Mercy Will Never Run Dry

And finally, never lose hope in the mercy of God.
RB §4 | St. Benedict

Writing in the 6th c, Benedict of Nursia composed a Rule for the monastery he founded. This sort of Rule was not what we moderns might think of as rule(s): a list of things to do and not do. Rather, the Rule of St. Benedict is a guide for communal life of the monastery, with the goal that the monk (and by implication the monastery) would draw nearer to God in all of their life. Every aspect of life was covered in the Rule for our entire lives–all of it–should be lived in glory and devotion to God. Moreover we should submit every aspect of our lives–each one of them–to the Lord for his evaluation, guidance, and shepherding care.

St. Benedict concludes the chapter "Tools for Good Works"–which include love the Lord; the Ten Commandments; love your enemies–with a simple and moving line: "And finally, never lose hope in the mercy of God." In writing it this way, he recognizes the draw, the pull, the temptation, to lose hope. And not hope in general, but something far more damaging and damning: losing hope in the mercy of God. For in losing this hope, the heart calcifies. If God is not merciful we are all damned. And if that were true, then we abandon all hope wherever we may enter. And so we would become hard-hearted, cynical wanderers.

But, as St. Benedict urges, we are to never lose hope in the mercy of God. Sometimes–most times?–easier said than done. What might we do, then, when the drought of despair appears to extinguish life, whether because of events in the world, circumstances in your life, or the stirrings of your heart? Where might we turn when the land appears to have turned to dust; when it seems that all is lost; that the fountainhead of mercy, that it too, has dried up? Tired soul remember the sacrifice of Jesus, the great display of the mercy of God.

And as Christ is alive forever, mercy will never run dry.

– Matthew+