(June 19, Prologue from Ohrid)
Say not, I will repay evil! Trust in the Lord and He will help you
Proverbs 20:22
Do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil. The evil from your neighbor is sufficient. If you return evil for evil to him, you will double the evil in the world. If you do not return evil for evil to him, he can still burn away his evil through repentance. Thus, through patience and forgiveness, you will reduce the evil in the world.
Do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil, but wait on the Lord. He sees and remembers, and in your own time both you and he who does you evil will know that God sees and remembers. You ask yourself:
What have I done in not returning evil for evil?
You have done the wisest deed that you could do in the given situation, i.e., you have relinquished your struggle to the One stronger than yourself, and the stronger One will fight victoriously for you. If you enter into battle with the evildoer, you might be defeated. But God cannot be defeated. Therefore, relinquish your struggle to the victorious and undefeated One and patiently wait.
Learn from a small child. If someone attacks a child in the presence of his parents, the child does not return the attack by attacking, but rather looks to his parents and cries. The child knows that his parents will protect him. How is it that you do not know what a little child knows? Your heavenly Parent is constantly beside you. Thus, do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil; rather look to your Parent and cry. Only in this way will you guarantee victory for yourself in the conflict with evil men.
O Almighty Lord, Who didst say: Vengeance is Mine (Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30), protect us from the unrighteous ones by Thine almighty hand, and restrain us from vengeance. Counsel us by Thy Holy Spirit that the greater heroism is to endure rather than to avenge.
To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
