• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Thursday, June 1, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
Orthodox Times (en)
  • Home
  • Orthodoxy
    • Ecumenical Patriarchate
      • Dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
      • Mount Athos
      • Archdiocese of America
      • Archdiocese of Australia
      • Church of Crete
    • Patriarchates
      • Patriarchate of Alexandria
      • Patriarchate of Antioch
      • Patriarchate of Moscow
      • Patriarchate of Serbia
      • Patriarchate of Romania
      • Patriarchate of Jerusalem
      • Patriarchate of Bulgaria
      • Patriarchate of Georgia
    • Churches
      • Church of Greece
      • Church of Cyprus
      • Church of Poland
      • Church of Albania
      • Church of Czech and Slovakia
      • Church of Ukraine
  • Politics
    • USA
    • Europe
    • Middle East
  • Society
    • Greek Diaspora
    • Culture
  • Spirituality
  • Christianity
  • Opinions
  • Home
  • Orthodoxy
    • Ecumenical Patriarchate
      • Dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
      • Mount Athos
      • Archdiocese of America
      • Archdiocese of Australia
      • Church of Crete
    • Patriarchates
      • Patriarchate of Alexandria
      • Patriarchate of Antioch
      • Patriarchate of Moscow
      • Patriarchate of Serbia
      • Patriarchate of Romania
      • Patriarchate of Jerusalem
      • Patriarchate of Bulgaria
      • Patriarchate of Georgia
    • Churches
      • Church of Greece
      • Church of Cyprus
      • Church of Poland
      • Church of Albania
      • Church of Czech and Slovakia
      • Church of Ukraine
  • Politics
    • USA
    • Europe
    • Middle East
  • Society
    • Greek Diaspora
    • Culture
  • Spirituality
  • Christianity
  • Opinions
No Result
View All Result
Orthodox Times (en)
No Result
View All Result

“I love you” or “I want you”?

Feb 13, 2019 | 21:18
in Spirituality
“I love you” or “I want you”?

by Fr. Themistocles Mourtzanos

In our times, it’s not so easy to say “I love you”. As we have learned that our desires are everything, we advance the expression “I want you” in a relationship.

Previously, love was considered a prerequisite for fulfilling the desire, and that is why marriage was the expected outcome of a relationship, which was considered serious only when it had the perspective of the family.

Even if relations did not last for long, physical contact out of marriage was not socially acceptable or, at least, not without the certainty that marriage would follow.

Today, marriage looks like a distant prospect for people in their 20s or 30s. Many have to become forty to make a desicion. Career, fun and “I want you” come first.

This is why the refusal of the Church to consent to premarital relations is now regarded as an out-of-place mentality, and an unnecessary and unappealing conservatism. Thus, “I want you” is an expression of a desire, often only physical.

It works in the prospect of satisfying the desire for the Other as regards pleasure. Carnality is deified.
The body is viewed as independent of the whole existence, it becomes a fruit for mutual eating, while relationship is treated as a desirable but not necessary prospect.

“I want you” becomes a trademark for all ages. The image of another person generates lust in the mind and, at the same time, the soul is giving way to the ephemeral. Pleasure is the key. I cannot know whether I click with the Other, if our bodies do not match.

It makes no sense to have relationships, if they do not operate under the perspective of “I want you”.
That’s why love quickly turns into a routine, and that’s what happens when “I want you” becomes a duty or a habit.

That happens when we yield it for the sake of our children, our career, our glory; when we substitute it in Social Networks with our image. Love does not exist without “I want you”. Only with “I want you” we fall out of love. Thus, infidelity comes in the relationship when “I want you” is expressed to another the person.
Infidelity comes when the present object of desire cannot attract the movement of the heart and the body, since everything has been saturated, delivered to boredom or replaced by other pleasures, such as glory and money.

“I want you” without “I love you” makes no sense. The first unites bodies, the second unites entities.
Because love for the Other makes him/her a subject, a person of unique value.

It generates respect for his/her feelings, his/her “wills”. But it also helps us to decide to overcome our “ego”, especially in its most difficult area, that of desires. What our culture glorifies as a condition of happiness, true love subordinates it to the society of human beings.

It tells us that we first have to find and decide to have a companion, based on the will to tolerate anything, and at the same time, to struggle in order to become the joy of the Other, by correcting our passions and mistakes, with God’s help.

This is a road that Church could propose in order to later explain why it says NO to any “I want” without “Ι love”!

Tags: LoveSpirituality

Follow OrthodoxTimes.com on Google News and learn all the news about Orthodoxy in Greece and worldwide.

All the latest developments in the Orthodox world, society and humankind, at the moment they happen, at OrthodoxTimes.com


Related Posts

Memory of Holy Martyr Ermias
Spirituality

Memory of Holy Martyr Ermias

May 31, 2023
Memory of Venerable Isaac the Confessor
Spirituality

Memory of Venerable Isaac the Confessor

May 30, 2023
Memory of the Holy Martyr Theodosia
Spirituality

Memory of the Holy Martyr Theodosia

May 29, 2023
Memory of Venerable Ipomoni
Spirituality

Memory of Venerable Ipomoni

May 29, 2023
Memory of the thirteen monks of the Kantara Monastery in Cyprus
Spirituality

Memory of the thirteen monks of the Kantara Monastery in Cyprus

May 19, 2023
Memory of Martyrs Peter, Dionysus, Paul, Andrew, Benedimus, Paulinus, Heraclius, Christina
Spirituality

Memory of Martyrs Peter, Dionysus, Paul, Andrew, Benedimus, Paulinus, Heraclius, Christina

May 18, 2023
Load More
Next Post
Clerics: The government proposal is rejected as unacceptable

Clerics: The government proposal is rejected as unacceptable

Latest News

Opening ceremony of Theological Dialogue between Orthodox & Roman Catholic Churches in Alexandria

Opening ceremony of Theological Dialogue between Orthodox & Roman Catholic Churches in Alexandria

by NewsRoom
Jun 01, 2023 | 18:59
0

In the morning of June 1, 2023, the official opening ceremony of the International Joint Theological Commission of the...

Search Committee Formed to Locate new President of Hellenic College/Holy Cross

Search Committee Formed to Locate new President of Hellenic College/Holy Cross

by NewsRoom
Jun 01, 2023 | 18:45
0

With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of...

Volunteers from the Synodal Department of Church Charity visited Patriach of Serbia

Volunteers from the Synodal Department of Church Charity visited Patriach of Serbia

by NewsRoom
Jun 01, 2023 | 18:16
0

On 31 May 2023, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia welcomed at the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade a group of volunteers...

52nd Annual Metropolis of New Jersey GOYA Olympics held over Memorial Day Weekend

52nd Annual Metropolis of New Jersey GOYA Olympics held over Memorial Day Weekend

by NewsRoom
Jun 01, 2023 | 17:30
0

With the blessings of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey proudly held the 52nd...

Patriarch of Bulgaria: Children are angels who see the face of my Father in heaven

Patriarch of Bulgaria: Children are angels who see the face of my Father in heaven

by NewsRoom
Jun 01, 2023 | 16:25
0

Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria sent paternal wishes to all children and their parents on the International Children's Day. "On...

Ordination to the Holy Deaconate and a Memorial Service for Emperor Constantinos Palaiologos in Toronto

Ordination to the Holy Deaconate and a Memorial Service for Emperor Constantinos Palaiologos in Toronto

by NewsRoom
Jun 01, 2023 | 16:07
0

On the evening of Monday, May 29, 2023, at the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas in Toronto, the ordination...

Newsletter

Sign up for our weekly newsletter



Quick Links

  • Orthodoxy
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Spirituality
  • Christianity
  • Opinions
  • History
  • Press Releases

Get Social

About Us

Advertise

Contact

© 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com
digital world media

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Orthodoxy
    • Ecumenical Patriarchate
      • Dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
      • Mount Athos
      • Archdiocese of America
      • Archdiocese of Australia
      • Church of Crete
    • Patriarchates
      • Patriarchate of Alexandria
      • Patriarchate of Antioch
      • Patriarchate of Moscow
      • Patriarchate of Serbia
      • Patriarchate of Romania
      • Patriarchate of Jerusalem
      • Patriarchate of Bulgaria
      • Patriarchate of Georgia
    • Churches
      • Church of Greece
      • Church of Cyprus
      • Church of Poland
      • Church of Albania
      • Church of Czech and Slovakia
      • Church of Ukraine
  • Politics
    • USA
    • Europe
    • Middle East
  • Society
    • Greek Diaspora
    • Culture
  • Spirituality
  • Christianity
  • Opinions
  • Greek Version

© 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT