Metropolitan of Kyiv: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”

Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine reflected on the meaning of genuine Christian love in a social media post, emphasizing the need not only to share in the suffering of others but also to sincerely rejoice in their happiness and achievements.

Drawing on the words of Saint Paul, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15), Metropolitan Epifaniy said that fulfilling this exhortation is a measure of how genuine, deep and sincere Christian love truly is.

While compassion for those experiencing hardship may come more naturally, he noted that sincerely rejoicing in another person’s success can be considerably more difficult.

Citing Saint John Chrysostom, Metropolitan Epifaniy stressed that rejoicing with others requires spiritual awareness, vigilance and nobility of soul. Many people, he observed, can sympathize with those experiencing grief and suffering, but fewer are able to celebrate another person’s achievements wholeheartedly, without envy or the desire to diminish their success.

According to the Metropolitan, pride often stands in the way of such genuine love. The success and happiness of others can highlight a person’s own…