Love (Abundant)

“The God revealed in the Bible has endowed creation with overflowing beauty. This God is not characterized by utility but by abundant love. God desires his creatures—especially those who in Christ are adopted as his children—also to be creative and generative.” (Makoto Fujimura)

“…love is overcome by more abundant love. One repents not because one is virtuous, but because human nature can change, because what is impossible for man is possible for God. The motive for repentance is at all times humility, unself-sufficiency - not a means of justification for oneself, or of realizing some abstract idea of goodness, or of receiving a reward in some future life. Just as the strength of God is revealed in the extreme vulnerability of His Son on the Cross, so also the greatest strength of man is to embrace his weakness: "for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I render glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12.9).” (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese)

“God, out of His abundant love and great mercy, has created all people in His very image and likeness.  Therefore, His Home is open to all people, regardless of any previously mentioned “human” categories of distinction.  Therefore, let us begin our approach to the “Gathering” of others to God’s Home with a prayerful disposition.  In “Gathering,” let us heed the words of the Lord by refraining from casting judgment on others, and let us go forth to share abundantly with all the joyful message of His unconditional welcome, and the peace and the love of Jesus Christ that is within our hearts.” (Archbishop Demetrios of America)

“…humility can cover even the greatest multitude of sins, and in fact can take the place of all the other virtues. This is because only the humble are able to stand in the presence of God – to see and to freely admit the true depths of their sinfulness and unworthiness – and to accept, in the face of this, the superabundant love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Hieromonk Gabriel)

“…“constant determination to love God and abundance of love” (for neighbor). We often fail to love God as we would like, but what marks an exile from this world is not success in loving God, but remaining constantly determined to love God despite failure. So long as we are in our corruptible bodies, St. Isaac the Syrian tells us, we will be subject to a certain amount of instability. This is why love or any other virtue is not something that remains constant in us. However, an exile remains determined, determined to love God despite the failures. And as we stay determined to love God, love for those in the image of God will also increase in us. Determination to love God produces abundant love for people. And this love for others, despite their instability, despite their lack of success or apparent unworthiness is too a marker of someone who is an exile from this world.” (Fr. Michael Gillis)

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