our first love

⁴But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity.

⁴But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity. ⁵And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

¹“And to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write: Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ²I know your works, and your hardship and patient endurance, and that you cannot stand those who are evil. And so, you have tested those who declare themselves to be Apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. ³And you have patient endurance for the sake of my name, and you have not fallen away. ⁴But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity. ⁵And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁸Whoever does not love, does not know God. For God is love.

¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.

⁵And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

²²So chastise your souls with the obedience of charity, in fraternal love, and love one another from a simple heart, attentively.

¹³No one has a greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.

³⁵By this, all shall recognize that you are my disciples: if you will have love for one another.”

³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength. This is the first commandment.’

¹²And because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many will grow cold.

¹“And to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write: Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ²I know your works, and your hardship and patient endurance, and that you cannot stand those who are evil. And so, you have tested those who declare themselves to be Apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. ³And you have patient endurance for the sake of my name, and you have not fallen away. ⁴But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity. ⁵And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

³⁷Jesus said to him: “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.’