God’s Mercy Never Ends

Reflection from Lee McCoy:
I used to think my goal in life was to find more joy … but I’m now convinced that hope is really the most important thing we can cultivate. Hope is at the root of it all … it helps me to trust in God’s timing and to find joy in the smaller moments. So, how do we give this “humble virtue” the attention it needs to grow?

Hope is not all or nothing. Each day we find ourselves somewhere along a continuum of hope. For many of us, creating and maintaining a sense of hopefulness is a continual challenge. I find that certain practices drawn from Celtic Spirituality bring me closer to God and help me to cultivate and maintain a deep sense of hope.

My relationship with nature reminds me that things change, possibilities are endless, and circumstances can improve. At this time of year, as we see the first signs of spring,we know that warmth and sun and new life are coming. As someone said to me recently, “Melting snow is the smell of hope.”

Another Celtic practice that brings me hope is connecting with my own “community of saints” … my ancestors. When I think about and meditate on their lives, their challenges, and their legacy, it strengthens my own power to persevere.

Celtic Spirituality emphasizes relationships. We are all called to be anam caras (soul friends) for each other, bringing hope and blessings to others when they need it. In turn, friends can sometimes sing us our own song when we may have forgotten the words. If we can find ways to cultivate and maintain our own hopefulness, we will not only take better care of ourselves, but we can better hold space and care for others.

As John Donohue said in his book, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, “May we all receive blessing upon blessing. And may we realize our power to bless, heal, and renew one another.” An attitude of hopefulness is one of the best ways we can answer the call to spread God’s love.