of St. Anselm: “When Thou dost punish the wicked, it is just, since it agrees with their deserts; and when Thou dost spare the wicked, it is also just; since it befits Thy goodness” (a.1, ad 3). And only God has the power to forgive: “In the justification of the ungodly, justice is seen, when God remits sins on account of love, though He Himself has mercifully infused that love” (a.4, ad 1).
It is therefore clear that “God’s omnipotence is particularly shown in sparing and having mercy, because in this is it made manifest that God has supreme power, […] by sparing and having mercy upon men, He leads them on to the participation of an infinite good; which is the ultimate effect of the divine power” (q.25, a.3, ad 3).
This, therefore, is the Most High’s epiphany of omnipotence: mercy! ◊
