--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Above all else, he was afire with…" description: "\"“Above all else, he was afire with heavenly love, unassumingly patient, devoted to unceasing prayer, and kindly to all who came to him for comfort. He ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22e/bede-the-venerable-65024_love_above-all-else-he-was-afire-with-heavenl_1552398.jpg" --- # Above all else, he was afire with heavenly love… ![“Above all else, he was afire with heavenly love, unassumingly patient, devoted to unceasing prayer, and kindly to all who came to him for comfort. He regarded as equivalent to prayer the labour of helping the weaker brethren with advice, remembering that he who said, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy…” quote by Bede the Venerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22e/bede-the-venerable-65024_love_above-all-else-he-was-afire-with-heavenl_1552398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22e/bede-the-venerable-65024_love_above-all-else-he-was-afire-with-heavenl_1552398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22e/bede-the-venerable-65024_love_above-all-else-he-was-afire-with-heavenl_1552398.jpg) > ““Above all else, he was afire with heavenly love, unassumingly patient, devoted to unceasing prayer, and kindly to all who came to him for comfort. He regarded as equivalent to prayer the labour of helping the weaker brethren with advice, remembering that he who said, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God’, also said, ‘Love thy neighbour’. His self-discipline and fasting were exceptional, and through the grace of contrition he was always intent on the things of heaven. Lastly, whenever he offered the sacrifice of the Saving Victim of God, he offered his prayers to God not in a loud voice but with tears welling up from the depths of his heart.”” [Bede the Venerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-the-venerable/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A devout man combined deep love for God with compassionate service, humble prayer, and self‑discipline, seeing helping others as an act of worship. **In simple terms:** Love God, love neighbors, serve humbly. Key Takeaway Practice compassion and quiet devotion. Themes faith service humility prayer compassion Mood reverent hopeful reflective Type spiritual inspirational ethical When to use this quote - counseling the needy - personal meditation - community service - conflict resolution Key Concepts Christian mysticism self‑discipline altruism Questions to Reflect On - How can you serve others as an act of worship? - What does silent prayer mean to you? A Different Perspective Quiet prayer may be overlooked in noisy cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heavenly love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavenly-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Thy Neighbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-thy-neighbour/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) ## Related quotes > [Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/who-in-the-days-of-his-flesh-when-he-had-offered-up-prayers-and/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [If God offered to give birth to me again, I would like to be devoid of in a vacuum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/if-god-offered-to-give-birth-to-me-again-i-would-like-to-be-devoid-of/) Mak\_786 > [Christians were instructed to serve others, and the thanksgiving was for the grace of God and the fact that God offered a way for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clayton/christians-were-instructed-to-serve-others-and-the-thanksgiving-was/) [John Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-clayton/) > [God offered me to go in heaven with him, but I refused. God asked-My child, are you afraid of dying. I am not afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhisek-thapa/god-offered-me-to-go-in-heaven-with-him-but-i-refused-god-asked-my/) [Abhisek Thapa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhisek-thapa/) > [“I entered the church, without fear this time, for it was now my house too. I offered prayers to Christ, who is alive. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-entered-the-church-without-fear-this-time-for-it-was-now-my-house/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Men are indeed to be taught that the favour of God is offered, without exception, to all who ask it; but since those only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/men-are-indeed-to-be-taught-that-the-favour-of-god-is-offered-without/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [“What kind of spiritual sacrifices does God expect us to offer? Just as Jesus offered up prayers and petitions during His life on earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-prince/what-kind-of-spiritual-sacrifices-does-god-expect-us-to-offer-just-as/) [Derek Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-prince/) > [I went to Ayodhya, offered my prayers, I got respect even when I was not the Chief Minister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uddhav-thackeray/i-went-to-ayodhya-offered-my-prayers-i-got-respect-even-when-i-was/) [Uddhav Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uddhav-thackeray/) > [Lord, You have told me who You are, You have in mercy revealed Yourself to me, I know You to be that blessed 'gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-spurgeon/lord-you-have-told-me-who-you-are-you-have-in-mercy-revealed-yourself/) [Susannah Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-spurgeon/) > [The commandment to honor our parents echoes the sacred spirit of family relationships in which-at their best-we have sublime expressions of heavenly love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/the-commandment-to-honor-our-parents-echoes-the-sacred-spirit-of/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [My dearest dearest dear Albert sat on a footstool by my side and his excessive love and affection gave me feelings of heavenly love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-victoria/my-dearest-dearest-dear-albert-sat-on-a-footstool-by-my-side-and-his/) [Queen Victoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-victoria/) > [A sage once said, ‘How shall I open my heart, oh friend? It is forbidden for me to speak. I am about to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-hall/a-sage-once-said-how-shall-i-open-my-heart-oh-friend-it-is-forbidden/) [Trevor Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-hall/) > [Pure logical thinking cannot yield us any knowledge of the empirical world. All knowledge of reality starts from experience and ends in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/pure-logical-thinking-cannot-yield-us-any-knowledge-of-the-empirical/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“So heavenly love shall outdo hellish hate, Giving to death, and dying to redeem, So dearly to redeem what hellish hate So easily destroy'd,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/so-heavenly-love-shall-outdo-hellish-hate-giving-to-death-and-dying/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Sensual love deceives one as to the nature of heavenly love; it could not do so alone, but since it unconsciously has the element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/sensual-love-deceives-one-as-to-the-nature-of-heavenly-love-it-could/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More by Bede the Venerable > [“NOTES TO THE INTRODUCTION P. 19 The unusual antiquity and reliability of the earliest surviving manuscripts at Leningrad and Cambridge and the surprisingly large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-the-venerable/notes-to-the-introduction-p-19-the-unusual-antiquity-and-reliability/) [Bede the Venerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-the-venerable/) > [“So my pleasure in addressing you will keep pace with the joy in my heart at the glad news of the complete conversion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-the-venerable/so-my-pleasure-in-addressing-you-will-keep-pace-with-the-joy-in-my/) [Bede the Venerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-the-venerable/) > [“God stirs the air and raises the winds; He makes the lightning flash and thunders out of heaven, to move the inhabitants of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-the-venerable/god-stirs-the-air-and-raises-the-winds-he-makes-the-lightning-flash/) [Bede the Venerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-the-venerable/) > [“It has ever been my delight to learn or to teach or to write.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-the-venerable/it-has-ever-been-my-delight-to-learn-or-to-teach-or-to-write/) [Bede the Venerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-the-venerable/) [Explore all 5 Bede the Venerable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-the-venerable/) ## More Heavenly love quotes > [“So heavenly love shall outdo hellish hate, Giving to death, and dying to redeem, So dearly to redeem what hellish hate So easily destroy'd,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/so-heavenly-love-shall-outdo-hellish-hate-giving-to-death-and-dying/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Pure logical thinking cannot yield us any knowledge of the empirical world. All knowledge of reality starts from experience and ends in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/pure-logical-thinking-cannot-yield-us-any-knowledge-of-the-empirical/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Lord, You have told me who You are, You have in mercy revealed Yourself to me, I know You to be that blessed 'gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-spurgeon/lord-you-have-told-me-who-you-are-you-have-in-mercy-revealed-yourself/) [Susannah Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-spurgeon/) > [Sensual love deceives one as to the nature of heavenly love; it could not do so alone, but since it unconsciously has the element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/sensual-love-deceives-one-as-to-the-nature-of-heavenly-love-it-could/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The commandment to honor our parents echoes the sacred spirit of family relationships in which-at their best-we have sublime expressions of heavenly love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/the-commandment-to-honor-our-parents-echoes-the-sacred-spirit-of/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [My dearest dearest dear Albert sat on a footstool by my side and his excessive love and affection gave me feelings of heavenly love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-victoria/my-dearest-dearest-dear-albert-sat-on-a-footstool-by-my-side-and-his/) [Queen Victoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-victoria/) > [A sage once said, ‘How shall I open my heart, oh friend? It is forbidden for me to speak. I am about to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-hall/a-sage-once-said-how-shall-i-open-my-heart-oh-friend-it-is-forbidden/) [Trevor Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-hall/) > [Religion is life inspired by Heavenly Love; and life is something fresh and cheerful and vigorous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-larcom/religion-is-life-inspired-by-heavenly-love-and-life-is-something/) [Lucy Larcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-larcom/) > [For love is heaven and heaven is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/for-love-is-heaven-and-heaven-is-love/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [O' heavenly you are my love's desire, my heart sings within a stream that flows with flowers and gentle things; your smile moves my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-luckett/o-heavenly-you-are-my-love-s-desire-my-heart-sings-within-a-stream/) [Johnny Luckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-luckett/) > [It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/it-is-only-with-the-heart-that-one-can-see-rightly/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [As the love of the heavens makes us heavenly, the love of virtue virtuous, so doth the love of the world make one become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/as-the-love-of-the-heavens-makes-us-heavenly-the-love-of-virtue/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self; the heavenly by the love of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/two-cities-have-been-formed-by-two-loves-the-earthly-by-the-love-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 14 Heavenly love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavenly-love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Above all else, he was afire with heavenly love, unassumingly patient, devoted to unceasing prayer, and kindly to all who came to him for comfort. 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