Go; first be reconciled to your brother

[imo]

Hello. In Matthew’s 5,23-24, we read the commandment Go; first be reconciled to your brother…
Does this means confession or actual asking forgiveness direct to the people that you may wronged?
I am reading Saint Augustine’s Sermon of the Mount and he seems to interpret as a on interior/spiritual asking for forgiveness, more in line with the sacrament of confession.
Because, it seems to me that if we confess we do not need to ask forgiveness direct to the person, unless it is something that continues to harm like a theft or a lie with ongoing effects.
Am I right in my interpretation?

 

[imo]

Maybe someone has a Cathecism or saint passage about it. Or a priest could help.

 

[Poet]

t seems to me that if we confess we do not need to ask forgiveness direct to the person, unless it is something that continues to harm like a theft or a lie with ongoing effects.
Am I right in my interpretation?

I think that if we’ve done harm or injustice or caused pain to another, it’s always right to apologize. Why wouldn’t we? People need to hear apologies; they need to know that the person who harmed them actually cares and is sorry for having hurt them and intends not to do so again.

 

[Emeraldlady]

Hello. In Matthew’s 5,23-24, we read the commandment Go; first be reconciled to your brother…
Does this means confession or actual asking forgiveness direct to the people that you may wronged?
I am reading Saint Augustine’s Sermon of the Mount and he seems to interpret as a on interior/spiritual asking for forgiveness, more in line with the sacrament of confession.
Because, it seems to me that if we confess we do not need to ask forgiveness direct to the person, unless it is something that continues to harm like a theft or a lie with ongoing effects.
Am I right in my interpretation?

Here is the Haydocks bible Catholic commentary.

Ver. 23. He commands us to leave unfinished any work we may have begun, though in its own nature most acceptable to God, in order to go and be reconciled to our brother; because God will have mercy and not sacrifice. Thus he in a manner seems to prefer the love of our neighbour to the love of himself. M.

Ver. 24. Leave thy offering. This is not to be understood, as if a man were always bound to go to the person offended; but it is to signify, that a man is bound in his heart and mind to be reconciled, to forgive every one, and seek peace with all men. Wi. — Beware of coming to the holy table, or to any sacrament, without charity. Be first reconciled to your brother, and much more to the Catholic Church, which is the whole brotherhood of Christian men. Heb. xiii. 1. B.

Matthew 5 is showing how the formation of Gods people which began with sacrifice for the atonement of sin, was setting the basis for Christs teachings about our responsibility for sin as a family in Christ. We are a ‘priestly people’ and sacrifice is now made good by our relationship to each other.

The Church has given us for our generation, the go to prayer of St Francis to perfect that relationship required for the sacrifice to be effective.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.