Will in return be measured out to you

MONDAY 9 MARCH (Lk 6,36-38)

Some examples of measure and reward will help us discover how much truth is contained in these words of Jesus. A woman consecrates herself to charity. She receives the resurrection as a measure of her love: Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid (her) out in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. And he stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon, a tanner (At 9, 26-43). What was given is infinitely less than what was received.

Jesus gives the Father a mortal body, he receives as a gift a glorious, immortal, spiritual and incorruptible body. He is raised to Lord of heaven and earth: “But someone may say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come back?” You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind; but God gives it a body as he chooses, and to each of the seeds its own body. Not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for human beings, another kind of flesh for animals, another kind of flesh for birds, and another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the brightness of the heavenly is one kind and that of the earthly another. The brightness of the sun is one kind, the brightness of the moon another, and the brightness of the stars another. For star differs from star in brightness. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (1Cor 15,35-44). There is not even a comparison between the measure of giving and receiving.

Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Paul’s measure in the evangelizing mission is without measure. The Lord gives him an immense amount of souls: “Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law – though I myself am not under the law – to win over those under the law. To those outside the law I became like one outside the law – though I am not outside God’s law but within the law of Christ – to win over those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it” (1Cor 9,19-23). If we want to receive from God we must give to God. God has already given his Son and the Holy Spirit without sparing himself in anything. However, if we want to reap fruits of salvation, redemption, conversion and vocations to Christ and his Church, we must give the Father, in Christ, according to the motion of the Holy Spirit. We give little and we receive little. We give a lot and we receive a lot. The more we spend ourselves on Christ, the more we receive from the Father. It is evident that in order to live this Gospel command, not a great faith is but a very pure one is urgently needed. Everything is from the measure of our faith. With a small faith, little is given and little is received.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, make us of pure, true, perfect and ever new faith.