I want to include a prayer from Presbytera Emily Harakas' and Father Anthony Coniaris' book, "Daily Meditations and Prayers for the Christmas Advent Fast and Epiphany" that clarifies the destination of our journey:
"Help us, O God, not to waste this Christmastide in trivial and frivolous pursuits. Help us, so that true joy may rise in our hearts. Bring true praise to our lips. Let goodwill and Christian love prevail in all we do and in all our relationships."Indeed, it is so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the spirit of the world this time of year, the sad caricature that this time of year has become when seeing it through wordly eyes and hearts. But it does not have to be that way in our hearts! This time of year—as much as we can—should be about quietness...the quiet, joyful preparation of receiving Christ to be born in our hearts. It should be about patience, love, and mercy, as well...mercy to those who have very little or nothing, as we remember the poverty that our Lord God and Savior was born into and endured in His earthy life, having nowhere to lay His head (Luke 9:58). As much as we can, we should give alms. Remembering the triad of our faith—fasting, almsgiving, and prayer—since we are already practicing fasting through the discipline of the Church, and since we are called during the fasting seasons to try to give more alms, let us not forget prayer as well, as prayer is available to all, no matter what our circumstances are, as St. Seraphim of Sarov reminds us. In these economic times, we aren't always able to give what our hearts want to, but we can always pray. And in our fasting, we are eating less and more humbly, which is a way of helping others. Perhaps a way of collecting alms is to set aside the money we have saved through fasting and donate this?
In "The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox", there is a commentary listed by St. Nikolai Velimirovic (+1956) that corresponds to today's Scripture reading, though he is actually commenting on Proverbs 20:22 ("Say not, I will repay evil! Trust in the Lord and He will help you") in his homily for June 19. As usual, his words to us are most instructive:
"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 out his evil through repentance. Thus, you will reduce evil in the world through patience and forgiveness.Epistle reading for today, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10:
"Do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil. 'But wait on the Lord,' He sees and remembers and, in your time, even you and your evil doer will know that God sees and remembers. You ask yourself: What have I done in that I have not returned 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 will victoriously fight for you. If you enter into battle with the evil doer 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 at 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. That is why, do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil rather look at your Parent and cry. Only in this way will you guarantee victory for yourself in conflict with evil men.
"O Almighty Lord Who said: 'Vengeance is Mine' (Romans 12:19 Hebrews 10:30), protect us from the unrighteous ones by Your almighty hand and restrain us from vengeance. Counsel us by Your Holy Spirit that the greater heroism is to endure rather than to avenge. To You be glory and thanks always. Amen."
"Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed."
