"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
“A friend is more to be longed for than the light; I speak of a genuine one. And wonder not: for it were better for us that the sun should be extinguished, than that we should be deprived of friends; better to live in darkness, than to be without friends”
– St. John Chrysostom
“Procure books [of the Bible] that will be medicines for the soul. At least get a copy of the New Testament, the Apostle’s epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers.
If you encounter grief, dive into them as into a chest of medicines; take from them comfort for your trouble, whether it be loss, or death, or bereavement over the loss of relations.
Don’t simply dive into them. Swim in them. Keep them constantly in your mind. The cause of all evils is the failure to know the Scriptures well.” – St. John Chrysostom
“Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our confidence in being heard must be based on God’s mercy and His love for men. Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved.” – St. John Chrysostom
Yesterday’s post was rather long, so I’ll keep this one nice and short.
After the Office Christmas Party this weekend one of my coworkers, Kevin, and his girlfriend got engaged. This put me in mind of two of my favourite quotations from the Early Church Fathers on the subject of love and marriage.
As I think I’ve said before, one of the things which constantly surprises me is that, although these men lived so long ago, they have so much wisdom from which today’s world could benefit.
The first quotation comes from a priest of the late 4th Century called John. His preaching was so renowned, he acquired the name “golden mouth” or in Greek “chrysostomos”. He is most commonly referred to as St. John Chrysostom. He is one of the few to be declared a “Doctor of the Church”, a greatly deserved title.
“An intelligent, discreet, and pious young woman is worth more than all the money in the world. Tell her that you love her more than your own life, because this present life is nothing, and that your only hope is that the two of you pass through this life in such a way that, in the world to come, you will be united in perfect love” – St. John Chrysostom
Beautiful, isn’t it? Superb advice – you’d never guess he was a celibate priest… 😉