"Hope, transcending servile fear, binds us to the love of God, since 'hope does not disappoint' (Rom. 5:5), containing as it does the seed of that twofold love on which hang 'the law and the prophets' (Matt. 22:40). And 'love never fails' (I Cor. 13:8), once it has become to the person who shares in it the motive for fulfilling the divine law both in the present life and in the life to be." --- St. Philotheos of Sinai
"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit." --- Psalms 34:18
"‘But I say to you,’ says the Lord, ‘love your enemies... do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you’ (Matt. 5: 44). Why did He command this? To free you from hatred, irritation, anger and rancour, and to make you worthy of the supreme gift of perfect love. And you cannot attain such love if you do not imitate God and love all men equally. For God loves all men equally and wishes them ‘to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ (I Tim. 2: 4)." --- St. Maximos the Confessor
"In the beginning of creation the Creator created humanity in the image of God, while now He has united humanity to God. Then the human race was given authority to rule over the fish and the animals. Now God has raised our new beginning above the heavens. Since the ascended Christ with His holy flesh has become, like the first fruits, the beginning of those who had fallen asleep, He has caused our
entire human race to be
blessed through that one flesh and beginning. Before because of sin ,
nothing was more debased than humanity, while now nothing has become
more honored than humanity. Through the resurrected and ascended Christ
humanity conquers corruption and acquires incorruption. Humanity
conquers death, because death has been entirely defeated and abolished
and appears nowhere, while humanity acquires immortality and is deified.
Now, indeed, God and humankind have become one race." --- St. John Chrysostom, *On the Ascension*
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