On Life 59 – The Love Message – January 3, 2015

   Many happy returns on Christmas! I wish everybody all peace and blessing.

   As we celebrate Christmas, we recall Christ’s commandment to the world, that of love. Christ lent a lot of attention to this commandment. Thus, He made it a point that love for God and people are the most important Diving commandments and, through, applying them, man carries out God’s commandments easily. In fact, when one of the law experts asked Him about the most important commandment, He answered that it is loving God and one’s neighbor like oneself. We read, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

   Christ commanded His disciples and the people to love one another: “My command is this: Love each other…” and that love extends to one’s enemies. So, He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” The disciples and apostles realized the importance of love. Thus, their lives reflected how they loved one another and everybody. Likewise, their teachings and writing emphasized the love commandment. St. John writes, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” Also, St. Paul stresses this very meaning in his Epistle to the Ephesians:”walk in the way of love…”

   Man’s true strength resides in his ability to love others to such an extent that he might love his enemies. Reposed Pope Shenouda III writes, “The strong are not those who defeat their enemies. Rather, they are the ones who win them over.”

   True love manifests itself in sacrifice. A loving person helps, supports and encourages others. Through love, you fill others’ desperate hearts with hope, give them confidence that they can achieve goals, and urge weaklings to attain the unimaginable.

   Love edifies your soul as well others’ Whoever perfects in love does not fail. Rather, he becomes a strong fortress that resists the storms of life. So, with Christmas, I’d like to send a message of love that challenges pains and hardships and inspires hope. Love is an endless path in which man learns from the all-loving God how to become a love song.

Many happy returns!

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center