“Love is a holy state of the soul, disposing it to value knowledge of God above all created things. We cannot attain lasting possession of such love while we are still attached to anything worldly.”
St. Maximos the Confessor
Four Hundred Texts on Love
The PhilokaliaVolume 2
Love is a word that permeates scripture and one that we use often in our conversations with each other. During Holy Week, we remember the love that God has for humanity by participating in liturgies that remind us of particular events of our Lord’s passion. In the contemplative tradition, love is the foundation of created life. God created us and God loves us, so hardwired in our being is the capacity to love. Maximos reminds us that we begin to connect with the love that lives within us by focusing our minds on God. It seems simple, but distraction often leads us to stumble and disconnect from God. Maximos also reminds us that we are to keep tight reign on our worldly possessions and not let them become distractions from our goal to deepen our knowledge of God. Holy Week and Easter both provide time for us to reflect on where we need to focus our minds and then celebrate the reality of God’s love in our life. Take time this week to really look at all that you are and begin the work of identifying those places where your mind is distracted from God.
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