The measure with which you measure…

   There are so many ways Jesus tried to tell us that as we give, we shall receive.

   “[A]s you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” – [Matthew 7:2]

   “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive” – [Matthew 6:12]

   “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” – [Luke 6:38]

   My favorite way of looking at this is simple, yet terribly hard, but too powerful to ignore.  If you give God everything that you are and have, He will give you Himself and all He has.  Is it too good to be true?  Is it possible that God would give Himself and all that He has to us?  Indeed, He showed that He is willing to give Himself completely to us.  Whether it be as a newborn baby at Christmas, nailed to the Cross, or in the Eucharist within the disguise of bread and wine.

   Is it too good to be true?  It definitely is good, but it is true as well.  If not, our religion would be false.  Think about that.  Our entire religion hinges on the fact that God gives Himself to us.  And not just something to remind us of Him, but Himself.  Not a painting, picture, or memorabilia, but Himself.  It is so awesome to comprehend that I do not blame people for not believing it.  It does sound too good to be true, but it is not.

  God gave Himself completely to us.  We can receive Him when we give Him ourselves completely.  And it is mighty silly, but we cling to our self and our stuff.  We do not give completely of who we are and what we have, because we are afraid of losing ourselves and our stuff.  But if we in turn receive God Himself, we now have so much more than we could ever have otherwise.

   How you give is how you will receive.  And if we give ourselves completely to God, we will receive God completely.  You will not find a better deal anywhere.

   Mary, you received God into your immaculate womb and nourished the body of the Creator.  Help us to give ourselves completely to God as you did at every moment, even when you watched your Son die on the Cross.