Forgive and Give*

In calling His disciples to be merciful, Jesus offers a profound invitation: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” This simple statement challenges His followers to mirror divine mercy in their own lives—a mercy that manifests through two actions: forgiving and giving.

The Call to Forgive

To be a disciple means to forgive, not because forgiveness is easy but because we ourselves have been forgiven. Consider the New York cemetery tombstone that bears only the word “Forgiven.” This word captures what matters most in life’s final summation: that we depart this world resting in God’s mercy. In the end, wealth, status, and accomplishments fade, but forgiveness—both received and extended—remains a testament to God’s grace.

At the heart of forgiveness lies humility. Without humility, we resist acknowledging our own failings and struggle to accept those of others. Humility invites us to shift from the proud question, “Who are they, anyway?” to the humble question, “Who am I, anyway?” This shift allows us to let go of insecurities and pride, acknowledging our need for mercy as we extend it to others.

Forgiveness is a decision, an intentional release that liberates us more than the one who wronged us. By letting go of pride and the weight of past hurts, we find ourselves open to peace. Forgiveness does not deny the pain of past wounds; it acknowledges them and allows God’s grace to transform even our failures. As Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, reminds us, “Forgiveness is a blessing through which even our failures are taken up into God’s grace and become part of our way to God.”

The Call to Give

Alongside forgiveness, Jesus calls His followers to a life of giving: “Give, and it will be given to you… For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Generosity, like forgiveness, reflects God’s boundless love. God is ever generous beyond our deserving, yet He promises to be even more so with those who have been generous themselves. Jesus does not elaborate on the consequences for withholding generosity, but His imagery of “measure” suggests that the standard we apply to others will become the standard applied to us.

In giving, we reflect God’s character, making ourselves open to receive His blessings. Being kind and generous, even to those who may not appreciate it, speaks to our own integrity. While others’ responses are beyond our control, our actions testify to our values.

The concept of “forgive” even holds a hidden reminder: invert the word and we find “give for.” True forgiveness involves “giving for” the Lord the weight of our anger and hurt. We surrender to God what we cannot repair ourselves, trusting that He can mend what seems broken beyond repair.

In these dual pillars of forgiveness and generosity, Jesus offers a path to live in harmony with God’s mercy—a mercy that transforms our own lives and, through us, touches the lives of others. When we forgive and give, we share in God’s love, allowing it to flow through us and into the world.