Give Unconditionally

"Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." Mt 10:8

Gratitude is fundamental to the Christian vocation. It is easier to understand this if you have had to live with little, and surely this was the case for the first disciples. Fishermen for the most part, they were like subsistence farmers, living from hand to mouth, grateful for the days catch. Success on the waters would make it possible for them to feed their families and perhaps have a little left over with which to barter for oil, grain, salt and other essentials.

Perhaps because of their everyday gratitude for God's simple gifts, the apostles were ready to hear Jesus' call to radically change their lives. It was not that they would receive very much in the way of material goods. Rather, they gained a relationship with a rabbi who asked them to follow him and not be afraid, and while the earliest followers of Jesus often got confused about the cost of discipleship, they also heard him promise them a hundred fold in this world, and eternal life. How could they not be grateful?

The fulness of Jesus' promise to his apostles remains as rich today as when it was first offered. Although it involves great sacrifice and trust, if we remember that everything we have is a gift, even though we will often stray from this truth, it is impossible not to want others to receive the same gift. Giving freely of the faith that has come to us unconditionally and unreservedly is natural and necessary for its message to go forward.

Today, be grateful for what is and let it transform you.

How has the gospel most impacted your lives?