Metropolitan Anthony: One should treat God with affection

Chancellor of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary. Photo: www.antoniy.com.ua

We need to learn how to treat God with affection, because it is the crown of love, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), the UOC Chancellor, called on the flock.

“Affection or devotion is a Christian concept. Even more, affection is unthinkable outside of Christ. It is the highest degree of love that goes beyond earthly emotional attachment, passionate feelings; it is the crown of love, passionless and therefore magnificent,” Metropolitan Anthony said on the pages of the Pravlife portal.

The hierarch drew the attention of believers to the fact that affection is a quality of God, which refers to the Divine, rather than human nature.

He reminded the flock of the Apostle Paul’s call to “be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10).

Metropolitan Anthony explained that in these words the apostle defines the highest state of love – affection, which rejects evil, which is genuine and seeks good even where it is difficult to find it.

“In order to treat one another with affection, one must first learn to treat God with affection. Possessing this highest experience for man, the soul will never be able to think about the choice between the Creator and something or someone else. Only God is forever, the UOC hierarch emphasized. “Affection opens the heart, and it begins to tirelessly preach about the Almighty God and perceive the world in His Light.”

Metropolitan Anthony drew the attention of believers to the fact that affection  is a state of saints who have gone beyond the boundaries of earthly love.

Therefore, we need to go through all levels of love and strive with all our hearts for affection, the hierarch urged the flock. Affection is so great that even the entire world cannot embrace it; it lives only in a humble heart, he concluded.

Earlier, the hierarch reiterated that everything must be done so that people are not deprived of the Sacraments.

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