Orthodox America
by
Archbishop James of Novgorod
Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Matt. 22:37-39)
These two commandments,
as stated by the Lord Himself, express the very essence of God's law. On another occasion, He said to one of the
lawyers: Do this, and thou shalt live (Luke 10:28). Each of us must realize that it is imperative for us to fulfill
these commandments, and that therefore we should give all our attention, all
our energy and prayer to this endeavor. These commandments are linked so
tightly that if we neglect to fulfill one, we will not fulfill the other.
Are there many among us
who, in all good conscience, could say that they love God? Is it not true that most of us are in fact
cold towards God? This is not to say that anyone would refuse to acquire love
for God. What am I saying-refuse? I am certain that every one of us desires to
have this love-a sweet and holy feeling essential to our soul's salvation-but
we simply do not find it within ourselves.
What are we to do? Remain cold towards
God? No! This would spell perdition.
It is better for us to search for ways to kindle this love for God. They
are within reach and, with the help of God's grace, we will not find them
difficult.
The first means which can
contribute to kindling love for God is the turning of our minds to God. We can always force our mind to think about God,
even when other thoughts-about worldly matters and matters unrelated to God-are
vying for our attention. By compelling
our mind to reflect upon God more and more often, we will succeed, with the
cooperation of grace, in chasing out the coldness towards God, dwelling in our
hearts, and fan at least a small spark of love for our Creator. By means of such reflection, our minds will
gradually come to realize that there is nothing in the world better, more
perfect or more desirable than God. There are many good things in the world,
things which attract us, but their attraction fades when we examine them more
closely, when we really know them. One cannot say this about God. On the contrary, the better we know Him, the
more we see in Him perfection. As the
mind becomes persuaded of the perfection of the Divinity, the heart is no
longer able to remain indifferent or unfeeling towards God. The mind directs
the heart. Where the mind discerns that
which is of real value, truly attractive, there the heart also turns with its
love. Where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also (Matt. 6:21), said Jesus Christ. For this reason, we believe and we declare
of a certainty that frequent and reverent contemplation of God can greatly assist
the kindling within us of love for God.
Another, no less
effective means, of stimulating our love for God is prayer. Prayer attracts the grace of the All-Holy
Spirit, and the All-Holy Spirit kindles within us and sets aflame love in our
hearts. Where there is the Spirit of God, there is love. Just as warmth is an inherent property of
the sun, similarly, love is a necessary operation of the Holy Spirit. The fruit
of the Spirit of love (Gal. 5:22), says the Apostle Paul. Prayer, which is like
a conversation with God, besides bringing us closer to God and enabling us
thereby to experience the sweetness of the Divine essence, awakens naturally
within us love for God. Many saints
felt within themselves the fire of divine love, especially during prayer.
Love for our neighbor is
another powerful means of enkindling our love for God. Love for our neighbor fans the spark of love
for God. It is unheard of that one who loves his neighbor with a holy love does
not at the same time feel love for God. Therefore, whoever does not feel in
himself love for God should make every effort to love his neighbor. A good turn
rendered to our neighbor in the name of God, condescension to another's
weakness, forgiveness of offenses, yielding our will to another's,
courteousness, friendliness-even if we must force these from ourselves-are
capable, little by little, of developing in us love for our neighbor, and from
this love can give birth to love of God.
This occurs because God Himself loves love for neighbor, and He takes up
his abode and dwells in hearts where there is love for neighbor. God is love, says St. John the Theologian,
and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him (I John 4:16). And whoever has God within him cannot
possibly not love God. Where there is
love, God, by His grace, grants that person to powerfully experience the
ineffable sweetness of the Divinity, and whoever has experienced this
sweetness, this blessedness, this goodness, cannot but love God.
But the best means by far
of kindling love for God is frequent and conscious reception of the Holy
Mysteries-the Body and Blood of Christ. Just as iron gets hot and becomes
malleable when heated in fire, so, too, from the grace-giving fire of the Holy
Mysteries the heart changes, it softens, becomes inflamed and burns with divine
love. This occurs because, through the
reception of the Holy Mysteries, God enters into the most intimate relationship
with a person, He breathes into him His grace, He grants him to experience
intensely the sweetness of His Divinity, and, one might say, transforms that
person into love. This is why a person,
after partaking reverently of the Holy Mysteries, feels himself to be kinder
and more inclined towards love.
Beloved brothers and
sisters in Christ! What can we do to
ignite our hearts with love for our neighbor?
Today's Gospel reading
commands us to love our neighbor as our own selves. Regrettably, we seldom love
our neighbor to any degree, and still less frequently do we love him as our own
selves. Meanwhile, without love for our neighbor, God's creation, we cannot
love God either. Without love towards
our neighbor-which ought to manifest itself in our compassion towards their
misfortunes, in our actively helping them through some form of charity, whether
spiritual or corporeal-we cannot expect God to be merciful towards us and to
grant us the heavenly kingdom.
For this reason it is
vital to discuss ways in which we can ignite within our hearts love for our
neighbor, a love that is soul-saving and so indispensable.
The first way in which
this can be done is by forcing ourselves.
Suppose that you cannot coax heartfelt love in your heart for someone. Nevertheless,
you can be courteous towards him, you can talk with him amicably, be concerned
with his needs, listen patiently to his troubles, offer him advice; at the very
least you can wish him well. Begin in
this way the important art of loving your neighbor. Force yourself to be magnanimous
towards those whom you do not love, and, little by little, you will experience
a change of heart, a softening; instead of coldness and aversion, you will feel
perhaps not love but at least a disposition towards love. Further actions may awaken in you higher,
blissful feelings, and, energized by such impressions which are so pleasing to
our nature, you can become compassionate, affectionate, genial, in a
word-loving toward your neighbor. Your
experience will show you that you are in fact capable of fulfilling God's
command to love your neighbor as yourself.
If forcing yourself in
the way we have described turns out to be insufficient to kindle love for your
neighbor, we can benefit from another means.
This is the more frequent reading of lives of people whose love for their
neighbor was particularly exemplary.
Examples act powerfully upon our souls.
In reading or hearing about the lives of people who are remembered for
their love for neighbor, perhaps we will come to appreciate the value of that
love, to sense the sweetness of that goodness which comes from love for one's
fellow man, and thereby be inspired to emulate those distinguished by their
exceptional love for neighbor.
For the same reason, it
is beneficial to have contact with people who stand out (are outstanding?) in
their love for man, in their compassion, kindness-in a word, in their love for
neighbor. A living example has more impact
(is more forceful) than one far away or dead.
Unconsciously, we can become like the people with whom we
asssociate. It has been observed that frequently
the children of parents who have love for their neighbor also possess this
love. And one can expect the same of
someone who is close to those who love their fellow men. This, too, can kindle within our hearts love
for our neighbor.
If neither forcing
ourselves nor good examples are able to arouse in us love for neighbor, then we
must turn to prayer. This is the most
effecutal means of kindling in our hearts love for our neighbor. Ask, and it shall be given unto you (Matt.
7:7), says Jesus Christ. Therefore, if
you have no love, ask for it, and it will be given to you. God enjoins us to have love for our
neighbor, and therefore He will certainly give love to him who asks, inasmuch as this agrees with
His holy will. Of course, it is possible that God, in His ineffable wisdom,
will not send us what we desire straightway, in order that we not boast of the
power of our prayer and fall into pride.
But if, with patience and humility, we knock at the door of God's mercy,
entreating the gift of love, then sooner or later, without fail, the words of
the Gospel will come true for us: seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall
be opened unto you (Matt. 7:7).
In sum, there can be no
true love for God without love for one's neighbor; nor, conversely, can there
be true love for one's neighbor wihtout love for God. Love for God and love for neighbor are indissolubly linked. Therefore,
love God above all, but also love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.
Based on the Sermons and Homilies of Archbishop James of Novgorod and published in Propovednicheskaya Khrestomatija, compiled by Archimandrite Panteleimon; Jordanville 1963, Vol. I.
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