Untitled Sermon (14)

You love yourself suitably when you love God better than yourself. What, then, you aim at in yourself you must aim at in your neighbor, namely, that he may love God with a perfect affection. For you do not love him as yourself, unless you try to draw him to that good which you are yourself pursuing.

Augustine of Hippo

In order that love for our neighbor be entirely right, God must have His part in it; it is not possible to love our neighbor as we ought to do, except in God. Now he that does not love God can love nothing in Him. We must therefore begin by loving God, and so love our neighbor in Him.

Bernard of Clairvaux

Love your neighbor, yet pull not down your hedge. —George Herbert, Jacula Prudentum

George Herbert

In order to love our neighbor properly we must seek God’s help. It is not possible to love our neighbor with a pure heart without loving God first. We cannot pass on God’s love if we do not possess God’s love ourselves.

Bernard of Clairvaux

The Christian life is marked by a focus on God and our neighbors. The more we love Him, the more we learn to love our neighbors. And the more we love our neighbors, the more we become like Christ. We get closer to God with each act of love, and each act of love brings someone else closer to Him as well.

John D. Barry; Rebecca Kruyswijk