How do we handle relationships with difficult people?

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica (+2003)

 

 

A young woman once came to see me. She was a university student, and both her parents were doctors. She told me that she was having a problem with one of her professors, who kept failing her in her exams. I said to her: “Why are you waging war against your professor? You must respect her as if she were your mother. She is teaching you discipline for your own good.”

The young woman would not listen to me. “No, Father!” she said. “The professor is malicious… she is this… she is that… I give all the right answers to her questions, and all she does is tell me to come back next time. She simply refuses to pass me!”

I told the young woman that her professor was evidently irrational, but that she, too, was waging war against her in her mind. I told her that she should pray for her professor, and pray that the Lord would send her, too, an angel of peace to give her the strength to love her professor. Then everything would be resolved.

The young woman looked at me as though I were telling her fairy tales. Another year passed like this, causing her to lose all hope of ever managing to pass the course. Then she began to pray for her professor, and the next time she sat the exam, she passed—and even received a high mark.

 

Greek source: https://imlp.gr/2026/09/10/%cf%84%ce%af-%ce%ba%ce%ac%ce%bd%ce%bf%cf%85%ce%bc%ce%b5-%cf%83%cf%84%e1%bd%b6%cf%82-%cf%83%cf%87%ce%ad%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b9%cf%82-%ce%bc%e1%bd%b2-%ce%b4%cf%8d%cf%83%ce%ba%ce%bf%ce%bb%ce%bf%cf%85%cf%82/