Tag: Abounding in Love

Hearts Blameless at the Coming of Christ (Tues. Nov. 22)

· Fr. Basil
The word of the day is “blameless.”  In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, St. Paul prays that God would enable his congregation at Thessalonica to grow in their love for one another.  He writes, “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you” (vs. 12).  He adds the prayer that the result of this growth would be that God may “establish their hearts, blameless in holiness…” (vs. 13) . To be found without fault before God is the goal that our reading suggests as we begin our Nativity Fast.  We are setting our sights on the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all the…

Love Needs No Other Reason (Sun. Oct. 11)

· Fr. Basil
The word of the day is “abound.”  People give to those in need with various attitudes and for many reasons.  But we learn in today’s reading of 2 Cor. 9:6-11, that we should give aid generously and with singleness of purpose.  In this passage, St. Paul speaks about his collection for relief of the fellow Christians who are starving in Jerusalem. The Apostle compares giving to the needy to sowing see     ds, and he says that the harvest depends on the sower’s liberality (vs. 6). Abounding in the Grace of Giving Note that God provides the seeds in the first place (vs. 9). The Almighty, who is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4), has already made the faithful in Corinth…