Counsel
from St. John Chrysostom:
..If we quarrel, let us be reconciled quickly! If we make peace with our enemy, our success
is double: we have snatched both
ourselves and him from the claws of the evil one. If we do not succeed in persuading our enemy
to be reconciled, we should not continue in our spitefulness towards him, we
should not hate him as he hates us so that the loss will not be doubled and our
soul perish together with his. In such
cases, the wisest thing we can do is forgive him, so that if he perishes at
least we will not be devoured by the devil.
If we forgive him and put up with him our salvation is certain, because
endurance is no small feat. According to
the Holy Fathers, endurance equals martyrdom.
That is why the long-suffering and forgiving, even though they may have
sinned much in the past, will be crowned with imperishable crowns like the holy
martyrs. To be continued...
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