Question
Words of wisdom from St John Climacus, whom we commemorate today, on the married life:
Some people living carelessly in the world put a question to me: "How can we who are married and living amid public cares aspire to the monastic life?" I answered: "Do whatever you may. Speak evil of no one. Tell no lie. Despise no one and carry no hate. Do not separate yourself from the church assemblies. Show compassion to the needy. Do not be a cause of scandal to anyone. Stay away from the bed of another, and be satisfied with what your own wives can provide you. If you do all this, you will not be far from the kingdom of heaven".
St John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Never mistake the monastic life for being superior or inferior to the married life.
Some people living carelessly in the world put a question to me: "How can we who are married and living amid public cares aspire to the monastic life?" I answered: "Do whatever you may. Speak evil of no one. Tell no lie. Despise no one and carry no hate. Do not separate yourself from the church assemblies. Show compassion to the needy. Do not be a cause of scandal to anyone. Stay away from the bed of another, and be satisfied with what your own wives can provide you. If you do all this, you will not be far from the kingdom of heaven".
St John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Never mistake the monastic life for being superior or inferior to the married life.
Labels: Feast Days, Monasticism, Quotations
posted by Constantine at 2:48:00 am
3 Comments:
"If any one saith, that the marriage state is to be placed above the state of virginity, or of celibacy, and that it is not better and more blessed to remain in virginity, or in celibacy, than to be united in matrimony; let him be anathema." -Council of Trent, Session XXIV: Canon X
Well, Trent was wrong, just as it was wrong about the words of consecration being the sole essence of the consecration of the Holy Gifts.
Be satisfied with your own wife, aperantly my ex wife wasn't satisfied.
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