It seems fitting to finish Kempis’s chapter on consolations (2,9) with an appeal to grace (note yesterday’s post’s final line and see tomorrow how this anticipates the next chapter).  In God’s mercy, He provides the gift of grace for those who will accept it.  He knows we cannot manage ourselves; it is we who must recognize that this is the case.

Psalm 16, today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11), clearly shows the author as a man dedicated to the Lord, close to Him in spirit.  He has recourse to Him, blesses Him, thanks Him, exalts Him.  He is confident that taking refuge in God guarantees His safety, so he begins this song imploring His protection.

We are to take refuge in God’s mercy and grace.  If we want to stay safe in our relationship with the Almighty, we are to reject sin, repent, and strive to do the Lord’s will at all times.  God has an ocean of mercy available for the sincere and penitent heart, with that flood more than sufficient to wash away any sin through the merits of His Son’s Paschal Mystery.  Then He is eager to give us the grace necessary to help up to remain steadfast in goodness and upright in our behavior.  Like the Psalmist, and inspired by Kempis, may we often have recourse to the mercy and grace of God, particularly in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.

David Playing the Harp (1670) by Jan de Bray