“Hit me on the other cheek”

Coming from the construction site[1] at marching speed, I repeated the prayer in my mind: Lord of all powers, be with us, for we have no help in need except You! Lord of all powers, have mercy on us!

… And the devil entered Judas. Now this time Judas was a priest from Dobrogea, Andrew John, a disciple of Christ. And he sold Christ and his brothers. (…)

Over there, the priest Ștefan Marcu, from the mountains of Vrancea, was praying. Andrei Ioan sneaked up to me and slapped him on the cheek: What are these mystical signs? Don’t you know they’re forbidden? Do you want us all to be punished for you?

Father Mark, standing up, replied calmly, “Hit me on the other cheek too.”[2]

And Judas struck. The blows fell on his head and ribs. The red of the blood appeared on Father Mark’s face. Leaning against the bedpost, he received the savage blows. Judas cries out and strikes: I will teach you the Christian life! I will make you a martyr!

When Judas stopped panting, with sweat on his brow, Mark silently made the sign of the cross. Judas goes away, cursing, with the whole Orthodox calendar…[3]

(Fr. Dimitrie Bejan, Vifornița cea mare, Technical Publishing House, Bucharest, 1996, pp. 112-113)

[1] The action takes place in one of the working colonies of the Danube-Black Sea Canal.

[2] Here is a very eloquent example of the spiritual measure reached by Father Mark, the measure of love for one’s enemies, the measure of Christ the Lord, Who teaches us: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” (Matthew 5:38-41).

[3] The event is worthy of a true prison priest.