Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health Vailankanni

The Lord in the gospel commands us to leave our offering before the altar and first go and be reconciled with our brother (cf. Mt 5:23-24). Otherwise it is impossible that our offering will be accepted if we are in the clutches of anger and resentment. On his part the apostle tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17) and everywhere to lift up pure hands, without anger or evil thoughts (1 Tm 2:8), and this is a lesson for us. Therefore it remains for us either never to pray - but then we will be sinning against the apostle's orders - or hasten to keep this commandment and so carry it out without anger or resentment. It often happens that we despise hurt or troubled brothers, saying that their sadness has nothing to do with us. This is why the physician of our souls, desiring to pull up the soul's pretexts from the heart by the roots, orders us to leave our offering and go to be reconciled, not only if it turns out that we are angered against our brother, but also if he himself, whether rightly or wrongly, is angered against us. First of all we have to set this to rights by apologizing and then offer the gift. But why remain longer with the gospel precepts when the Old Law itself, which seems to have less severity, teaches the same thing when it says: "Do not hate your brother in your heart" (Lv 19:17), and again: "The ways of him who guards resentment lead to death" (Pr 12:28 LXX). The Law forbids not just the deed but the thought. That is why those who follow the divine laws should strive with all their might against the spirit of anger and that sickness which resides within us. […] The essential thing for our progress and peace should not come from our neighbor's patience with respect to us but our own forbearance towards our neighbor.

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"Go, be reconciled with your brother" (Mt 5:24)

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