Without Love, Everything is Vain
From the Chapters On Charity Saint Maximus the Confessor, abbot (580-662)
Without love everything is in vain
Narrated by Frank Dugan, Huntington Beach, California
Charity is a right attitude of mind which prefers nothing to the knowledge of God. If a man possesses any strong attachment to the things of this earth, he cannot possess true charity. For anyone who really loves God prefers to know and experience God rather than his creatures. The whole set and longing of his mind is ever directed toward him.
For God is far superior to all his creation, since everything which exists has been made by God and for him. And so, in deserting God, who is beyond compare, for the inferior works of creation, a man shows that he values God, the author of creation, less than creation itself.
The Lord himself reminds us: Whoever loves me will keep my commandments. And this is my commandments: that you love one another. So the man who does not love his neighbor does not obey God’s command. But one who does not obey his command cannot love God. A man is blessed if he can love all men equally. Moreover, if he truly loves God, he must love his neighbor absolutely. Such a man cannot hoard his wealth. Rather, like God himself, he generously gives from his own resources to each man according to his needs.
Since he imitates God’s generosity, the only distinction he draws is the person’s need. He does not distinguish between a good man and a bad one, a just man and one who is unjust. Yet his own goodness of will makes him prefer the man who strives after virtue to the one who is depraved.
A Charitable mind is not displayed simply in giving money; it is manifested still more by personal service as well as by the communication of God’s word to others. In fact, if a man’s service toward his brothers is genuine and if he really renounces worldly concerns, he is freed from selfish desires. For he now shares in God’s own knowledge and love. Since he does possess God’s love, he does not experience weariness as he follows the Lord his God. Rather, following the prophet Jeremiah, he withstands every type of reproach and hardship without even harboring an evil thought toward any man.
For Jeremiah warns us: “We are the Lord’s temple.” Neither should you say: “Faith alone in our Lord Jesus Christ can save me.” By itself faith accomplishes nothing. For even the devils believe and shudder. No, faith must be joined to an active love of God which is expressed in good works. The charitable man is distinguished by sincere and long-suffering service to his fellow man: it also means using things aright.
Source: The Liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings
Maximus Homologetes (580-662) was born of a noble family at Constantinople and became secretary to Emperor Heraclius but resigned to become a monk at Chrysopolis, where he became abbot. His community broke up in 626 due to the Persian Invasion. Maximus fled to Alexandria, then Carthage, then to Rome.
He was one of the leaders in the struggle against Monothelitism and Emperor Constans II, who favored the heresy. He was a strong supporter of papal authority and attended the Lateran Council of 649 convened by Pope St. Martin I to condemn the decree Typhos issued by Constans II. This caused the Pope’s exile and martyrdom in 653. Maximus was seized at Rome and brought to Constantinople. There he was falsely charged with conspiracy against the Empire for his defense of the orthodox faith. He was exiled to Bizya, then to Thrace, and next to a monastery at Rhegium. He spent the next six years at Perberis and was subjected to severe hardships. Maximus and two of his supporters, both named Anastasius, were then brought back to Constantinople. At the age of 82, Maximus was then flogged, tortured and mutilated (his tongue and right hand were cut off), and was exiled to Skhemaris on the Black Sea where he died soon after his arrival in 662.
Maximus was a foremost exponent of Byzantine mysticism and wrote prolifically, leaving numerous theological, mystical and ascetical treatises and biblical commentaries including a dialogue on the spiritual life between two monks, and Mystagogia, a treatise on liturgical symbolism.