Being Reconciled with Our Brother

We often spurn the brothers who are injured and saddened, and despise them, and say they were not hurt by any fault of ours. And so the Healer of souls, who knows all secrets, wanting to root out every opportunity for anger from our hearts, not only commands us to forgive if we have been wronged, to be reconciled with our brothers, and to keep no memory of wrongs or injuries against them. He also gives a similar charge: if we know that they have anything against us, whether justly or unjustly, we should leave our gift, that is, put off our prayers, and hurry first to make amends to them. So, when our brother’s healing has first been brought about, we may bring the offering of our prayers without blemish. [a]

For the common Lord of all does not care so much for our homage as to lose in one what he gains in another, by allowing displeasure to reign in us. For he suffers loss in the loss of anyone, since he desires and looks for the salvation of all his servants alike. And so our prayer will lose its effect if our brother has anything against us, just as much as if we ourselves were nursing bitter feelings against him in a swollen and wrathful spirit.