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The Spiritual Man, book by H. H. Pope Shenouda III

59- Love and fear

 

St-Takla.org Image: The Coptic deacon reading the Holy Gospel (bible), from Fr. Takla William Holy Liturgy, March 24, 2012.  At. Saint TaklaHaymanout Coptic Orthodox Church, Alexandria, Egypt - Photograph by Michael Ghaly for St-Takla.org صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: الشماس يقرأ الإنجيل المقدس، قداس الأب القس تكلا وليم كاهن كنيسة الأنبا تكلاهيمانوت القبطية الأرثوذكسية بالإبراهيمية بالإسكندرية، 24 مارس 2012 - تصوير مايكل غالي لموقع الأنبا تكلا

We love God. But our love does not stop the virtue of fear and dealing with His holy sublimity with all the solemnity and reverence due to Him.

We love Him and bow before Him. We enter the church with love and joy, as we have discussed this issue before here on st-takla.org in other sections. And at the same time, we say to the Lord: “But as for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy; in fear of you I will worship towards your holy temple” (Ps 5:7).

We love His Holy Bible and His commandments and we say to Him: “I rejoice at your word as one who finds great treasure” (Ps 119:162). But in spite of that, and before reading the Gospel, the Deacon cries out: “Stand up in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel”.

We deal with God as a Father, but One who is in heaven.

Love is mixed with fear... And it turns into a love with reverence.

Because there are many who, in their conviction in God’s love, lose their fear of Him and gradually turn to carelessness and underestimation. They even talk to the fathers, the priests, with no respect...

Many are the verses about the fear of God. If we forget them, the Lord will say to us:

“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures” (Mt 22:29).

As for the phrase: “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 Jn 4:18), fear here means horror. But it is not the fear as in reverence. Everyday, in the Prayer of Thanksgiving, we say: “Grant us to conclude this blessed day and all the days of our life in peace and in Your fear”...

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