Gratitude

By the virtue of religion, we pay God due honor. By the virtue of piety, we honor God, parents, kinsfolk, and country. By observance,we venerate persons of excellence. By gratitude, we give thanks to benefactors. Gratitude is a special virtue, allied to justice and subordinate to it.

An innocent man owes God thanks for innocence; a forgiven sinner owes God thanks for pardon. Innocence in itself is greater than forgiveness; yet to the man forgiven, forgiveness isthe greater gift of the two. For forgiveness meets that man’s necessity as nothing else could do. As a small but essential help given to a poor man is more to the receiver than a great giftbestowed on a man of wealth, so forgiveness is a greater gift tothe penitent sinner than the gift of innocence to one who is without sin to forgive. Hence it seems that the forgiven sinnerowes to the bestower of this gift a greater gratitude than an innocent person would owe.

We are to render thanks to every benefactor. We owe thanks to God, and, under God, to many of our fellowmen. Gratitude should be expressed in words and deeds according to circumstances and opportunities.

Gratitude makes instant acknowledgment of favors by gracious-ness in receiving them, and by the thankful disposition ofthe heart. Favors themselves are to be repaid at a time convenient to the benefactor.

In repaying a favor and in estimating our debt, we take into consideration the disposition of our benefactor even more than the gift he has bestowed. Seneca remarks (De Benef. i)that we are sometimes under greater obligation to one who confers asmall favor with a large heart, than to one who gives something greater in a grudging spirit.

The return of a favor, the repayment, should exceed in gracious-ness the favor received. Gratitude is due for what is freely given. An exact return of the favor received meets the moral obligation of the beneficiary, but does not include the gratitude he owes. Gratitude is something freely given over and above the amount of repayment. Hence, gratitude exceeds the favor received.