Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 7:1-5

“The measure with which you measure will be used to measure you.”

The Lord calls us, by means of the Ten Commandments, to serve both God and neighbor.  The first three command us to love God completely, with our whole self.  Then the last seven command us to serve our neighbor from our love for God, as we love our self.

In today’s Gospel passage, we hear Jesus commanding us to love our neighbor in a specific way:  that is, by forgiving our neighbor. But Jesus explains this command in an interesting way.  Regarding to what extent—or even whether—we forgive any individual neighbor of ours, Jesus declares:  “The measure with which you measure will be used to measure you.”

We should be mindful that our sins, as infinite offenses against Almighty God, will not permit us finally to enter into His Presence unless we are shown infinite mercy by Almighty God.  So it is that we ourselves, strengthened by God’s own infinite forgiveness, must forgive others if we hope to live in God’s sight.

In contrast to human sins against God’s infinite goodness, the sins of one human person against another are finite offenses, even if gravely serious. When you are challenged to forgive someone who has sinned against you, recall—in addition to Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel passage—the petition that Jesus taught us to pray in the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”