Improving Men

Dimitte illic munus tuum, et vade reconciliari prius fratri tuo. Vide misericordiam Dei, quomodo hominum utilitates amplius aspicit, quam suos honores. Si enim suos honores magis aspiceret, sic dixisset: Interim offer munus tuum et postea vade, et reconciliare. Nunc autem dicit: Primum, et reconciliare, et sic veniens offeres. Tamquam si dicat ad illum: Vade. Ego libenter contemnor, libenter honoris mei patior damnum, libenter exspecto Dominus servos tantummodo ut vos in amicitiam veniatis. Vade ergo, ut scias quia plus diligo concordiam fidelium meroum, quam munera: quia munera hominum nullum Deo faciunt lucrum; caritas enim illorum Dei gloriam operatur. Ne dicas, Ille mihi nocuit, non ego illi: ille mihi satisfacere debet, non ego illi. Si pro gloria salutis tuae jubet te Dominus amicitiam facere, magis nocitus debes rogare, ut duplicem gloriam consequaris: unam, quia nocitus es, alteram, quia prior rogasti. Si enim in illum nocuisti, et ideo rogasti, parcet tibi Deus quod nocuisti, quia prior rogasti: tamen nullam habes mercedem, quia reus constitutus rogasti. Si autem ille te laeserit et prior rogaveris, magnam habebis mercedem. Festina ergo inimicum tuum praevenire ad amicitias, ne forte, te tardante, ille praeveniat te ad rogandum, et rapiat de manibus tuis pietatis mercedem. Nam si ille te nocuit, et ille te rogat, infructuosa est amicitia tua. Quam enim justitiam fecisti ante Deum, si rogatus te placaveris? Non enim volens te Deus substernere sub pedibus ejus, jubet te prius rogare, sed volens tibi humilitatis gloriam praetendere. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XI Source:  Migne PG 56.692

'Leave your gift and go be reconciled to your brother...' 1 Observe the mercy of God, who looks more to the improvement of man than His own regard. For if He had looked to His own honour, so He would have said: 'Give your gift and then after go and be reconciled.' But now He says: 'First be reconciled and then come and give your offering.' As if he were to say:' Go. Gladly I am scorned. Gladly I suffer loss of my honour. Gladly as Lord I hope only for my servants that they might be friends. Go, therefore, that you know that I love more the concord of my faithful ones than gifts, because the gifts of men add nothing to the richness of God, but their love works the glory of the Lord.' Do not say, 'He did harm to me, not I to him. He should give satisfaction to me, not I to him.' If, for the glory of your salvation, God commands you to repair your friendship, more as the one harmed should you entreat it, that a twofold glory follow: one, because you are the one who have been harmed, two, because you asked first. For if you had harmed him, and therefore you asked, God would indeed forgive you the harm done because you asked first, however you would have no reward, since you asked as the guilty one. So if he has wounded you and you have asked first, great reward you shall have. Swiftly, then, go seek friendship with your enemy, lest perhaps, by your delay, he comes to you to ask for it and he takes from your hands the reward of piety. For if he has harmed you and he entreats you, fruitless is your friendship. What righteousness do you work before God if he entreats you, and you are placated? For God not wishing you to be prostrate before his feet, exhorts you to ask first, since He wishes you to grasp first the glory of humility. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from The Eleventh Homily 1  Mt 5.24