Форум »
Религиозная лексика »
Orthodox Quote of the Week »
»
Quote 321
Elder Thaddeus
Это форум для студентов вуза.
Участие сторонних пользователей
не предусмотрено.
|
Quote 321 - Форум
|
Quote 321
| |
| readeralexey | Дата: Пятница, 26.09.2025, 12:53 | Сообщение # 1 |
 Генерал-лейтенант
Группа: Администраторы
Сообщений: 621
Статус: Offline
| 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
|
| |
|
|
| mariafokina99 | Дата: Воскресенье, 28.09.2025, 18:37 | Сообщение # 2 |
 Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 109
Статус: Offline
| 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)
5
Сообщение отредактировал mariafokina99 - Воскресенье, 28.09.2025, 18:45 |
| |
|
|
| sophianesterenok | Дата: Понедельник, 29.09.2025, 22:58 | Сообщение # 3 |
 Майор
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 87
Статус: Offline
| 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).
5
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Сообщение отредактировал sophianesterenok - Пятница, 03.10.2025, 23:14 |
| |
|
|
| lizaserdyuk06 | Дата: Понедельник, 29.09.2025, 23:36 | Сообщение # 4 |
 Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 49
Статус: Offline
| 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.
5
|
| |
|
|
| busiginaliza00 | Дата: Вторник, 30.09.2025, 17:59 | Сообщение # 5 |
|
Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 49
Статус: Offline
| 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.
5
|
| |
|
|
| runovasveta2005 | Дата: Вторник, 30.09.2025, 19:49 | Сообщение # 6 |
|
Майор
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 91
Статус: Offline
| I totally agree with the point of Elder Thaddeus, especially whith the second part of it. 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 confessing it within ourselves and we don't want to recognize it, but, upon a deep reflection, we feel obliged to admit it. It is a very painful thought and it usually makes me very upset and disappointed in myself and in mankind as a whole. Our love always becomes transformed into something material, as it the quote truly says. That's why only in union with God can we recognize love as the sublime feeling having divine nature. And humility, of course, plays a key role here, for only humbling ourselves we can renounce ourselves and turn to our neighbors dedicating our love only to them and to God, as it was commanded by Christ.
2,5
Сообщение отредактировал runovasveta2005 - Вторник, 23.12.2025, 18:44 |
| |
|
|
| davydenkololita | Дата: Четверг, 09.10.2025, 18:33 | Сообщение # 7 |
|
Сержант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 32
Статус: Offline
| I agree with this part about becoming one with the Lord, and it seems quite powerful as an idea, however, this is a Jesus' 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 man is something that is considered by 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.
3,5
Сообщение отредактировал davydenkololita - Понедельник, 29.12.2025, 17:46 |
| |
|
|
| davidkushakov | Дата: Пятница, 19.12.2025, 12:13 | Сообщение # 8 |
|
Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 43
Статус: Offline
| I agree with this quote. The line that hits me is: "The main thing is to become one with the Lord; then He will teach us how to love our neighbor". It shows me I often get things backward. I try hard to be kind to people by my own willpower like forcing myself to be patient or helpful. But it feels fake, and I end up expecting something back or feeling proud of myself. That’s what the Elder means when he says our love becomes “ something material”. This really clicks with my own experience. I remember times I helped someone but felt annoyed if they didn’t thank me. That wasn’t real love, it was still about me. The kindness that felt pure and easy came from a quiet heart, after praying or just feeling close to God. This way, before jumping in to “love,” I need to stop and connect with God first.
5
|
| |
|
|
| claudholloway | Дата: Пятница, 19.12.2025, 19:22 | Сообщение # 9 |
|
Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 64
Статус: Offline
| This quote brings up the universal theme of the sin of pride. Pride is what always holds us back and won't let us be closer to God. Sometimes even if we are trying to show love to our close ones or to do good deeds, we still think about our reward for that, about other people thinking well of us. But true love is not like that - true love is selfless, sincere and can only be reached through God, and it is truly a hard work.
2,5
Мария П.
Сообщение отредактировал claudholloway - Вторник, 23.12.2025, 00:11 |
| |
|
|
| solkinaanna57 | Дата: Пятница, 19.12.2025, 21:29 | Сообщение # 10 |
 Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 66
Статус: Offline
| Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica teaches that true love for one’s neighbor begins not with human effort, but with union with the Lord and humility of heart. This thought makes me reflect deeply, because loving others often seems easy to me in theory, yet becomes extremely difficult in real and painful relationships. I especially think of my family and of my father, whose presence in my life caused long-lasting suffering, emotional exhaustion, and loneliness. In such cases, the commandment to love one’s parents feels almost impossible to fulfill.
This experience helps me understand what the elder means when he says that our love is often material and unpurified. Human love seeks comfort, safety, and emotional reward, and when these are absent, love collapses. Only when a person becomes one with the Lord can love be cleansed from resentment and fear. Humility does not erase pain, but it allows God to transform it. I believe that learning to love in such circumstances is not an immediate act, but a long spiritual labor guided by divine grace.
5
|
| |
|
|
| graveqid | Дата: Пятница, 19.12.2025, 21:54 | Сообщение # 11 |
|
Сержант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 23
Статус: Offline
| I think Elder Thaddeus wanted to say that our love is selfish and impure by saying that it is «material». Which I absolutely agree with. Without God we might love somebody because the person is useful for us or makes us feel better. And this is not the love Christ taught us. Our love needs to be cleaned from the inside and only God can do that. I think that to humble yourselves is not just to be quiet, but to know our true place before God. And by it we can learn to love others and fix our relationships with family and friends. Through being with our Lord, through praying and through participating in the Sacraments God can change us.
Каледа В.Ф.
5
|
| |
|
|
| mariablansh | Дата: Пятница, 19.12.2025, 22:11 | Сообщение # 12 |
|
Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 79
Статус: Offline
| I agree with the above quote. We must always be humble and live in peace with our neighbors, not only when preparing for confession. After all, we do not know the time of the Second Coming, and Christ called us to spiritual vigilance many times, as it is said in the Gospel. I think, in principle, the path of a Christian is a path of humility, a struggle with one's pride, from which many other vices grow. We must learn to live with God always, because only He can teach us true Christian love. A similar thought occurred to me quite recently: where there is no faith in God, there is no love (in my understanding). Our love is imperfect, and sometimes it's hard for us not to demand and expect something from the person we love. We sometimes try to fill the emptiness of our soul with mundane things, but this is impossible.
5
Баушова М.
|
| |
|
|
| busiginaliza00 | Дата: Пятница, 19.12.2025, 23:24 | Сообщение # 13 |
|
Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 49
Статус: Offline
| Elder Thaddeus is right about how our love often works. I notice that when I try to care for someone, my actions can come with hidden expectations - like wanting gratitude or a similar response in return. When that doesn't happen, it's easy to feel resentful.
That is probably what he means by love turning into something "material." It becomes a transaction, not a genuine gift.
His instruction is useful because it gives a clear order. Instead of trying hard to manufacture the right feelings for others, which often fails, I should focus first on humility and my own connection to God.
This means quieting my own demands and sense of importance. From that quieter, more settled place, it seems easier to see others with patience and to respond to them without my own needs getting so much in the way. The focus shifts from me trying to love, to receiving a way of lovina from that connection.
5
|
| |
|
|
| oksanaoni2159 | Дата: Пятница, 19.12.2025, 23:46 | Сообщение # 14 |
|
Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 54
Статус: Offline
| I would like to comment on the quotation by Elder Thaddeus. We always hear that we must possess and give freely to our neighbours and all the people we meet the brotherly Christ-like love. After all, it was bestowed on us by God, and so we must share it and give it, "extend the grace" by forgiving our brothers and giving the unconditional love to our nearest.
Some people believe that it is their calling in life to love, to truly love people around them, which is a nice sentiment and is absolutely true within the context of our Christian faith. What Elder Thaddeus says is that our human love is not good enough if our goal is to become one with the Lord, for humans are material creatures who are yet to be cleansed from the inside. That is the truth: only Christ can teach us how to love our neighbors truly in a way that is pleasing to Him. I would argue that the love God wants us to have for our neighbours might not look nice or politically correct, but I have a feeling that it definitely has to do with supporting each other through the hardest times, tolerating the quirks but not the sins of each other, and always keeping in mind that the people we deal with are the chosen people of God, are loved by God just as much as we ourselves are, and are the sons and daughters of God.
Whatever words we try to put it in, Christ-like love is not formulaic, and it can only be taught to us by God through the experience of prayer and our willingness to live according to His will. So, I wholeheartedly agree with Elder Thaddeus' notion that we must humble ourselves and then reestablish a correct relationship with all our fellow men.
5
С уважением, Онищенко Ксения
|
| |
|
|
| boriskorsun3 | Дата: Понедельник, 22.12.2025, 20:04 | Сообщение # 15 |
 Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 100
Статус: Offline
| I understand the meaning of Elder Thaddeus' quote and completely agree with it. He says that we cannot truly love others until we first accept God and unite with him. Without this spiritual foundation, our human love easily becomes selfish, materialistic, and impure, because we often try to show love in the form of gifts or favors, and then feel offended if we don't receive feedback from our so-called investments in a person. This is selfish and proves that our love is not pure. In this sense, the Elder is right — we need God's help to purify our intentions. I can say about myself that I rarely encounter such a problem, since I have been taught selfless actions since childhood, and that it is not customary to expect something in return. Of course, there are different situations, but if you feel offended, then talk about it with your confessor, he will tell you how to act correctly.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
