522. First, though, let me state what divine mercy is. Divine mercy is a pure mercy toward the whole human race with the intent of saving it, and it is constant toward every individual, never withdrawing from anyone. This means that everyone who can be saved is saved. However, no one can be saved except by divine means, the means revealed by the Lord in the Word. Divine means are what we refer to as divine truths. They teach how we are to live in order to be saved. The Lord uses them to lead us to heaven and to instill heaven's life into us. The Lord does this for everyone; but he cannot instill heaven's life into anyone who does not refrain from evil, since evil bars the way. So to the extent that we do refrain from evil, the Lord in his divine mercy leads us by divine means, from infancy to the end of life in the world and thereafter to eternity. This is the divine mercy that I mean. We can therefore see that the Lord's mercy is pure mercy, but not unmediated: that is, it does not save people whenever it feels like it, no matter how they have lived.

10. Anyone of sound mind, even if not religious, can see that anything which is divided must of itself fall apart unless it is dependent upon a single origin. For instance, a human being, who is built up of so many members, viscera, sensory and motor organs, would collapse if he did not depend on a single soul; so would the body, but for its single heart. In the same way a kingdom depends upon having a single king, a household on a single master, and every department of the administration, of which there are many kinds in every kingdom, upon a single official. How effective would an army be in fighting the enemy without a general in overall command, and officers subordinate to him, each exercising his authority over the common soldiers? It would be the same with the church, if it did not acknowledge one God; or with the heaven of angels, which is, so to speak, the head of the church on earth; there too the Lord is their very soul. This is why heaven and the church are called His body. If both did not acknowledge one God, they would resemble a lifeless body, which is cast out and buried, as being of no further use.