BLESS MY ENEMIES O LORD

 

Bless my enemies, O Lord!

Saint Nikolai Velimirovich

 

Bless my enemies O Lord! I too bless them and curse them not.

Enemies have led me to your embrace ever more so, than my friends. My friends have tied me to the earth, while my enemies have loosened me from the earth and have shattered all my worldly aspirations.

My enemies have alienated me from the worldly realities and made me a stranger and irrelevant inhabitant of this world.

Just as a hunted animal finds safer refuge than one not hunted, protecting myself from the enemies, I have found safer refuge, being sheltered under your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can threaten my soul.

Bless my enemies O Lord! I too bless them and curse them not.

Rather they than I, have confessed my sins in front of the world.

They have flogged me whenever I hesitated to be flogged.

They have tormented me whenever I had tried to avoid torments.

They have rebuked me whenever I had flattered myself.

They have hit me whenever I puffed myself with arrogance.

Bless my enemies oh Lord! I too bless them and curse them not.

Whenever I presented myself as wise, they called me foolish.

Whenever I presented myself as strong, they mocked me as if I were a midget.

Whenever I wished to direct others, they pushed me to the sidelines.
Whenever I tried to enrich myself, they prevented me with an iron hand.

Whenever I thought I could sleep peacefully, they woke me up from sleep.

Whenever I tried to build a house for a long and tranquil life they brought it down and evicted me.

In truth, my enemies have loosened me from this world and stretched my hands to touch the hem of your robe.

Bless my enemies O Lord! I too bless them and curse them not.

Bless them and multiply them! Multiply them and make them be even harder on me, so that running to You has no return.

That any hope in men be dashed like a spider's web.

That absolute peace begin to reign on my soul.

That my heart become the grave of my twin evil brothers: arrogance and anger.

That I may store all my treasures in Heaven.  And that I be enabled to become for ever free from self delusion which has caught me in the deathly net of this deceitful life.

The enemies have taught me what one learns with difficulty- that man has no enemies in this world except himself.

One hates his enemies only when he fails to recognize that they are not enemies but hard and heartless friends!

It is truly difficult for me to tell who benefitted me more and who hurt me more in this world: the enemies or friends.

Therefore O Lord bless both my friends and my enemies....