He who has no patience with us when we sin does not love us. Neither does he love us who does not forgive us when we repent of our sin. And he loves us least of all who does not rejoice at our improvement.
Patience, forgiveness and joy are the three greatest characteristics of divine love. They are characteristic of all real love - if there is such a thing as real love outside divine love. Without these three characteristics, love is not love. If you give the name "love" to anything else, it is as though you were giving the name "sheep" to a goat or a pig.
+St. Nikolai Velimirovich, from Homilies volume 1, #10. Sunday of the Prodigal Son
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