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Quote 321
Elder Thaddeus
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Quote 321 - Форум
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Quote 321
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| readeralexey | Дата: Пятница, 26.09.2025, 12:53 | Сообщение # 1 |
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| We must humble ourselves and then reestablish a correct relationship toward all of our fellow men. The main thing is to become one with the Lord; then He will teach us how to love our neighbor, for we do not know how—our love immediately becomes transformed into something material, for it has not been cleansed from the inside.
Elder Thaddeus (Strabulovich) of Vitovnica
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| mariafokina99 | Дата: Воскресенье, 28.09.2025, 18:37 | Сообщение # 2 |
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| The point of Elder Thaddeus's statement is that, because of our fallen nature, we cannot achieve true love without first loving God. Since we are often so dependent on others' opinions, we cannot be fully sincere with other people or even with ourselves. Moreover, we often want to receive love but are not ready to give it. Loving God unconditionally helps us to love not only our relatives and friends, but also our neighbors and strangers—every person we meet, with all their good and bad qualities. This is because, in our relationship with God, we learn to trust and love Him without seeing Him and without expecting anything in return.
In my opinion, this quote is especially relevant today, as capitalism often encourages us to think of ourselves first. This system can be all about competing with others for a better position or a higher salary; thus, the people around us can become rivals, and we feel we have no time to think about them or about God.
To sum up, I want to remember the words from the First Epistle of John:
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)
Сообщение отредактировал mariafokina99 - Воскресенье, 28.09.2025, 18:45 |
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| sophianesterenok | Дата: Понедельник, 29.09.2025, 22:58 | Сообщение # 3 |
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| I agree with this quote wholeheartedly. This part of it stands out to me the most: "The main thing is to become one with the Lord; then He will teach us how to love our neighbor".
I have thought a lot about humility in the recent weeks and even listened to lectures on it by Patristic Nectar. The lecture series was entitled "Humility: Acquiring the Heart of Jesus". I think this title is very fitting here because it connects humbling oneself with being like the Lord and one with the Lord. Christ says in the Gospels: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). As Christians, we are called to learn from Christ and follow Him by acting in the way that He acts. Ultimately, this discipleship becomes known by its fruit, the love of God and neighbour (John 13:35).
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Сообщение отредактировал sophianesterenok - Пятница, 03.10.2025, 23:14 |
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| lizaserdyuk06 | Дата: Понедельник, 29.09.2025, 23:36 | Сообщение # 4 |
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| I see the point of Elder Thaddeus's quote, and I largely agree with it. He argues that true love for others must flow from a spiritual connection with God, because our own, unaided love is often selfish and conditional. I've seen this in my own life. For example, my "love" can quickly turn into frustration if a friend inconveniences me, or it can be transactional, expecting something in return. This is the "material" love he describes.
While the concept is foundational to Christianity, the emphasis on internal cleansing was a fresh insight for me. I often focus on outward actions, but he points to the source of the problem: the heart. This explains why forcing myself to be loving often fails. The practical application is to shift my focus. Instead of just trying to act lovingly, I need to first seek that inner unity with God through quiet reflection and surrender, trusting that right action will naturally follow from a transformed heart.
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| busiginaliza00 | Дата: Вторник, 30.09.2025, 17:59 | Сообщение # 5 |
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| I understand the point of this quote. Elder Thaddeus is saying that we cannot truly love others correctly until we first humble ourselves and connect with God. Without this spiritual foundation, our human love easily becomes selfish, materialistic, and impure.
I agree that our love can easily become "material." We often show love through gifts or favors and then feel hurt if we don't get a "return on our investment." This is selfish and proves that our love is not pure. In this sense, the Elder is right—we need God's help to cleanse our intentions.
The practical application for my life is clear: when I feel conflict or struggle to love someone, I should first try to quiet my pride and turn to God in prayer. Instead of reacting immediately, I can ask for help to see that person with patience and compassion.
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| runovasveta2005 | Дата: Вторник, 30.09.2025, 19:49 | Сообщение # 6 |
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| I totally agree with the point of Elder Thaddeus, especially whith the second part of it. Because the human nature is imperfect and, as a consequence, our love is imperfect too. For me, it sometimes can be difficult to distinguish true love and true care for the neighbors from the simple egoistic desire to get the same things in return. We are usually afraid of confession it within ourselves and we don't want to recognize, but, upon a deep reflection, we feel obliged to admit it. It is very painful thought and it usually makes me very upset and disappointed in me and in mankind in the whole. Our love always becomes transformed into something material, as it truly says. That's why only in union with God we can recognize love as the sublime feeling containing divine nature. And humility, of course, plays a key role here, for only humbling we can renounce ourselfs and turn to our neighbors dedicating our love only to them and to God, as it was commanded by Christ.
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| davydenkololita | Дата: Четверг, 09.10.2025, 18:33 | Сообщение # 7 |
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| I agree with this part about becoming one with the Lord, and it seems quite powerful as an idea, however, this is a Jesus's idea, and it's quite old (Sonya quoted the Gospel above). However, the framing of it causes some scorn in me, for I don't agree with the idea of making "some dirt" look like a "whole ocean of dirt that cannot possibly be good". The nature of men is something that is considered by the Orthodoxy to be disturbed by sin, but it doesn't make "us" being intuitively unable of good things. I know a lot of non-christians who do genuine things not expecting anything in return and being happy just because they have helped someone. So, to my mind, it is an exaggeration that is quite a tendency in patristic teachings, although it can be useful sometimes when people seek for self-humiliation, restraint or wisdom in something other than the Gospel or their own experience.
Сообщение отредактировал davydenkololita - Четверг, 09.10.2025, 18:34 |
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