Forgive and Give
here are two
works of mercy which will set us free. They are briefly set down in the
gospel in the Lord's own words: Forgive and you will be forgiven,
and Give and you will receive. The former concerns pardon, the latter
generosity. As regards pardon he says: "Just as you want to be forgiven,
so someone is in need of your forgiveness." Again, as regards generosity,
consider when a beggar asks you for something that you are a beggar too
in relation to God. When we pray we are all beggars before God. We are
standing at the door of a great householder, or rather, lying prostrate,
and begging with tears. We are longing to receive a gift — the gift of
God himself.
What does a beggar ask of you? Bread. And you, what do you ask of God,
if not Christ who said: I am the living bread that has come down from
heaven? Do you want to be pardoned? Then pardon others. Forgive and
you will be forgiven. Do you want to receive? Give and you will receive.
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from
Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
HTML text prepared by David P. Steelman.
The "Daily Reflection" page on the Villanova University web site is sponsored by
the Office for Mission Effectiveness. For more information about the office, contact Dr.
Christopher M. Janosik,
christopher.janosik@villanova.edu
This page was updated on
Monday July 28, 2003.
