Holy fathers about love, about family, statements of holy fathers about love for one's neighbor, what spiritual love is, self-love in Orthodoxy, biblical definition of love

What is love for neighbor

It is known that Christ, in addition to the 10 Jewish commandments given to Moses at Sinai, created another one that united them all together - “Love one another.” Based on this rule, it is much easier to fulfill the remaining commandments.

After all, if you really love a person, then you will not envy him, slander him, steal from him, and especially not kill him. You will not cheat on a loved one if the power of love is strong.

The attitude of Christianity to love for your neighbor is written in one phrase: “love your neighbor as you love yourself, bless those who curse and offend you.”

That is, a truly spiritual person will forgive loved ones for any actions, although in the modern world it is very difficult to simply not do bad things in return, not to mention gifts and good deeds for those who do not wish you well.

Love in Christianity implies sacrifice, kindness and even the willingness to sacrifice one’s own life for the well-being and happiness of loved ones.

Respect and love between spouses (Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets)

God wisely ordered everything. He endowed a man with some talents, a woman with others, so that the woman would obey him. After all, if God had given the same courage to a woman, the family would not have been able to resist.

In Epirus [1] they told stories about one woman who was a thunderstorm for the whole area! She dressed in a long white shirt and always carried a scimitar in her belt [2]. The robbers took her with them on business! Imagine - a woman in a band of robbers! One day she came to a remote village, located several hours on foot from her village, to take one Wallachian boy and marry him to her daughter. Since the guy began to fidget, she tied him up, put him on her shoulders and dragged him to her village! However, such cases are an exception to the rule.

Try, draft women into the army and form a women's company out of them. And then take a dozen teenagers in scout uniforms and ask them to show themselves to the warriors from afar. Immediately the whole company will give a streak! They will think that the enemy is on the offensive! The husband, says the Holy Scripture, “is the head of the wife;” [3]. That is, God determined that the husband should rule over his wife. The power of a wife over her husband is an insult to God. First, God created Adam, who said about his wife: “Behold, now is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” [4]. A wife, the Gospel says, must fear her husband—that is, she must honor him. And the husband must love his wife [5]. There is respect in love. There is love in respect. What I love, I also honor. What I honor, I love. That is, love and respect are not different things: they are the same thing. However, people shy away from this harmony of God and do not understand the meaning of the gospel words. So the husband, misinterpreting the Gospel, says to his wife: “You should be afraid of me!” You're an eccentric person, but if she was afraid of you, she wouldn't even marry you! And some women say their own: “Why should a wife be afraid of her husband? No, I cannot accept this. What kind of religion is this? Discrimination!" But look what the Holy Scripture says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” [6]. The fear of God is respect for God, reverence, spiritual modesty. This fear puts you in awe, it is something sacred. The equality with men that some women strive for can only be justified to a certain extent. Today, women work and vote on an equal basis with men. Therefore, they have become infected with some kind of unhealthy spirit and think that they are equal to men [in everything]. Of course, the souls of men and women are the same. But if the husband does not love his wife, and the wife does not honor her husband, then discord arises in the family. In the old days, it was considered a bad thing if a wife contradicted her husband. And now an arrogant, cheeky spirit has appeared. How wonderful it was in those days! I knew one married couple. The husband was a short, nondescript little man, and the wife was tall, of heroic stature! She alone playfully unloaded a hundredweight of grain from the cart! One day, one worker - also a burly guy - began to pester her, and she grabbed him and threw him a few meters to the side, like a match! But if you could see what obedience this woman showed to her husband, how she honored him! This is how a family becomes strong and indestructible. Otherwise she won't be able to resist.

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- Well, mother, did you write congratulations to Dimitri, who is getting married? - Wrote, Geronda. - Give me a postcard, and I’ll write on my own: “May Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos be with you.” Demetrius, I give you the blessing to quarrel with the whole world, except Mary! And Mary has the same blessing: to quarrel with everyone, but not with you!” Let's see if they understand what I mean. One person asked me: “Geronda, what most of all connects a husband and his wife?” “Gratitude,” I answered him. One person loves another for what he gives him. A wife gives her husband trust, devotion, obedience. The husband gives his wife confidence that she is under his cover and protection. The wife is the mistress of the house, but also the main servant in it. The husband is the ruler of the house, but also the bearer of its burdens. Spouses must have purified love among themselves in order to receive mutual consolation from each other and be able to fulfill their spiritual duties. In order to live in harmony, they must, first of all, put love at the foundation of life - that precious love that lies in spiritual nobility, in sacrifice, and not false, worldly, carnal love. If there is love and sacrifice, then one person always puts himself in the place of another, understands him, and experiences pain for him. And by accepting his neighbor into his suffering heart, a person accepts Christ into his heart, Who again fills him with His inexpressible joy. When one of the spouses loves the other, then, even being far from him - if circumstances require it - he will still be close, because for the love of Christ there is no distance. However, if, God forbid, there is no love between spouses, then even if they are close, they can, in fact, be far from each other. Therefore, each spouse must try throughout his life to maintain love for the other, sacrificing himself for his sake. Carnal love unites worldly people externally, only as long as they possess worldly qualities [necessary for such carnal love]. When these worldly qualities are lost, carnal love separates people and they slide into destruction. But when there is real precious spiritual love between spouses, then if one of them loses his worldly qualities, this not only will not separate them, but will unite them even stronger. If there is only carnal love, then the wife, having learned that, for example, her life partner looked at another woman, splashes sulfuric acid in his eyes and deprives him of his sight. And if she loves him with pure love, she experiences even greater pain for him and subtly, carefully tries to put him back on the right path. This is how the Grace of God comes. One day an American of Greek origin, a doctor, came to my kaliva. I saw that his face was light, so I delicately asked about his life. “Father,” he told me. — I am an Orthodox Christian, but until recently I didn’t keep fasts, and I didn’t go to church often. When one night, kneeling down in my room, I asked God to help me in one important matter, the room was filled with some kind of sweet Light. This went on for quite a long time: I saw nothing but Light, and felt some kind of indescribable peace within me.”

I was amazed because I realized that this man was worthy to see the Uncreated Light. So I asked him to tell me what preceded this event. “Father,” he began to tell, “I am a married man and have three children. The start of our family life was good. However, then my wife, not having the patience to take care of the house and children, began to ask me to go have fun with her friends. I made concessions to her. Time passed, and she said that she wanted to have fun with her friends alone. I came to terms with this and began to take care of the children myself. After that, she no longer wanted to go on vacation with me, and she began to ask me for money so she could go on vacation alone. Then she asked to rent a separate apartment for her.

I went for it too. But she gathered her lovers in this apartment. All this time I tried in various ways - with advice, persuasion - to help her so that she would take pity on our children. But she didn't take any advice. Ultimately, after taking a significant amount of money from me, she disappeared. I looked for her, asked about her wherever possible - but everything was to no avail, I even lost traces of her. And then one day they told me that she came here to Greece and began selling herself in one of the depraved dens. It is impossible to describe the grief over her pathetic fall that took possession of me. In grief, I knelt down and began to pray: “My God,” I asked, “help me find her, and I will do everything I can so that she does not destroy her soul. I cannot stand the state to which she has sunk.” And then this Light washed me and my heart was filled with peace.” - “Brother! - I told him. “God saw your patience, your kindness, your love and gave you this consolation.” That's why I say that the laity will judge us. Do you see how? A doctor somewhere in America, having such a wife, such conditions and such an environment - and yet, what has he been honored with!

_______________________________________________ 1) Epirus is a region in western Greece. — Approx. translation 2) Scimitar - a large curved Turkish dagger. — Approx. translation 3) Eph. 5.23 4) Gen. 2, 23. 5) See Eph. 5, 33. 6) Proverbs. 1, 7.

Sayings of the Holy Fathers about the family

Church teaching tells us that the family is a small semblance of the church, the head of which is Christ. It is believed that the main person in the family is the man, and the woman simply looks after the house, gives birth and raises children, and does what her husband orders her.

This statement does not quite fit with modern realities, in which a domestic tyrant and alcoholic tries not only to teach his wife, but also to raise children. After all, the church makes quite strict demands on a husband - he must be a believer, keep himself strictly and - most importantly - treat his loved ones with love.

If love disappears, and the husband does not follow the Christian commandments, considering only himself to be the owner of the family and excluding God, he easily turns into a domestic tyrant, with whom it is not worth having anything to do with.

A wife, according to the church, should love her husband, appreciate his attitude towards the family and do everything to make the house cozy, warm and pleasant. When getting married, she must understand that she takes responsibility not only for herself before God, but also for her husband, the well-being of her children, and the atmosphere in which they will grow up. She must take care of family happiness and do everything to ensure that her children and husband are prosperous and happy people.

Take note: the statements of the holy fathers about love can be read in the books of Mark the Ascetic, Ephraim the Syrian and Simeon the Theologian.

Procitaty.ru - all quotes in one place.

On this page you will find quotes from the holy fathers about love; you will definitely need this information for your overall development.

“Love is the union of brotherhood, the foundation of the world, the strength and affirmation of unity, it is greater than faith and hope, it precedes charity and martyrdom, it will forever abide with us with God in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Hieromartyr Cyprian of Carthage).

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“What is characteristic of love for one's neighbor? Seek not your own benefits, but the mental and physical benefits of your loved one. He who loves his neighbor fulfills his love for God, because God transfers his mercy to Himself” (St. Basil the Great).

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“Love has two remarkable properties: to grieve and suffer when a loved one suffers harm, and also to rejoice and work for its benefit” (St. Basil the Great)

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“All the perfections that are contained in the concept of virtue grow from the root of love, so that he who has it does not lack in other virtues” (St. Gregory of Nyssa).

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“Love does not consist in empty words and not in simple greetings, but in the appearance and doing of deeds, for example, in relieving poverty, helping the sick, freeing from danger, patronizing those in difficulty, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice” ( Saint John Chrysostom).

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“Love endures for a long time, is merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud, does not behave in an outrageous manner, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished” (1 Cor. 13: 4-8).

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“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her” (Eph. 5:25).

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“Above all, put on love, which is the sum of perfection” (Col. 3:14).

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“The goal of exhortation is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith” (1 Tim. 1:5).

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, then I am a ringing gossamer or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing. And if I give away all my goods and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1-3).

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“Let all things be done with you in love” (1 Cor. 16:14).

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“Hate stirs up strife, but love covers all sins” (Prov. 10:12).

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“You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who use you and persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matt. 5:43–45).

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“The first of all commandments: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength—this is the first commandment! The second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12: 29–31).

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“Do not exchange love for your neighbor for love for some thing, because by loving your neighbor, you acquire in yourself the One who is most precious in the world. Leave little to gain great; despise what is superfluous and worthless in order to acquire what is of great value” (Reverend Isaac the Syrian).

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“It is not sadness for love to accept a heavy death for those who love” (Reverend Isaac the Syrian).

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“There is nothing greater and more perfect among virtues than love for one’s neighbor. Its sign is not only not to have the thing that another needs, but also to endure death for him with joy, according to the commandment of the Lord, and consider it his duty. Yes, and rightly so, for we must not only by the right of nature love our neighbor to death, but also for the sake of the Most Pure Blood of Christ, who commanded it, shed for us” (Hieromartyr Peter of Damascus).

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“What does it mean to love someone? It means wishing him good and doing it whenever possible” (St. Demetrius of Rostov).

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“Love, which has Christ as its foundation, is firm, constant, invincible; Nothing can terminate it - neither slander, nor danger, nor death, nor anything else like that. He who loves in this way, even if he suffers a thousand defeats for his love, will not leave it. He who loves because he is loved, if trouble happens to him, will interrupt his love; and whoever is united by that love will never leave it” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“Love is born from faith and fear of God, grows and is strengthened by hope, comes to perfection by goodness and mercy, which expresses the imitation of God” (Reverend Ambrose of Optina).

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“There is no higher virtue than love, and no worse vice and passion than hatred, which to those who do not pay attention to it seems unimportant, but in its spiritual significance is likened to murder (see: 1 John 3:15). Mercy and condescension towards others and forgiveness of their shortcomings is the shortest path to salvation” (Reverend Ambrose of Optina).

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“If you love someone, then you humble yourself before him. Where there is love, there is humility, and where there is anger, there is pride” (Reverend Nikon of Optina).

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“We must love everyone, because every person is the image of God, even if he, that is, the image of God, is contaminated in a person, he can wash himself and be clean again” (Reverend Nikon of Optina).

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“Love is the root, source and mother of all good things. Every good deed is the fruit of love” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“Love does not harm one’s neighbor; where love reigns, there is no Cain killing his brother” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“Above all, have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8).

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“We know love in this, that He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16).

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“He who loves does not only desire to subjugate, but also to obey, and rejoices more in submitting than in ruling. A lover would rather do good than to receive good deeds, because he would rather have a friend as his debtor than to be in debt to him himself. A lover wants to do good to his beloved, but does not want his good deeds to be visible; he wants to be the first in good deeds, but does not want him to appear first in good deeds” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“The work of love is to teach each other the fear of God” (Reverend Ephraim the Syrian).

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“Love does not seek what is useful to itself, but what is useful to many for their salvation” (Reverend Ephraim the Syrian).

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“Love actually has nothing but God, because God is love” (Reverend Neil of Sinai).

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“Love belongs exclusively to God and to those people who have restored in themselves the image and likeness of God” (Reverend John Cassian).

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“Love is evidenced by non-judgment of neighbors” (Reverend Isaiah).

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“No one has greater love than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. If someone hears an upsetting word and, instead of responding with a similar insult, overcomes himself and remains silent, or, being deceived, endures it and does not take revenge on the deceiver, then he will thereby lay down his life for his neighbor” (Abba Pimen).

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“Carnal love, not being bound by spiritual feeling, as soon as even an insignificant reason presents itself, it very easily evaporates. Spiritual love is not like that: but, although it happens to suffer some grief, in a God-loving soul, which is under the influence of God, the union of love is not stopped” (Blessed Diadochos of Photikie).

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“If you hate some people, are indifferent to others, and love others very much, then conclude from this how far you are from perfect love, which encourages you to love every person equally” (St. Maximus the Confessor).

Love from God between a man and a woman

By this type of love, the church understands a responsible attitude towards each other and a willingness to get married, raise children together and run a household. In the church, love is considered a very pragmatic and down-to-earth attitude, rather a single agreement than passionate love and sensuality, but life often refutes this truth.

According to the priests, if love is from God, then the couple will have a harmonious and good relationship, there will be no constant quarrels and mutual insults. A man will treat his partner with trepidation and respect, will understand responsibility for his actions, and a woman will have to think before agreeing to his proposal.

At the same time, the church calls for the rejection of intimate relationships before marriage and has a negative attitude towards any extramarital sexual relationships.

You can read in detail about love and falling in love, love addiction in the book of Archpriest Andrei Lorgus “Love, falling in love, addiction.”

A reasonable attitude towards divorce and difficult moments in marriage is revealed by priests Dmitry Bezhenar, archpriest Artemy Vladimirov and Dmitry Smirnov.

What is love and how to learn to truly love: 20 quotes from famous Christians

It is impossible to describe in one word what love is, so we have collected 20 quotes from famous Christian authors, leaders, and public figures who told us what the word “love” means to them and how to learn to love.

“There are different periods in life, a person’s mood changes. The person himself changes. Each person who prays must find his own rhythm and his own way of giving love and attention to the One who created us and who holds us in His hands.”

Philip Yancey (born 1949), American Christian author, editor-at-large at ChristianityToday.

“Loving someone and admiring someone other than yourself is a step away from complete spiritual ruin. However, true spiritual healing will not come to us until we love and worship something more than we love and worship God.”

Clive S. Lewis (1898 - 1963), British Irish writer, poet, teacher, scientist and theologian.

“Love for one’s neighbor is limited by how much each person loves himself.”

Augustine Aurelius (354 - 430) Christian theologian and philosopher, influential preacher, Bishop of Hippo (from 395), one of the Fathers of the Christian Church.

“In an age of cynicism, indifference and doubt, when the fire and warmth of God’s love is not visible in the world, my heart cries out. “Fill us with Your fire... O God, fill us with the fire of Your love.”

Billy Graham (born 1918), American religious and social activist, pastor of the Baptist church. Member of the largest Baptist organization in the world - the Southern Baptist Convention.

“It’s not what we do that matters, but how much love we put into what we do.”

Mother Teresa (1910-1997), Catholic nun, founder of the women's monastic congregation “Sisters of the Missionaries of Love”, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1979).

“If you want to change someone, love them first.”

Martin Luther King (1929 - 1968), the most famous African-American Baptist preacher, orator, leader of the Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

“With tears, I ask and pray you, be the suns that warm those around you, if not everyone, then the family in which the Lord placed you.”

Alexy Mechev (1859 - 1923), clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church, famous Moscow archpriest of the early 20th century, rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in Klenniki.

“True Love begins when you give everything you have for it.”

Simeon of Athos (1866-1938), monk of the Patriarchate of Constantinople of Russian origin.

“In the necessary there is unity, in the doubtful there is freedom, in everything there is love.”

Aurelius Augustine (354 - 430) Christian theologian and philosopher, influential preacher, Bishop of Hippo (from 395), one of the Fathers of the Christian Church.

“When you lose love, you lose everything.”

John Wesley (1703 - 1791), English Protestant preacher and founder (with George Whitefield) of Methodism.

“This is one of the miracles of love: it gives the person enchanted by it the strength to look at the world without being disappointed.”

Clive S. Lewis (1898 - 1963), British Irish writer, poet, teacher, scientist and theologian.

“It is a great happiness to be with a person whose heart is filled with the love of God.”

Charles Spurgeon (1834 - 1892), English preacher and theologian, pastor of the largest Baptist church in England.

“Seek love and store up love in your hearts. Love is so omnipotent that it regenerates us too.”

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821 - 1881), Russian writer, thinker, philosopher and publicist.

“The challenge God has given us is to learn to need less and love more.”

Edward T. Welch (b. 1953), author, consultant, director, and faculty member of the School of Biblical Counseling.

“Darkness cannot disperse darkness: only light can do this. Hatred cannot destroy hatred: only love can do that. Hatred multiplies hatred, violence multiplies violence, and rudeness multiplies rudeness.”

Martin Luther King (1929 - 1968), the most famous African-American Baptist preacher, orator, leader of the Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

“Time passes too quickly for the fearful, too long for those who mourn, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is endless.”

Henry Van Dyke (1852 - 1933), American writer, poet, theologian and educator.

“Love and devotion leave no room for doubt.”

Gordon MacDonald (b. 1939), M.D., B.A., pastor, consultant, author.

“A true lover does not try to get anything from those he loves. The fact is that Divine love never requires reciprocity - it is unconditional.”

John MacArthur (b. 1939), preacher, television host, theological writer, and pastor-teacher at Grace Church in Los Angeles, California.

“Love is more than just feelings or emotions; love is a principle of action. It manifests itself in something more than pleasant words, namely in deeds that bring joy to the object of love.”

Arthur Pink (1886 - 1952), English Protestant exeget.

“People are so unreasonable, inconsistent and selfish. And still love them!

Mother Teresa (1910-1997), Catholic nun, founder of the women's monastic congregation “Sisters of the Missionaries of Love”, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1979).

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What is spiritual love

This is love in which God is present. It is impossible to describe this feeling in words; it can only be felt by those who follow Christian commandments.

First of all, this is love without selfishness, the desire to get something of your own, including benefits, personal goals. Usually conflicts are revealed in those moments when you need to give in on something and sacrifice something.

A person who truly loves with spiritual love is ready to sacrifice his own well-being for the sake of a loved one, but he always recognizes when dishonest people are trying to take advantage of this and changes his behavior.

Falling in love is more selfish - usually in it a person loves what pleases him, but is rarely able to sacrifice his own well-being and peace for the sake of it.

Spiritual love not only takes, but also gives. At the same time, a person can love unrequitedly, but not suffer from this, knowing that he is not worthy of the person he loves. In earthly love, a person in a similar situation will seek an answer, be offended, or even take revenge for his grievances.

“He who has love is far from all sin” (hieromartyr Polycarp of Smyrna).

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“Love has two remarkable properties: to grieve and suffer when a loved one suffers harm, and also to rejoice and work for its benefit” (St. Basil the Great)

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“All the perfections that are contained in the concept of virtue grow from the root of love, so that he who has it does not lack in other virtues” (St. Gregory of Nyssa).

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“Carnal love is guilt, but spiritual love is praise; that one is the hateful passion of the soul, and this one is joy, joy and the best decoration of the soul; that one produces enmity in the minds of those who love, and this one destroys existing enmity and establishes great peace in those who love; from that there is no benefit, but still a great waste of money and some unreasonable expenses, a perversion of life, a complete disorder of houses, and from this there is a great wealth of righteous deeds, a great abundance of virtues” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“Do not talk to me about vulgar and base love, which is more a disease than love, but understand the love that Paul demands, which aims at the benefit of those loved ones, and you will see that such people are more tender in the love of the fathers themselves... He who feels for another love, will agree to endure thousands of disasters rather than see his loved one suffer harm” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“Love is the root, source and mother of all good things. Every good deed is the fruit of love” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“Love does not harm one’s neighbor; where love reigns, there is no Cain killing his brother” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“He who loves does not distinguish appearance; love does not look at ugliness, that’s why it is called love, because it often loves what is ugly” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“Love presents your neighbor to you as yourself and teaches you to rejoice in his welfare as your own and to feel his misfortunes as your own. Love unites many into one body and makes their souls dwelling places of the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit of the world can dwell not in those separated from each other, but in those united in soul. Love makes everyone’s blessings common to everyone” (St. John Chrysostom).

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“The work of love is to teach each other the fear of God” (Reverend Ephraim the Syrian).

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“He who has love never disdains anyone, small and great, glorious and inglorious, poor and rich: on the contrary, he himself covers everything, endures everything (1 Cor. 13: 7). In whom there is love, he does not exalt himself before anyone, does not become arrogant, does not slander anyone, and turns away his ears from those who slander. In whom there is love, he does not flatter, does not kick his brother’s feet, does not compete, does not envy, does not rejoice at the fall of others, does not denigrate the fallen, but sympathizes with him and takes part in him, does not despise his neighbor in need, but stands up and is ready to die for him... In whom there is love, he never appropriates anything for himself... In whom there is love, he does not consider anyone a stranger to himself, but everyone is his own. In whom there is love, he is not irritated, is not proud, is not inflamed with anger, does not rejoice over untruth, does not fall into lies, and does not consider anyone his enemy except the devil. In whom there is love, he endures everything, is merciful, long-suffering (1 Cor. 13: 4-7)” (Rev. Ephraim the Syrian).

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“O immeasurable power of love! Neither in heaven nor on earth is there anything more precious than love. She, divine love, is the head of virtues; love is the cause of all good things, love is the salt of virtues, love is the end of the law... She brought down to us from heaven the Son of God. All good things have been revealed to us through love: death has been destroyed, hell has been captured, Adam has been called back; out of love, a single flock is made up of angels and humans; Paradise has been opened to love, the Kingdom of Heaven has been promised to us. She made the fishermen wise; she strengthened the martyrs; she converted deserts into hostels; she filled the mountains and dens with psalmody; she taught husbands and wives to walk the narrow and cramped path... O blessed love, giver of all blessings!” (Reverend Ephraim the Syrian).

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“Love does not seek what is useful to itself, but what is useful to many for their salvation” (Reverend Ephraim the Syrian).

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“Love actually has nothing but God, because God is love” (Reverend Neil of Sinai).

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“Love belongs exclusively to God and to those people who have restored in themselves the image and likeness of God” (Reverend John Cassian).

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“Love is evidenced by non-judgment of neighbors” (Reverend Isaiah).

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“Perfect love does not divide one human nature according to the disposition of people, but loves all people equally. He loves the good as friends, and the unkind as enemies (according to the commandment), doing good to them and patiently enduring everything they cause, not only not repaying them with evil for evil, but even, if necessary, suffering for them, in order, if possible, to make them his friends. So our Lord and God Jesus Christ, showing His love for us, suffered for all humanity and gave the same hope of resurrection for everyone. However, each person makes himself worthy of either glory or hellish torment” (Reverend Maximus the Confessor).

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“Love is a good disposition of the soul, according to which it prefers nothing that exists to the knowledge of God” (Reverend Maximus the Confessor).

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“Many have said a lot about love, but you will find it only among the disciples of Christ” (Reverend Maximus the Confessor).

***

“Love, aroused by something, is like a small lamp fed by oil, which maintains its light, or like a stream flooded with rain, the flow of which stops when the rainwater that composes it becomes impoverished. But love, which has God as its culprit, is the same as a spring gushing out of the earth: its streams are never stopped (because God alone is the source of love), and what feeds this love does not become scarce” (Rev. Isaac the Syrian).

***

“It is not sadness for love to accept a heavy death for those who love” (Reverend Isaac the Syrian).

***

“What does it mean to love someone? It means wishing him good and doing it whenever possible” (St. Demetrius of Rostov).

***

“If someone came to me with questions: should I love someone? Should anything be done with love? - then I would not answer, but would hasten to retreat from the questioner: because such questions can only be proposed by one standing on the threshold of hell” (St. Philaret (Drozdov)).

***

“Let us imagine love contained in a more or less close circle of kinship, acquaintance, reciprocity, and see what its dignity is. Do fathers and mothers need a feat to love their child? Does a baby need to learn to love his father and mother? If in this love everything is done by nature, without achievement and almost without the knowledge of man, then where is the dignity of virtue? This is simply a natural feeling, which we notice even in speechless people. Not loving parents or children is a deeply low vice, but love for parents and children is not yet a high virtue, except in special cases when it is elevated by the self-denial and self-sacrifice associated with it” (St. Philaret (Drozdov)).

***

“I understand only that love that acts according to the sacred commands of the Gospel, in its light, which itself is light. I don’t understand any other love, I don’t recognize it, I don’t accept it. Love, extolled by the world, recognized by people as their property, sealed by the fall, is not worthy to be called love: it is a distortion of love. That is why it is so hostile to holy, true love... Love is light, blind love is not love” (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)).

***

“The Gospel rejects love that depends on the movement of the blood, on the feelings of the carnal heart. The Fall subjected the heart to the dominion of blood and, through blood, to the dominion of the ruler of the world. The Gospel frees the heart from this captivity, from this violence, and brings it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love our neighbor holy. Love fueled by the Holy Spirit is fire. This fire extinguishes the fire of natural, carnal love, damaged by the Fall” (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)).

***

“In what ulcers is our natural love! What a serious ulcer on her - addiction! A heart possessed of partiality is capable of all injustice, all lawlessness, just to satisfy its painful love” (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)).

***

“Natural love delivers to its beloved only earthly things; it does not think about heavenly things. She is at enmity against heaven and the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit demands the crucifixion of the flesh. It is at enmity with heaven and the Holy Spirit, because it is under the control of the evil spirit, the unclean and lost spirit... He who has felt spiritual love will look with disgust at carnal love as an ugly distortion of love” (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)).

***

“Love for God has no measure, just as the beloved God has limits and limitations. But love for neighbors has limits and limitations. If you do not keep it within proper limits, it can alienate you from the love of God, cause great harm, even destroy you. Truly, you must love your neighbor, but in such a way as not to harm your soul. Do everything simply and holy, have nothing in mind except pleasing God. And this will protect you in matters of love for your neighbors from any wrong steps” (Reverend Nicodemus the Holy Mountain).

***

“Love is born from faith and fear of God, grows and is strengthened by hope, comes to perfection by goodness and mercy, which expresses the imitation of God” (Reverend Ambrose of Optina).

***

“If you love someone, then you humble yourself before him. Where there is love, there is humility, and where there is anger, there is pride” (Reverend Nikon of Optina).

***

“Love, first of all, extends to self-sacrifice... The second sign of true love is that it is eternal, never stops... The third sign of true, heavenly love is that it excludes complete dislike for anyone, that is, it is impossible, for example, to love only one person , but no others. He who has holy love is completely filled with it. I can grieve, regret that such and such is full of passions, committed to evil, acts badly, but I cannot not love a person as God’s creation, and I must be ready to show love for him at any time. The fourth sign of true love is that this love is at the same time directed towards God and neighbors, being in such a connection that whoever loves God will certainly love his neighbor too” (Holy Martyr Arseny (Zhadanovsky)).

***

“If love is not in God and not from God, then it is only a sensual passion that people use like a drug in order to delight a life devoid of any meaning with this little nonsense” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).

***

“Love is joy, and the price of love is sacrifice. Love is life, and the price of love is death” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).

***

“Love is not just a feeling of the heart. Love is the queen of all feelings, noble and positive. Truly love is the shortest path to the Kingdom of Heaven. Love destroyed the division between God and man” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).

***

“When the soul loves the body, it is not love, but desire, passion. When a soul loves a soul not in God, it is either delight or pity. When the soul in God loves the soul, regardless of appearance (beauty, ugliness), this is love. This is true love, my daughter. And in love there is life!” (St. Nicholas of Serbia)

***

“God gave people the word “love” so that they would use this word to describe their relationship with Him. When people, having abused this word, begin to call it their attitude towards earthly things, it loses its meaning” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).

***

“Love and lust are opposites of each other. Anyone who calls lust love is mistaken. For love is spiritual, pure and holy, but lust is bodily, unclean and unholy. Love is inseparable from truth, and lust is inseparable from illusion and lies. True love, as a rule, constantly increases in strength and inspiration, despite human old age; lust quickly passes, turns into disgust and often leads to despair” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).

***

“Love has nothing to do with adultery and fornication. They mock love” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).

***

“It is not difficult, not at all difficult, to love people who love us; It is not difficult, not at all difficult, to love your father, or mother, or wife, or your children. But is the price of this love high? Oh no, it has almost no value, because we love our loved ones, our children, according to the instinct of love, which is embedded in us by nature. What mother does not give all the affection, all the warmth of her heart to her child? Which one will not even give his life if he is threatened with death? This is, of course, good, but does it have the highest moral value? Oh no, it doesn't. We know that if we decide to destroy a bird’s nest, the mother of the chicks will fly in, hover over us, hit us in the face with her wings and squeak desperately... This is the same love, love by instinct, invested in every living creature. Don’t the she-bear and the she-wolf protect their cubs and go after a man who comes with a weapon?” (Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky))

***

“What does it mean to truly love a person? Everything sublime is difficult to define logically. How can we say what the Christian life of love is if its strength is manifested most of all in patience? Where there is love, there is always trust, where there is love, there is always hope. Love endures everything because it is strong. True love is constant, does not dry out and never ceases. This hymn of love sounded for the first time in the mouths of the first apostles of Christianity” (St. Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)).

***

“It’s love! Neither faith, nor dogma, nor mysticism, nor asceticism, nor fasting, nor long prayers constitute the true appearance of a Christian. Everything loses its power if there is no main thing - love for a person. Even the most precious thing for a Christian - eternal life - is determined by whether a person in his life loved people as his brothers” (St. Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)).

***

“There is mutual love: the love of spouses, the love of parents for children, the love for people worthy of love. All love is blessed, and this love is blessed, but this is the initial, lower form of love, for from conjugal love, through learning in it, we must rise to a much higher love for all people, for all the unfortunate, for the suffering, and from it we must still rise to the third degree of love - Divine love, love for God Himself. You see, until people achieve love for everyone, Divine love, love only for loved ones is of little importance” (St. Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)).

***

“The main duty of man is to love God and then his neighbor: every person and most of all his enemy. If we love God as we need to, then we will keep all His other commandments. But we love neither God nor our neighbors. Who is interested in another person today? Everyone is interested only in themselves, but not in others, and for this we will give an answer. God, Who is all Love, will not forgive us for this indifference towards our neighbors” (Reverend Paisius the Holy Mountain).

***

“A good Christian loves God first, and then man. Abundant love is poured out to both animals and nature. The fact that we modern people are destroying the environment shows that we do not have an excess of love. Maybe we at least have love for God? Unfortunately no. Our life itself shows this” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets).

***

“Whoever works out of pure love for the sake of his neighbor, fatigue itself brings rest to him. The one who loves himself and is lazy becomes tired of his inaction. We must pay attention to what should motivate us to deeds of love, as the elder tells us. I must work for the sake of another out of pure love, and I have nothing more in mind. Many show their love towards certain people and immediately make them subservient to themselves” (Reverend Paisius the Svyatogorets).

***

“In love for our neighbor lies our great love for Christ. Hidden again in our reverence for the Mother of God and the saints is our great reverence for Christ. This preserves Christian love and is qualitatively different from the love of worldly people” (Reverend Paisius the Svyatogorets).

***

“Love is visible when a person gives while he himself is in deprivation. When you meet someone in need, think: if Christ Himself were in the place of the beggar, what would you give Him? Of course, the best... The Lord says that when you do something to one of the unfortunate, you thereby do it to Me” (Rev. Paisius the Holy Mountain).

***

“Just loving someone is not enough. You must love a person more than yourself. A mother loves her children more than herself. In order to feed the children, she remains hungry. However, the joy she experiences is greater than the joy her children experience. The kids feed carnally, but the mother feeds spiritually. They experience the sensual taste of food, while she rejoices with spiritual joy” (Reverend Paisius the Holy Mountain).

***

“True love is not selfish. She has no selfish bias and is distinguished by prudence” (Reverend Paisius the Holy Mountain).

***

“Willingness to drink the cup of another’s sorrow is love” (Reverend Paisius the Svyatogorets).

***

“Question: How can I understand, Geronda, whether I have true love? Answer: To understand this, you need to test yourself to see whether you love all people equally and whether you consider everyone to be your best” (Reverend Paisius the Svyatogorets).

***

“The secret of love for a person begins at the moment when we look at him without the desire to possess him, without the desire to rule over him, without the desire to take advantage of his gifts or his personality in any way - we just look and are amazed at the beauty that we opened” (Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh).

***

“When we begin to lead a Christian life, all our work, all our feat is aimed at accepting even our enemies with love. This is the martyrdom of a Christian” (Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)).

***

“We don’t think about how to change the world on our own. We strive to receive strength from God in order to act with love in all cases” (Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)).

***

“Love for humanity is verbal fornication. Love for a specific person, on our life path given by God, is a practical matter, requiring work, effort, struggle with oneself, one’s laziness” (Archimandrite John (Krestyankin)).

***

“If love is in the heart, then it is poured out from the heart on everyone around and manifests itself in pity for everyone, in patience with their shortcomings and sins, in non-judgment of them, in prayer for them, and when necessary, then in material support” (abbot Nikon (Vorobiev)).

Self-love in Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy does not talk about her. It is believed that initially a person is born with animal love for himself, but in practice this is not the case.

Manifestations of a lack of self-love such as harming one’s health, suicide, and despondency are always condemned by the church and treated negatively. Moreover, the church prohibits submitting notes for suicides - you can only pray for them at home.

The church also has a negative attitude towards such things as drunkenness, drug addiction and any other destructive forms of behavior, but the church places greater emphasis on love for one’s neighbor, because it is more difficult to follow in practice than in life.

Condemnation, lies, theft, slander, arrogance, murder, envy are considered serious sins, which are a lack of love for loved ones.

Quotes from saints about love

Where the strength of the soul is protected by the weapon of love, there all the attempts of those who are plotting evil machinations will be vain and vain.

John Chrysostom

He who loves a holy, beautiful, brilliant and beautiful soul, even if he himself is vile and ugly, even if he is the most vile of all people, from constant love for the saints will soon become the same as his beloved.

John Chrysostom

...If we practice love and other wisdom based on it, we will not have any need for miracles; on the contrary, if we do not practice love, we will not receive any benefit from miracles.

John Chrysostom

...Love penetrates all components: mental, spiritual, and physical, and imparts strength and integrity to everything.

Feofan the Recluse

When divine love comes into a person’s heart, everything comes with it, everything, my daughter: wisdom, strength, purity, mercy, righteousness, courage, temperance, clairvoyance, calmness, gaiety, and all kinds of good. Enlightened by the love of Christ, the simple ones became wise men, the cowardly became martyrs, the depraved became saints, the cruel became good, kings and rich men became servants of Christ, wolves became lambs, and lambs became lions. The miraculous power of Christ’s love does not cease with His departure, but only multiplies, greatly multiplies.

Nikolai Serbsky

Rather, grass can endure the power of fire than the devil can endure the flame of love.

John Chrysostom

Although the commandment about love for God is so much more exalted than the commandment about love for the image of God - man, as much as God is more exalted than His image, the commandment about love for one's neighbor serves as the basis for the commandment about love for God.

Ignatiy Brianchaninov

He who has felt spiritual love will distance himself from carnal love, as from its ugly distortion.

Ignatiy Brianchaninov

That's what's amazing about love; Evil is mixed with other virtues, for example, a non-covetous person often becomes arrogant; the eloquent one falls into the disease of ambition; the humble person often thereby exalts himself in his conscience, and love is free from any such infection, no one will ever become exalted before his beloved.

John Chrysostom

Keep love like the apple of your eye - it contains light and life. She is the joy of all who are devoted to her; she is Divine acquisition, she is Angelic dignity.

Ephraim Sirin

Love is the giver of prophecy, love is the culprit of miracles, love is the abyss of illumination, love is the source of fire in the heart, which the more it flows, the more it inflames the thirsty.

John Climacus

Woe to you, lack of mercy, and to your disciples. Woe to you, cruelty, and to those whom you control! What good does it do you to distance so many people from God? Listen to what unmercifulness answers: my business is to dig abysses, to close doors, to defile clothes, to close my heart so that it does not know mercy. Profit for me is making many friends and putting them to death. My joy is to attract as many disciples as possible in order to send them to hell. When those on the left side appeared disgraced and were subjected to reproach and accusation, I triumphed. When they were sent down into the everlasting fire that I had prepared for them, I rejoiced. When they, overthrown by demons, left sobbing, and I pushed them together and rejoiced... My job is to close the doors on people and not allow them to achieve Eternal Life.

John Chrysostom

When you need to correct your brother, do not refuse, even if you have to sacrifice your life. Our Lord died for us, and you don’t want to utter a word to save your brother? What kind of forgiveness will you have, what kind of apology will you offer? How can you dare to appear before the judgment seat of Christ if you looked indifferently at the destruction of your soul... if you saw your brother drawn... by the devil to death, and did not even want to give advice to take him away from this cruel beast?

John Chrysostom

...Love is the head of all virtues, the salt of virtues, love is the fulfillment of the law, love is the sure salvation.

John Chrysostom

...He who has love is far from all sin.

Polycarp of Smyrna

Love for our neighbors is wonderful and commendable, if only its concerns do not distract us from the love of God.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

He who protects his neighbor finds God as his champion.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

When the mind becomes in the area of love, then grace acts, the mind accepts spiritual contemplation and becomes a spectator of the unseen.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Love in its quality is likeness to God, as much as people can achieve; in its action it is the rapture of the soul; and by nature it is a source of faith, an abyss of long-suffering, a sea of humility.

John Climacus

He who submits before God with submission and heeds His commandments with humility acquires love for God and neighbor, and this love drives out passions and confusion.

Abba Isaiah (Sketsky)

The soul that loves God has its rest in God and in Him alone.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Attraction and love for God is light. Therefore, having shone in God-loving souls, love immediately drives away the darkness of passions and “sensual” pleasures and establishes a day of dispassion.

Simeon the New Theologian

Until we acquire love, our work on earth is thorns; and although our sowing is the sowing of righteousness, we sow and reap among thorns, and are wounded by them every hour, and, no matter what we do to justify ourselves, we live by the sweat of our brow. And when we find love, then we will begin to eat Heavenly Bread and strengthen our strength without work and labor.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Just as a soul without a body or, conversely, a body without a soul does not bear the name of a person, in the same way love for God, if it is not accompanied by love for one’s neighbor, is not love and, conversely, love for one’s neighbor, since it is not combined with love for God is not called love.

John Chrysostom

Love is a good disposition of the soul, according to which it does not prefer anything that exists to the knowledge of God.

Maxim the Confessor

...Love, which has God as its culprit, is the same as a spring gushing out of the earth; its flows never cease <because God alone is the source of love>, and what feeds this love does not become scarce.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

If you think that you love God, but in your heart there is an unpleasant disposition towards at least one person, then you are in woeful self-delusion.

Ignatiy Brianchaninov

“Love” is stronger than a wall, it is harder than adamant, and if you pointed to another even stronger substance, the hardness of love will surpass everything.

John Chrysostom

Paradise is the love of God, in which there is enjoyment of all blessings, where blessed Paul was fed with supernatural food and, as soon as he ate the fruit of the tree of life there, he exclaimed: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). The fruits of this tree became forbidden for Adam due to the devil’s intent. The tree of life is the love of God, from which Adam fell away, and from then on joy no longer greeted him, but he worked and worked on the land of thorns. Those deprived of the love of God, even if they walk in righteousness, eat the bread of sweat in their deeds, which the first-created man was commanded to eat after his fall. Until we acquire love, our work on earth is thorns. And although our sowing is the sowing of righteousness, we both sow and reap among the thorns, and are wounded by them every hour, and no matter what we do to justify ourselves, we live by the sweat of our brow. And when we find love, then we will begin to eat Heavenly Bread and strengthen our strength without work and labor. The Heavenly Bread is Christ, “who came down from heaven” (John 6:58) and gives life to the world. This is angel food. He who has found love tastes Christ every day and hour and therefore becomes immortal. For it is said: “Whoever eats this bread... which I will give” will never see death (John 6:51). Blessed is he who eats of the bread of love, which is Jesus. And that he who tastes love tastes Christ, who is God above all, John testifies to this: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Finally, he who lives in love brings the fruit of life from God and even in this world, in what is felt here, he smells the air of the Resurrection. The righteous will enjoy this air after the Resurrection. Love is the Kingdom; about her the Lord gave a mysterious promise to the apostles that they would taste her in His Kingdom. For what is said: “Let you eat and drink at My table in My kingdom” (Luke 22:30)—what else does it mean if not love? Love is enough to nourish a person instead of food and drink. This is the wine that gladdens the heart of man (Ps. 103:15). Blessed is he who tastes this wine! The intemperate drank it and were ashamed; sinners drank and forgot the ways of stumbling; the drunkards drank and became fasters; the rich drank and desired poverty; the poor drank and became rich in hope; the sick drank and became strong; The ignorant drank and became wiser.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

...We will not prefer anything... to the acquisition of love, we will not try as hard for anything as for this... What is the use... if someone has everything, but does not have saving love? If someone makes a big dinner... and prepares everything richly so that he lacks nothing, but he has no salt, will it be possible to taste such a dinner? Without a doubt, impossible... The same is true here. What is the use of working for nothing if there is no love? And without it, every deed, every action is unclean. Whether someone has acquired virginity, whether he fasts, stays on vigil, prays, gives shelter to the poor, whether he thinks of giving a gift, or firstfruits, or fruits, whether he builds churches, or does anything else, without love all this will not amount to anything. from God, because this is not pleasing to the Lord.

Ephraim Sirin

Those who are flaming with divine love and, through keeping the commandments, gain peace with God, those who, even if everyone turns against them, lead a blissful life.

John Chrysostom

He who stretches out his hand to help his neighbor receives the arm of God to help himself.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). If someone hears a distressing word and, being able to respond with the same word, overcomes himself and does not speak, or if someone, having been deceived, endures it and does not take revenge on the deceiver, he lays down his life for his neighbor.

Pimen the Great

Love is a product of the knowledge of truth, which... is given to everyone in general.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

When there is mercy within you, then holy beauty is depicted in you, by which you become like God.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

...From ignorance of the wickedness of others, love is born in a person...

Abba Isaiah (Sketsky)

...Fulfilling the duty of love, providing bodily peace, is the work of worldly people, and even if they are monks, then they are insufficient, do not remain in silence, or those whose silence is combined with unanimous community, who constantly enter and exit.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

The Lord Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When someone who is languishing in hunger is given food or someone who is shivering from the cold is given warm clothes, doesn’t he feel happy at that time? But the Lord assures us that at the same time, he who gives is more blessed. Where can you find this bliss? In a God-loving and humane Heart. What is this bliss? In the feeling of good done and done, in the testimony of conscience about the fulfillment of God's will in us, in joy for our neighbor, who has made us happy. Man, preserving within himself - although not perfectly - the image of the All-Good God in whom he was created, rejoices in all good things even when he hears about them, therefore it is natural for him to feel blissful when he himself does good. In addition to this inner bliss, the word of God also promises well-being to the charitable person according to the special providence of God: “In the day of disaster the Lord will deliver him. The Lord will preserve him” (Ps. 40: 2-3). We cannot clearly see by what means Providence achieves this, because we cannot trace all of Its paths, but what it truly and miraculously achieves is seen in examples, especially clear in Sacred History. Abraham fights for the needy, unselfishly delivers captives, kindly welcomes strangers; and Providence always keeps him rich and strong, always delivers him from danger; and he, without a doubt, is honored with God’s blessed visit, as the apostle notes, precisely for his love of hospitableness (Heb. 13:2). Job, through charity, was an eye to the blind, a foot to the lame, a father to the weak (Job 29:15-16). And although he himself, after wealth and glory, was subjected to a cruel day of poverty, deprivation of children, illness, insult, humiliation, but the Lord, having delivered him, blessed “Job’s last days more than the first” (Job 42:12), “ and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). Tobit “did many good deeds to the brothers” (Tob. 1, 3) - he gives bread to the hungry and clothing to the naked, burying the unfortunate dead (Tob. 1, 17) - and for this he is subjected to plunder of his property and danger to his life from the enemies of his people. Freed from danger, he dares to undertake the same feat and, due to an accident that was a consequence of this feat, loses his sight and falls into poverty. Where is the deliverance promised to the benefactor by the word of God on the day of disaster? It hesitates somewhat in order to appear all the more wonderful. Angel Raphael leads the son of Tobit, gives him a happy marriage, wealth, a means to return his father’s sight and through events more than words, he teaches Tobit, Edna, Tobias - and us, what good is prayer with fasting, alms and truth, that it is better to do alms, than collecting gold.

Filaret of Moscow (Drozdov)

He who loves his neighbor fulfills his love for God, because God transfers his mercy to Himself.

Basil the Great

Whoever has achieved the love of God does not want to stay here again, because love destroys fear. And I, beloved, because I have fallen into foolishness, cannot keep a secret in silence, but I become foolish for the benefit of the brethren, because such is true love: it cannot keep anything secret from its beloved. When I wrote this, my fingers repeatedly did not have time to write down the thought on paper, and I could not maintain patience from the pleasure that invaded my heart and silenced my feelings. However, blessed is he who always has his thoughts on God, who has refrained from everything worldly and has remained in conversation with Him alone in his knowledge. And if he has enough patience, then he won’t have long to wait for fruit.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Let's see what are the signs of love for God, so as not to have a false dream of it instead of love. For a person is not deceived in anything so much as in love. The signs of this love are as follows: 1. The Lord Himself indicates: “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he loves Me” (John 14:21). For he who truly loves God is careful of everything that is contrary to God, and tries to do everything that pleases Him; why He also keeps His holy commandments. And from here it follows that those Christians do not have the love of God who do not care about His commandments... 2) A clear sign of God’s love is heartfelt joy in God. For what we love, we rejoice in. Likewise, God’s love cannot exist without joy. 3) He who truly loves God despises the world and everything in the world, and strives for his only beloved God. He considers honor, glory, wealth and all the pleasures of this world that the sons of this age are looking for as nothing. God alone, the uncreated and beloved good, is enough for him. In Him alone he finds perfect honor, glory, wealth and consolation. To him there is only God - a pearl of great price, before Whom everything else is insignificant. Such a person does not desire anything in Heaven or on earth except God... 4) He who truly loves God has God, His love for us and His benefits in unforgettable memory. We see this in human love. For whom we love, we often remember. Thus, those who love God often remember Him and reflect on Him. He is comforted by Him and admires Him: “...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). 5) A lover wishes to be inseparable from his beloved. Many Christians want to be glorified with Christ the Lord, but they do not want to be with Him in dishonor and reproach and do not want to bear the cross. They ask Him to be with Him in His Kingdom, but they do not want to suffer with Him in the world and thereby show that their heart is wrong, and truly do not love Christ, and, to tell the truth, they love themselves more than Christ. Therefore, the Lord says: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:38). 6) Another sign of love for God is love for one’s neighbor. He who truly loves God also loves his neighbor. He who loves the lover loves the one he loves. The source of love for one's neighbor is love for God, but the love of God is known from love for one's neighbor. And from here it is clear that he who does not love his neighbor does not love God, as the apostle teaches: “Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother is a liar” (1 John 4:20).

Tikhon Zadonsky

According to nature, the Divine alone should be the object of love and desire; whoever has partaken of Him has become a partaker of all good things. Your beauty, Lord Christ, is inexplicable, your image incomparable, your splendor indescribable, and your glory beyond mind and word. Your temper. Your goodness and meekness surpass the thoughts of all earthly beings. Therefore, desire and love for You surpass all love and desire of mortals. For as much as You, Savior, surpass everything visible, so much stronger is love for You, which obscures all human love, turns away from love to carnal pleasures and soon drives away all lusts. For the lust of the passions is truly darkness, and the commission of shameful sins is deep night; attraction and love for You, Savior, is light. Therefore, having shone in God-loving souls, it immediately drives away the darkness of passions and sensual pleasures and usheres in the day of dispassion. O wondrous and unexpected work of the Most High God! O the power of the sacraments performed in secret! You give us both the transitory and the eternal. You give the earthly with the heavenly and the present with the future, as the Creator of everything, having power over the earthly and heavenly. So, why do we, unfortunate ones, love people more than You, and miserably serve them more in order to receive from them an insignificant and fragile reward? We hand over our souls and bodies to them, so that they may use them as insignificant and rejected vessels, and although we are Your members - the Lords of all, I repeat, holy members of the holy Lord, Who is independent of anyone in His power, we are not afraid to voluntarily offer them to the vile demons for the most shameful sin. So, which of Your faithful servants will refrain from tears? Who will not also mourn our wayward insolence? Who will not be in awe of Your long-suffering, O God? Who will not feel the thrill of retribution at the Divine Judgment, that is, before the unbearable and forever unquenchable fire of Gehenna, where there is crying and gnashing of teeth, and inconsolable sorrow, and inexpressible torment? But, O Sun, Creator of this visible sun, and moon, and stars, and light, and all nature, hide me from them in Thy light, so that I, contemplating in it only You, the Word, do not see the world and what in the world, but seeing, he was as if he were not seeing, and hearing, as if he had not heard. And as it happens with those sitting in the darkness of worldly pleasures and the darkness of the love of glory: seeing, they do not see Your Divine glory, and hearing, they do not understand Your commandments and commandments at all; so it will be with me in Thy light, when even when I see I will not see the world and the things that are in the world. For whoever, seeing You and feeling illuminated by Your glory and Your Divine light, has not changed in mind, soul and heart and has not been rewarded with all power. Savior, see differently and hear the same way? For the mind, immersed in Your light, is illuminated and becomes a light similar to Your glory, and is called Your mind; since he who is worthy to become such is then worthy to have Your mind and becomes completely one with You. And how will he not see and hear everything dispassionately, like You? Having become god “by grace,” how will he desire anything sensible at all, any fleeting and perishable thing, or other, vain glory - the one who has become above all this and above all visible glory? For how could one who has become above all visible things and approached God, better yet, who himself was called God, want to seek glory or luxury from those cast down to earth? For they are truly for him a shame and reproach, humiliation and dishonor. Glory for him, and joy, and wealth is God the Trinity and all that is God and Divine, to Whom belongs all glory, honor and power always, now and to all ages. Amen.

Simeon the New Theologian

...Whoever holds... God in the richness of love, at that time is much greater than his faith, as if he were completely in love.

Diadochos

After His Resurrection, Christ asked the Apostle Peter: “Simon the Jonah! do you love me?" - and Saint Peter answered: “Yes, Lord! You know I love you". Then Christ said to him: “Feed My sheep” (John 21:16). It’s as if the Lord said this: “Simon! if you love Me, feed My sheep.” This shows how highly the Lord Jesus values our salvation. And he teaches those that whoever wants to love Him must care not only about his own, but also about the salvation of his neighbor. Therefore, the apostle says with regret: “Everyone seeks his own, and not what is pleasing to Jesus Christ” (Phil. 2:21). From this we can conclude how seriously the shepherds sin against Christ, who do not shepherd Christ’s sheep, but only feed themselves, for which they are subject to the Last Judgment of God, as the Lord says: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My sheep from their hand” ( Ezekiel 34:10).

Tikhon Zadonsky

Did the humane Lord give you a lot so that you could use it only for your own benefit? No, not for this, but so that, according to the apostolic and evangelical admonition, your abundance will make up for the lack of others.

John Chrysostom

Almsgiving is the mother of love, love that distinguishes Christians, surpasses all signs, and serves as a sign of Christ's disciples.

John Chrysostom

When your father, or mother, or wife, or son, or brother in the flesh is sick, you look for a person who would help them in their illness, do the same with your spiritual brother who is weak in soul. Look for someone who would help him, tell him your brother’s illness. Announce the illness, but do not slander him, with regret and love for him, and not with hatred and malice, as many are accustomed to doing, so that, having recognized his weakness, he will find a cure for this weakness. In this way you will gain your brother, and if you do not gain him, you yourself will be better off by the grace of God. God graciously accepts and crowns both the deed and the good intention and effort.

Tikhon Zadonsky

…Truly “love” is all joy, and the one who has acquired it fills him with joy and joy, tormenting him with a feeling outside the world...

Simeon the New Theologian

...Love, although in order it is the last of the virtues, but in dignity it is the first of them all, and leaves behind everything that was born before it.

Mark the Ascetic

...Love is strengthened not only by arbitrary labors, but also by the sorrows that occur...

Mark the Ascetic

... He who values glory and disgrace, wealth and squalor, joy and sorrow, has not yet achieved perfect love. Perfect love not only counts all this as nothing, but also the most temporary life and death.

Maxim the Confessor

No one can say: “I am poor, I have nothing to give alms from.” For if you cannot give as much as the rich men who put their gifts into the treasury, then give two mites, like the poor widow, and God will accept it from you better than the gifts of the rich (Mark 12:42; Luke 21:2) . If you don’t have even that, you have strength and can show mercy to a weak brother through service. Can't you do that? You can console your brother with a word. So, show him mercy with a word and you will hear: “Isn’t a word higher than a good deed?” (Sir. 18, 17). If you cannot help him with a word, then when your brother is upset with you, you can show him mercy and be patient during his confusion, seeing him tempted by a common enemy, and instead of saying a word to him and even more confusing him, you can remain silent, this will show him mercy, ridding his soul from the enemy. You can also, when your brother sins before you, have mercy on him and forgive his sin, so that you too may receive forgiveness from God, for it is said: “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). And so you will show mercy to your brother’s soul by forgiving his sin against you, for God has given us the power to forgive each other the sins that happen between us, if we want; and thus, having no way to show mercy to the body, you will have mercy on his soul. And what mercy is greater than to have mercy on a soul? Just as the soul is more precious than the body, so the mercy shown to the soul is greater than the mercy shown to the body.

Abba Dorotheus

He who loves money, is inflamed by corruptible physical beauty, and prefers real glory, having exhausted the power of love beyond what he should have done, becomes blind to the contemplation of what is truly beautiful.

Basil the Great

Love is sweeter than life; and understanding according to God, from which love is born, is even sweeter than honey and honeycomb.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

There is nothing in the world that could separate the heart into which it has moved from the love of God.

Abba Isaiah (Sketsky)

…<Love> is the perfection of people in this life.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

If the mind strengthens and decides to follow love, then all passions of the flesh and spirit are extinguished. “Love is long-suffering and kind, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud” (1 Cor. 13:4), makes constancy natural for the heart and does not allow anything unnatural to forcibly enslave the mind...

Abba Isaiah (Sketsky)

...The sadness that strikes the heart for sin against love is more terrible than any possible punishment.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Love is the fruit of prayer; and from her contemplation he raises his mind to her insatiable lust...

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Do not exchange love for your brother for love for some thing, because through love for your brother you have acquired within yourself the One who is most precious in the world.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Just as it is impossible to cross a large sea without a ship and a boat, so no one can achieve love without fear... Repentance is a ship, and fear is its helmsman, but love is the Divine pier.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

When someone acquires love, he puts on God Himself.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

He who has found love tastes Christ every day and hour and thereby becomes immortal...

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

...Where love becomes scarce, hatred certainly takes its place.

Basil the Great

Even if you were blameless, even if you observed virginity, if you do not give alms, you will be out of eternity with Christ.

John Chrysostom

O immeasurable power of love! Neither in heaven nor on earth is there anything more precious than love. She - divine love - is the head of virtues; love is the cause of all good things, love is the salt of virtues, love is the end of the law... She brought down to us from heaven the Son of God. All good things have been revealed to us through love: death has been destroyed, hell has been captured, Adam has been called back; out of love, a single flock is made up of angels and humans; Paradise has been opened to love, the Kingdom of Heaven has been promised to us. She made the fishermen wise; she strengthened the martyrs; she converted deserts into hostels; she filled the mountains and dens with psalmody; she taught husbands and wives to walk the narrow and cramped path... O blessed love, giver of all blessings!

Ephraim Sirin

…<Love>, as if appearing to me from heaven and speaking as if in the ear of my soul, said: until you, My lover, are freed from your white flesh, you cannot know My beauty, what it is.

John Climacus

Love is the container of the spiritual and is established in the purity of the soul.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Love is the fruit of prayer; and from its contemplation it raises the MIND to its insatiable desire, when the mind remains in it without DESPION, and a person prays with his mind only in the silent thoughts of the understanding, ardently and with ardor. Prayer is the mortification of concepts inherent in the will of carnal life. For one who prays diligently is the same as one who is dead to the world, and to continue patiently in prayer means to deny oneself. Through the self-sacrifice of the soul, the love of God is finally found.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Then there is true and sincere love, when someone loves us, despite the fact that we are completely useless to those who love.

John Chrysostom

Love is the pillar of all virtues; there is no mortal sorrow in it; it teaches truth and courage, patience and peace; she is the house of God.

Ephraim Sirin

Love for God motivates a person to virtue, and by it he is drawn into doing good.

Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh

Relationships between husband and wife in Orthodoxy

The husband must protect and care for his wife, not commit serious sins and take part in raising children. The wife must follow the husband's instructions, provided they do not contradict the teachings of the church - for example, it will not be considered a sin if the wife refuses her husband if he asks her to go get a bottle or drink with him.

Moreover, it is possible to divorce an unlucky spouse, especially in cases of infidelity, drunkenness, or deception. However, the third and fourth marriage is not recognized by the church and is not celebrated in the temple.

The main purpose of the family in Orthodoxy is childbearing. It is believed that there should be as many children as God gives. However, protection without the use of contraceptives, for example, interrupted sexual intercourse, is not considered a sin if for some reason the spouses cannot have a child.

The Church has a negative attitude towards abortion and calls for having children unless there are serious contraindications to the health of the mother (for example, an ectopic pregnancy, in which it is impossible to carry a child to term).

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Sayings of the Optina elders, quotes about love
Do not look for love in others for yourself, but look for it in yourself, not only for your neighbors, but also for your enemies (Reverend Macarius of Optina). There is no higher virtue than love, and there is no worse vice and passion than hatred, which to those who do not pay attention seems unimportant, but in its spiritual meaning is likened to murder (1 John 3:15) ... Mercy and condescension towards others and forgiveness of their shortcomings is the shortest the path to salvation (Reverend Ambrose of Optina). God sends mercy to those who work, and consolation to those who love (Reverend Ambrose of Optina). If you love someone, then you humble yourself before him. Where there is love, there is humility, and where there is anger, there is pride. (and everyone must be loved, because every person is the image of God, even if he, that is, the image of God, is contaminated in a person, he can be washed and be clean again). I ask and wish that there be love between you (Reverend Nikon of Optina). He who wants to acquire love must reject every evil and unpeaceful thought, not to mention deeds and words, must forgive everyone fair and unjust insults (Reverend Nikon of Optina). Affection causes people to have completely different eyes (Reverend Ambrose of Optina). The first Christians loved God, loved every person, because if you love the One who gave birth, then you love from Him, and every Christian was born from Him in the Sacrament of Baptism. The Holy Apostle said: Children, love one another (Cf. 1 John 3:18-19), humble yourself, humble yourself. ...Love is not exactly greater than our prayer, but also above all sacrifices... (Reverend Anthony of Optina). We must love every person, seeing in him the image of God, despite his vices. You cannot alienate people from yourself with coldness (Reverend Nikon of Optina). Love covers everything. And if someone does good to his neighbors out of the desire of his heart, and not driven only by duty, then the devil cannot interfere with him, and where - only out of duty, there he still tries to interfere in one way or another [way] (Reverend Ambrose of Optina). If you accept people for God’s sake, then, believe me, everyone will be good to you (Reverend Ambrose of Optina). Love, of course, is higher than everything. If you find that there is no love in you, but you want to have it, then do deeds of love, although at first without love. The Lord will see your desire and effort and put love in your heart. And most importantly, when you notice that you have sinned against love, immediately confess it to the elder. This can sometimes be from a bad heart, and sometimes from the enemy. You yourself cannot make out this, but when you confess, the enemy will leave (Reverend Ambrose of Optina). If they don’t love you, you love them; the fact that they don’t love you does not depend on you, but loving them is your will and is your duty, for the Lord commanded: to love not those who love us, but our enemies (Matthew 5:44) , and when this is not in us, then how much more should we humble ourselves and drive away pride and pray to the Lord about this. (Reverend Macarius of Optina).

Prayer of the Optina Elders Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me. Let me completely surrender to Your Holy will. For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in everything. Whatever news I receive during the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and a firm conviction that everything is Your holy will. In all my words and deeds, guide my thoughts and feelings. In all unforeseen cases, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You. Teach me to act directly and wisely with each member of my family, without confusing or upsetting anyone. Lord, give me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events during the day. Guide my will and teach me to pray, believe, hope, endure, forgive and love. Amen.

See also in my blog: Everything happens in the Name of Love and Quotes about happiness.

How to love people Orthodoxy

To do this, you need to try to understand them and not judge them, if possible.

The Church condemns sins, but not people, and always gives the opportunity to repent.

There have been cases when even bandits and villains became such believers that they completely changed their way of life. Therefore, you need to learn to forgive people, not envy them and learn to understand and accept their weaknesses.

Holy Fathers about falling in love

The holy fathers speak little about this feeling. The concept of “falling in love” does not exist in Orthodoxy - there is either legal marriage or extramarital affairs, which are called such words as “fornication”, “adultery”.

Modern priests advise young people to remain celibate before marriage and advise them to form friendships. This will help you check your feelings and understand whether you should deepen the relationship or not.

And if falling in love is uncontrollable and develops into addiction, the holy fathers believe that passion must either be overcome, or get married to a loved one, if he is not married. The church condemns relationships with married men and married women, as well as trial civil marriages, considering them sinful.

About marriage with Hieromonk Macarius

Greetings, dear friends! We continue the series of publications on various topics about faith, God, Christianity. And also religion, church and simply about life situations in the section “ Thoughts about faith .” Today we will call the topic “About marriage with Hieromonk Macarius.”

It will be presented with five articles and videos. It is led by hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church, cleric of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk diocese Makariy Markish. Church publicist, missionary, both in the traditional sense and in the Internet space, on radio, television and in the press. Author of numerous books in the open conversation genre.

Briefly about Hieromonk Macarius

Born in 1954, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Transport Engineers. Worked as a programmer in the USA for fifteen years. He graduated from Holy Trinity Theological Seminary in Jordanville, New York. In 2002, upon returning to Russia, he took monastic vows, and the following year he was ordained a priest. Father Macarius participates in various forums and round tables. As well as online seminars and conferences to help people find answers to important questions.

Currently he teaches at the Ivano-Voznesensk Theological Seminary. Father Macarius’s favorite genre of journalism is open conversation. You can ask the priest any question. He is ready to help people find answers to important questions of spiritual life, Orthodox education and culture.

A simple and accessible presentation of thoughts on a particular topic. Perhaps, discussions on a variety of topics, the wise instructions of Hieromonk Macarius help to get rid of negative thoughts and experiences. With his permission, an interview with him can be read at the link .

ABOUT MARRIAGE WITHOUT LOVE, where is love and where is infatuation, where is feeling and where are emotions?

Good evening friends. They asked me recently: “Is it possible to get married - a woman asked - without love?” What is love? Some say that it is impossible to marry for love. Why can't you love? Because people get married out of love, when there is love, there is feeling, energy, emotions, desire. Our love is what grows inside. We have marriage first, then love.

If you haven’t gotten married yet, don’t really brag about your love, but there can be love: flowers, perfume, something else. This is all normal, but you are not talking about love yet, because you only have love. It’s good when two people are in love, it’s wonderful: they can’t live without each other anymore, then only together and never again separately. Wonderful, very happy for them, God help them to grow true love out of this love, wonderful.

But what to do if this love does not exist or is weak? Emotionally, people are all different, for some, as in Ostrovsky’s “Dowry,” the Caucasian prince married Larisa’s sister and didn’t even make it to the Caucasus, stabbed him to death on the way out of jealousy, the goods didn’t arrive, didn’t reach the destination. This is a caricature, of course, but no one has such a wonderful crush as this prince. Well, don't get married, don't get married? Take your time, put this person, this man or woman, depending on who we are addressing, in front of you and look at him or her. And tell me whether he can be my husband or not.

So pray on this topic, ask the Savior. Do I see him as my wife or my husband or does he not fit into the picture? This may not happen right away, it will take some time, but I will tell you this: if these are normal people, normal men and women, young, ready for marriage, then, as a rule, the answer will be positive. Give it time, the answer will be positive, and you will see that you don’t have to cut your wrists, scream, scream, roll on the floor in ecstasy, but just hug your betrothed, to the registry office and to the Church.

MARRIAGE WITHOUT FEELINGS is a destructive sin!

Today's topic is also suitable for the evening, although a little sad. This theme is marriage without feelings. The feeling here is understood as a marital feeling, a sexual feeling, a feeling of desire for bodily unity with one’s spouse. And the question that was asked initially, a woman who does not have this feeling asks, is it a sin? How to understand?

The question is a little straightforward, sin or not sin, but I am convinced that you can answer just as straightforwardly and say - yes, it is a sin. Because sin is harm, and when there is no physical feeling in a marriage, it is a great harm for both spouses. And if it’s a sin, then we should probably get a divorce? And this is already nonsense. The well-known saying that the guillotine is a good remedy for headaches roughly corresponds to this nonsense. That is, cutting off the head.

If the marriage has such a defect, then killing the marriage is quite similar to cutting off the head in the case of a migraine. Under no circumstances should there be the word divorce or the thought of divorce. But what should happen if there is sin? If there is such a nuisance, such a defect in the marriage, then the marriage needs to be treated. But how to treat it? There is such a very ancient treatise about five hundred years before the birth of Christ, written on the other side of the earth. It is called “Tao Te Ching” - “The Book of the Path and Grace.”

And in this book, Chinese, as you guessed, there is a saying: “He who speaks does not know, but he who knows is silent.” When we talk about intimate relationships in marriage, about the treatment of marriage, about such sad diseases, there really is a lot of talk here, a colossal amount of chatter. But the one who really knows - he remains silent. So, dear friends, turn to those in the know for help. To serious doctors or serious, married priests with experience in married life. And in conditions of medical confidentiality or the secret of confession, they will tell you something.

BEAUTIFUL HOUSE ON THE SAND. How does a marriage die?

I recently had to talk about the important task that, within a marriage, in a marriage, is solved by the feeling of falling in love. The feeling is warm, hot, fresh, refreshing, refreshing between husband and wife - how important it is to take care of it. It turns out that there is another side to that coin. People, again, are not very wise, so to speak, and are very inclined to listen to all the nonsense that the media pours into their ears, stupid books, conversations, all sorts of stupid lectures, they are convinced that marriage is built on love...

WHO PUSHES A MARRIAGE towards suicide, and how is this done? Family problems.

I recently learned, I learned a long time ago, and recently I was reminded of this and very effectively, that there is some control on the Internet. Unfortunately, it may not be so thorough. But it still exists, and if a certain law enforcement agency discovers a resource that pushes people to suicide. For example, he tells how you can jump from the 12th floor, or I don’t know what they offer there, but such a resource is closed immediately...

ACCUSED OF MURDER: A man unworthy of his name.

This topic is very threatening today: he is accused of murder. Who is accused of murder? Killing whom? Law enforcement agencies are engaged in killing people, and we are talking about the murder of marriage. We talk about how marriage is killed and who kills it. And that marriages kill is, unfortunately, a sad fact; you don’t need to explain it to you, you don’t need to remember the statistics. And who is accused of murder? I must tell you that spouses are always and only accused of murdering a marriage...

Finally

I would like to note that Hieromonk Macarius has many of his own publications. Over six hundred videos and about 15,000 recorded answers to questions only on the Elitsa . Of course, it is impossible to publish everything on a blog. I choose the most relevant at my discretion with the permission of the priest. At the same time, I do not violate the categories and sections in which articles and videos are posted. If anyone wants to get acquainted with the publications in full, they can do so by following the link Makariy (Markish).
Thank you for your attention, dear readers! If you want to learn more about God, faith and the church, then you can read all publications in the “ Thoughts on Faith ” section. And also, ask the priest any question. He is ready to help people find answers to important questions of spiritual life, Orthodox education and culture. A simple and accessible presentation of thoughts on a particular topic. Subscribe to article updates, and don’t forget to recommend the article to your friends on social networks. I invite you to watch videos on my You Tube channel.

May everything be fine with you, Vera.