Church Fathers, Day One Hundred Three: Hermas says don’t be guilty of someone else’s despair

Don’t be guilty of someone else’s despair

The visionary Hermas is told that when we see someone suffering, we must respond. If people are driven to despair by problems we could have helped with, we’re guilty of that despair.

And I say that everyone ought to be saved from inconveniences. For who­ever is in want and whoever suffers inconveniences in daily life—they are both in great torture and necessity. So whoever rescues a soul from this kind of necessity will gain great joy for himself. For whoever is harassed by inconveniences of this kind suffers as much as someone in chains. And many who can’t endure calamities of this sort hasten their own deaths.

So if you know of some calamity of this sort afflicting someone, and don’t save him, you commit a great sin, and are guilty of his blood.

Do good works, therefore, since you who have received good from the Lord. While you delay doing them, the building of the tower might be finished, and you might be rejected from the building. There’s no other tower being built now—for the building was delayed to wait for you. So unless you hurry up and do what’s right, the tower will be finished, and you’ll be left out.

–Hermas, Similitude 10

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

Who around me is suffering, and what am I doing about it?

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, enlighten me with your divine and saving oracles, and let me be not only a hearer of your word, but also a doer of good deeds.

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