A Hundredfold Profit
There is a story of a young priest who fell into deep scruples as his parents grew old. He often felt a painful thought in his heart: If I had stayed at home, I could have taken care of them as a good son. Seeing their aging faces filled him with guilt, and he wondered whether his vocation had taken him away from his duty. One day, during a quiet visit home, his parents told him how proud and happy they were that he had chosen to serve God, and that his life gave them great joy. In that moment, the burden in his heart lifted. He understood that his vocation had deepened their love for each other. That night, as he went to bed, he opened his Bible, and his gaze fell on the words of Jesus: “There is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more.”
Does not spiritual freedom come by surrendering our need to control our situations? Perhaps a good example is the act of forgiveness. There are people who suffer not because they have done wrong, but because they have been wronged, and they find it extremely difficult to forgive. In most cases, while it is easy to be forgiven, forgiving others is rather difficult. However, the grace to forgive brings great peace and frees us from bitterness. Peace is a hundredfold better than the false sweetness of revenge.
The reality of following Christ is always filled with abundance, even in seemingly hopeless situations. There is always more to receive in our giving: A hundredfold profit by investing ourselves in Christ.
Rev. George Meze, SJ
I am Fr. Vilezo George Meze SJ, originally from India. I am doing my EdD studies and serve as a spiritual director with Campus Ministry. Before coming to the U.S., I spent a decade working in school administration among Indigenous communities in Northeast India.
