"God cannot cease
to love me. That is the most startling fact that our doctrine reveals. Sinner
or saint He loves and cannot well help Himself. Magdalen in her sin, Magdalen
in her sainthood, was loved by God. The difference between her position made
some difference also in the effect of that love on her, but the love was the
same, since it was the Holy Spirit who is the love of the Father and the Son.
Whatever I do, I am loved. But then, if I sin, am I unworthy of love? Yes, but
I am unworthy always. Nor can God love me for what I am, since, in that case, I
would compel His love, force His will by something external to Himself. In
fact, really if I came to consider, I would find that I was not loved by God
because I was good, but that I was good because God loved me. My improvement
does not cause God to love me, but is the effect of God's having loved
me."
— Fr. Bede Jarrett
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