THEOSISPaterius of Brescia
When we refer to our brother as a debtor, it signifies that a neighbor has wronged us in some manner. We often equate sins with debts. Thus, it is stated regarding the servant who transgressed, "All that debt I forgave thee" (Matthew 18:32); and in the Lord's Prayer, we daily declare, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). When a person, known to have sinned against us, acknowledges their fault, we accept it as a pledge, and we are obliged to grant forgiveness for the offense done to us. The individual who admits their wrongs and seeks grace is, in essence, offering a promise regarding their debt.
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It is fitting that we are instructed to offer forgiveness before nightfall, as before the sun of righteousness sets within us due to deep sorrow, we must respond to the acknowledgment of wrongdoing with our own act of forgiveness. This allows the one who recalls their offense against us to sense that we have swiftly released them from their wrongdoing.