Mtr Mary Trainor

The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath*

Dear friend,

Pay It Forward is a popular, star-studded movie from 2000. It adds a twist to the more common expectation of “pay it back.”

Instead of only returning a kindness to someone who’s been kind to you, you pay the kindness forward to another person, and another, and so on. Instead of the one-for-one, closed-circuit of kindness that paying it back affords, paying it forward multiplies kindness exponentially.

[Mercy] ] is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes

The idea of “Paying it forward” is at the root of what goes wrong in today’s Gospel from Matthew.

A slave, forgiven of great debt, misses the point of mercy. He does not pay the mercy forward to a man who owes him money. Rather, he throws him into prison until the debt can be paid.

And earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice

In a season of giving thanks—mostly in the form of words—perhaps I can go one step better. Perhaps I can bundle up all the love and mercy showered upon me, and pass it along to someone least expecting it, most likely unworthy, just as I am unworthy. Best if a stranger perhaps, someone who will never repay me, but could possibly pay it forward to you.

Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
that, in the course of justice, none of us
should see salvation: we do pray for mercy…

—Mtr Mary

*The Quality of Mercy
Frome, Act IV, Scene I
By William Shakespeare (1564-1616)