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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Matthew 5:23-24	Matthew	Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Question: Brother, Could you elaborate a bit about Matthew 5:23-24 and how far we are to take this? It states that... "If you are presenting your offering at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering." How far are we supposed to take this? Are we supposed to go and be reconciled with every single person who may be angry at us even if we were simply telling them the truth before receiving Eucharist? My brother and his wife have drug problems and one of his old friends has been posting insulting jokes about him on the internet. I emailed this guy and told him to please stop doing those things and that it is not what God wants of us. He became angry at me and emailed me back and called me a hypocrite, then we went on and on back and forth. I merely stated that he wasn't without sins and mistakes to be making jokes about my brother. I don't even talk to this guy or ever see him, but i just took it upon myself to email him and tell him what i thought of his joking. Obviously the guy is angry at me and perhaps has something against me. Am i supposed to go and be reconciled to him? I don't even hardly know the guy and all i was doing was telling him the truth anyway. How far are we to take the passage? Are we supposed to crawl to everyone who may be angry at us even if we were simply telling them the truth? Thanks Brother.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Matthew: The best way to answer this question is to give you the commentary of this passage from the Navarre Bible, one of the best commentaries on the Bible available. Here our Lord deals with certain Jewish practices of his time, and in doing so gives us perennial moral teaching of the highest order. Christians, of course, do not follow these Jewish ritual practices; to keep our Lord's commandment we have ways and means given us by Christ himself. Specifically, in the New and definitive Covenant founded by Christ, being reconciled involves going to the sacrament of Penance. In this sacrament the faithful "obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offence committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins" (Lumen gentium, 11). In the New Testament, the greatest of all offerings is the Eucharist. Although one has a duty to go to Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, an essential condition before receiving Holy Communion is that one be in the state of grace. It is not our Lord's intention here to give love of neighbour priority over love of God. There is an order in charity: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment" (Mt. 22:37-38). Love of one's neighbour, which is the second commandment in order or importance (cf. Mt. 22:39), derives its meaning from the first. Brotherhood without parenthood is inconceivable. An offense against charity is, above all, an offence against God. In other words, if you approach the altar and are not in a State of Grace, do not receive communion, but first go be reconciled in the Sacrament of Confession, and then approach our Lord in the Sacrament. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Matthew 5:23-24

Matthew

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Question:

Brother,

Could you elaborate a bit about Matthew 5:23-24 and how far we are to take this? It states that...

"If you are presenting your offering at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."

How far are we supposed to take this? Are we supposed to go and be reconciled with every single person who may be angry at us even if we were simply telling them the truth before receiving Eucharist? My brother and his wife have drug problems and one of his old friends has been posting insulting jokes about him on the internet. I emailed this guy and told him to please stop doing those things and that it is not what God wants of us. He became angry at me and emailed me back and called me a hypocrite, then we went on and on back and forth. I merely stated that he wasn't without sins and mistakes to be making jokes about my brother. I don't even talk to this guy or ever see him, but i just took it upon myself to email him and tell him what i thought of his joking. Obviously the guy is angry at me and perhaps has something against me. Am i supposed to go and be reconciled to him? I don't even hardly know the guy and all i was doing was telling him the truth anyway. How far are we to take the passage? Are we supposed to crawl to everyone who may be angry at us even if we were simply telling them the truth? Thanks Brother.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Matthew:

The best way to answer this question is to give you the commentary of this passage from the Navarre Bible, one of the best commentaries on the Bible available.

Here our Lord deals with certain Jewish practices of his time, and in doing so gives us perennial moral teaching of the highest order. Christians, of course, do not follow these Jewish ritual practices; to keep our Lord's commandment we have ways and means given us by Christ himself. Specifically, in the New and definitive Covenant founded by Christ, being reconciled involves going to the sacrament of Penance. In this sacrament the faithful "obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offence committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins" (Lumen gentium, 11).
In the New Testament, the greatest of all offerings is the Eucharist. Although one has a duty to go to Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, an essential condition before receiving Holy Communion is that one be in the state of grace.
It is not our Lord's intention here to give love of neighbour priority over love of God. There is an order in charity: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment" (Mt. 22:37-38). Love of one's neighbour, which is the second commandment in order or importance (cf. Mt. 22:39), derives its meaning from the first. Brotherhood without parenthood is inconceivable. An offense against charity is, above all, an offence against God.

In other words, if you approach the altar and are not in a State of Grace, do not receive communion, but first go be reconciled in the Sacrament of Confession, and then approach our Lord in the Sacrament.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum