Revenge

Moses, through prayer and the lifting up of his hands, drove back Amalek (Exodus 17:11). So too, if you harbor no desire for revenge against your brother and pray for the one who grieves and afflicts you, it is evident that you lift up your hands to heaven and receive every help in due time during temptation and the trials brought by the devil. But if you do not guard yourself against anger toward your neighbor, and you humiliate him, condemn him, and speak evil of him, then you are not lifting up the hands of the inner man of the soul. Even if outwardly you stretch out your hands and raise your eyes toward God, your prayer is not heard; for, as the Lord says, “your hands are full of your brother’s blood.” For what can be more deadly to the soul than resentment? Let us, therefore, be persuaded by Him who says: Wash yourselves through repentance, and cleanse yourselves from your wicked deeds through pure prayers.