The Lord often speaks to us of the merit of even the smallest of our works, if we perform them for Him: not even a cup of water offered by Him will be without its reward1. If we are faithful to Christ we will find a treasure piled up in Heaven for a life offered day by day to the Lord. Life is really the time to merit, for in Heaven one no longer merits, but enjoys the reward; nor do we acquire merits in Purgatory, where the souls are purified of the mark left by their sins. This is the only time to merit: the days we have left here on earth; perhaps, few.
In the Gospel of today's Mass, the Lord teaches us that the works of the Christian must be superior to those of the pagans in order to obtain this supernatural reward. If you love those who love you, what merit have you, for even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what merit will you have, for sinners also lend to sinners in order to receive as much? Charity must embrace all men, without any limitation, and must not extend only to those who do us good, to those who help us or behave correctly towards us, because for this the help of grace would not be necessary: even pagans love those who love them. The same is true of the works of a good Christian: they must not only be "humanly" good and exemplary, but the love of God will make them generous in their approach, and thus supernaturally meritorious.
The Lord had already assured us through the Prophet Isaiah: Electi mei non laborabunt frustra, my chosen ones will never labor in vain, for not even the smallest work done by God will be without its fruit. Many of these gains we will see already here on earth; others, perhaps the greater part, when we find ourselves in the presence of God in Heaven. St. Paul reminded the early Christians that each one will receive his own reward, according to his own work. And, in the end, each one will receive the payment due for the good or bad deeds he has done while clothed in his body5. Now is the time to deserve. "Your good works should be your investments, from which one day you will receive considerable interest," teaches St. Ignatius of Antioch. Already in this life the Lord repays us richly.
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