“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
The words that Christ speaks today in the Gospel, which is part of His famous Sermon on the Mount, provides us with some food for thought and a charge to go and be reconciled with others. The significance of these words reminds us of the importance of reconciliation in our lives. We are called to be reconciled ~ at one with others ~ before we approach the Altar of God and be one with Him. I cannot offer to God a perfect gift if it is tainted by my lack of forgiving or seeking forgiveness. I once read: “those who are not willing to forgive another forget that they have been forgiven.” Let us recall the many times we have been forgiven. Let that motivate us to forgive those who have wronged, hurt, and/or betrayed us. The forgiveness we offer to others is the very gift that God desires from us. So, today think of those people in your life that you have difficulty forgiving and make the effort this week to go and be reconciled with them. Let go of the pain, the grudges, and animosity and be the person God is calling you to be; namely, a person of mercy and charity.
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Fr. Wayne