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this same woman in her
sickness, and ministered to her as a servant. St. Acaius sold his garment
to succor one who had taken away his character. St. Ambrose gave to an assassin,
who had
attempted his life, a daily allowance, in order that he might have the where
withal to live. Such
may indeed be called the children of God. Is it a great matter, says St. Thomas
of Villanova,
that often when we have received an injury from any one we forgive it at the
suit of a friend who
pleads for him? And shall we not do the same when God commands it?
Oh, how well grounded a
hope of pardon has not he who pardons the man who has offended him. He
has the promise of God himself, who says, Forgive, and you shall be
forgiven. "By forgiving
others," says St. John Chrysostom, "you earn pardon for yourself. " But he, on
the contrary, who
will have vengeance, how can he hope for pardon for his sins? Such a person, in
saying the "Our
Father," condemns himself when he says: "forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive them that
trespass against us." Then, when such a person wishes to take vengeance, he says
to God: Lord, do
not pardon me, because I will not pardon my enemies. You give judgment in your
own cause, says
St. John Chrysostom. But, be assured, that you shall be judged without mercy if
you show not
mercy to your neighbor. For judgment without mercy to him that hath not
done judgment. But how,
says St. Augustine, how can he who will not forgive his enemy, according to the
command of God,
have the face to ask pardon from God for his offences.
If then, my brethren, you wish to have
revenge, bid adieu to paradise: Without are dogs. Dogs, on account
of their natural fury, are
taken to represent the revengeful. These dogs are shut out from paradise; they
have a hell in this
life; and they shall have hell in the next. "He who is at enmity with any one,"
says St. John
Chrysostom, "never enjoys
peace: he is in
everlasting trouble."
But, Father, such a one has taken away my good name, which I will renounce for
no one. Such is,
forsooth, the proverb, ever in the mouths of those hellhounds who seek for
revenge. He has taken
away my honor, I must take his life. And is the life of a man at your disposal?
God alone is master
of life. For it is Thou, O Lord, that hast the power of life and death.
Do you wish to take
vengeance of your enemy? God wishes to take vengeance of thee. Vengeance belongs
to God alone.
Revenge is Mine, and I will repay them in due time.
But how else, you say,
can my honor be repaired? Well, and in order to repair your honor, you must
trample under foot the honor of God. Do you not know, says St. Paul, that when
you transgress the
law you dishonor God? Thou by transgression of the law dishonorest God.
And what honor is this
of yours that you wish to repair? It is the same as the honor of a Turk, of an
idolater: a Chris-
tian's honor is to obey God, and observe his law.
But other men will look
down upon me; and so, for fear you should be looked down upon, you must
condemn yourself to hell. But if you forgive, the good will praise you;
wherefore it is, that
St. John Chrysostom says: If you wish to be revenged, do good to your enemy,
because then
others will condemn your enemy, and speak well of you. It is not true that he
loses his honor,
who, when he has been injured or insulted, says: I am a Christian, I neither can
nor will be
revenged. Such a person gains instead of losing honor, and, besides, saves his
soul. On
the contrary, he who takes revenge will be punished by God; not only in the
other life, but in
this also. He is obliged to flee from the justice of men, after having taken
that vengeance which
will render his life henceforward miserable. What an unhappiness to live a
fugitive; to be
always in dread of justice; always in dread of the kin-
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