Do You Love Me?

In this profound sermon, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III reflects on the Lord Jesus’ question to St. Peter: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He explains that this question is not for Peter alone but for every person. God asks for nothing greater than love, for love is the essence of our relationship with Him and the foundation of every commandment.

🔹 Love as the Essence of Faith:
God does not desire empty rituals or lifeless worship but a heart filled with love. Prayer, fasting, service, and even repentance have no true value unless they come from love for God. The divine question always remains: Is what you do motivated by love?

🔹 Degrees of Love:
His Holiness explains that a person may begin with fear of God, then walk in virtue out of love for goodness, and finally reach the highest level—doing good purely out of love for God Himself.

🔹 Signs of Love for God:
Those who love God think of Him often, rejoice in prayer, long for His house, and find joy in being with Him. True love for God also appears in love for others, for “he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”

🔹 Love in Service and Giving:
True service is not a duty or a religious formality but an expression of love for God and His children. Genuine giving comes from a loving heart, like the widow who gave her two coins out of love, not obligation.

🔹 Love for God in Thought and Action:
God should be present in our thoughts all day—in prayer, work, relationships, and decisions. Love for God is not expressed in words alone but proven through deeds and truth.

🔹 The Call to Complete Love:
To love God with all your heart, mind, and strength means to empty your heart of every opposing attachment and make God the center of your life. This is the ultimate goal of faith: that Christ lives in us and we live for Him.