Hieromonk Savatie Bastovoi
Among all things that must be endured on earth, and patience being the saving path recommended by Christ, the hardest to endure is the lack of love in others.
When love is absent in others, every good deed, every act of charity, every mercy turns into its opposite.
Christ healed the sick, cast out demons, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead, but instead of gratitude, he was accused of working on the Sabbath, of being possessed by a demon, of blasphemy. In exchange for love, Christ was killed.
The lack of love is nothing but envy, and envy suffers from any good that anyone does, even when that good is directed towards the envious themselves.
This is why only through our own love can we partake in the love of Christ. Otherwise, for those devoid of love, even paradise itself will be a source of suffering.
