In this homily for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Abp. Irineos reflects on Christ’s commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, teaching that love for God cannot be separated from the way we treat those whom God places before us. Drawing upon the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the example of St. Akakios of Amida, and the words of St. John the Theologian, he explains that our neighbor is not merely a friend, fellow parishioner, or member of our own group, but also the stranger, the outsider, the difficult person, and even the enemy. Christian love is therefore more than affection: it is the recognition of the image of God in every human being and the demonstration of our professed love for God through mercy, patience, forgiveness, sacrifice, and charity.

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