“Today everyone talks about love and freedom, but those who equate love for sin and a sinful way of life with true love make an irreparable mistake, as do those who regard having the right to everything as freedom,” reads the Christmas Epistle of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.

In the Epistle, the Patriarch notes that “Love one another!” is the single commandment given to us by the Lord to fulfill - yet in reality, it is all-encompassing.

“The Incarnate God, through whom ‘all things were created… visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers’ (Col. 1:16), revealed to humanity the essence of the new commandment in these words: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ (John 13:34), which implies self-sacrificial love for one’s neighbor. (Of course, first and foremost our love must belong to God, and then to every person as the image of God.)

It is extremely important that the Savior did not define for us whether our neighbor should be good or evil, successful or unsuccessful, rich or poor, wise or foolish…

‘Love one another as I have loved you!’ - this is the single commandment given to us to fulfill, yet in truth it encompasses everything!

The Lord gives Himself to everyone and, by virtue of the greatness of His love, calls us as well to share in the example of humanity He has given and to become His own.

At first glance, living by this commandment seems easy, but in this world countless temptations and traps are set by the devil, and our mind often fails to realize whom we truly serve. Therefore, we err while considering ourselves righteous.

For example, today everyone speaks about love and freedom, but those who equate love for sin and a sinful way of life with true love make an irreparable mistake, as do those who regard having the right to everything as freedom,” the Epistle states.