No one shows greater
mercy than he who lays down his life for those who are judged and condemned. My
merit therefore is the mercy of the Lord. Surely I am not devoid of merit as
long as he is not devoid of mercy. And if the Lord abounds in mercy, I too must
abound in merits. But what if I am aware of my many failings? Then, where
failings abounded, grace abounded all the more. And if the mercies of the Lord
are from eternity to eternity, I for my part will chant the mercies of the Lord
forever.
Quoting
this passage from Saint Bernard, Father Luke reminded us in his Sunday homily that we have every reason
to be filled with hope even as we look ahead to our individual “ends” and
ultimately to the end of the world. If we seem to be “flunking” out in the
school of life and falling flat on our faces as we try to run in the way of his
commandments, God only loves us more and more. For when he looks with love on
the Son of God, he sees all of us in his beloved Son. We too are his beloved
ones.
As
we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day, we have every reason to hope and to be
filled with gratitude for all that God in Christ is accomplishing for us, through
us, with us and in us.
Lines
from Sermon 61 0n the Song of Songs
by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Photograph of an ancient elm on the Abbey grounds by Brother Daniel.
