John Chrysostom, On Saint Thecla Martyr

anxiety; when they are healthy, the fear that they might get sick; when they are sick, the cowardice lest they die; when they die, the fear of contempt that will then be upon the childless; when they do not die, how the care for the living is heavier, whence the provision for the children's education, whence the preparation of a marriage contract for them, whence the decency of clothing, whence the distribution of servants to each, what of their possessions to assign to the elder, how to appease the younger one who is envious. The unmarried woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. I do not decry the nature of marriage; for this is the common providence of our race; but I publicize the anxiety in marriage, I set a heavenly anxiety before carnal anxiety, I prefer something more beautiful to something beautiful. The virgin is also superior to the penalties against Eve; for "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you," is powerless for those who are not ruled by men; "In pain you shall bring forth children," is inactive for virgins; for she who does not give birth is outside the sentence of painful labor. Already the virgin delights in the pledges of the things to come; already you dwell with the holiness of the resurrection.

For in the 50.748 resurrection, he says, they neither marry nor are given in marriage. For this reason the fall of the matter is very great, because the achievement is also great; for this reason the licentiousness of a virgin is more defiling than that of a prostitute; for the corruption of a virgin and a prostitute is not the same; the corruption of a common woman and a queen is not the same; the theft of a sacred vessel and a common one is not the same. For the virgin is a sacred vessel, a royal purple, which it is not lawful for another to be joined to except the King of all, a bride always possessing a virgin marriage. O blessed marriages, whose bridal bed is virginity. For these things were the dangers of the blessed martyr; for she saw the beauty of the bridegroom, and was not drawn away from the sight; her mother pressed upon her, urging her to marriage, but she cried out to the bridegroom in the heavens; To you I have lifted up my eyes, who dwells in heaven; a suitor visited her, tickling her with marital talk, but she arranged herself with Christ, saying, My soul has clung to you; relatives flocked, flattering her, but she imagined Paul testifying; I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ; servants pleaded with tears, but she sang lovingly to the bridegroom; Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? judges terrified her with punishments, but with spirit she trampled them all, crying out; Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.

But as it was necessary for statues of virginity to be erected for the martyr even on the roads, a trial of this kind happens to the girl. Released from the judgment, she pursued Paul as her prey, and guided by rumors she was emboldened by the roads leading to Paul. But the devil was watching the girl, and having watched her traveling, he sends the suitor against the girl, a robber of her virginity as in a wilderness. And indeed, as the noble girl was completing the road, the lecherous suitor, watching from behind, shouted for her capture; a difficulty with no way out from any side; the one attacking is strong, the one being attacked is weak. Where is a refuge of refuge in the wilderness? But the virgin, turning towards heaven, to the one who is present everywhere to all who call, cried out with wailing; O Lord my God, in you I have hoped. ***

ἀγωνία· ὅταν ὑγιαίνωσι, μὴ νοσήσωσι φόβος· ὅταν νοσήσωσι, δειλία μὴ τελευτήσωσιν· ὅταν τελευτήσωσιν, ὡς ἐπ' ἀτέκνῳ λοιπὸν ἔσεσθαι καταφρόνησιν φόβος· ὅταν μὴ τελευτήσωσιν, ὡς ὑπὲρ ζώντων ἡ φροντὶς βαρυτέρα, πόθεν εἰς παίδευσιν χορηγία τοῖς τέκνοις, πόθεν αὐτοῖς γαμικοῦ παρασκευὴ συναλλάγματος, πόθεν ἐσθημάτων εὐσχημοσύνη, πόθεν οἰκετῶν ἑκάστῳ διανομὴ, ποῖα τῶν ὄντων προσνείμῃ τῷ μείζονι, πῶς τὸν μικρότερον θεραπεύσει φθονοῦντα. Ἡ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία καὶ σώματι καὶ πνεύματι. Οὐ τοῦ γάμου στηλιτεύω τὴν φύσιν· πρόνοια γὰρ οὗτος τοῦ γένους κοινή· ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐν γάμῳ δημοσιεύω τὴν μέριμναν, μερίμνης σαρκικῆς οὐράνιον προτίθημι μέριμναν, κάλλιον καλοῦ προτιμῶ. Κρείττων καὶ τῶν κατὰ τῆς Εὔας ἡ παρθένος προστίμων· τὸ γὰρ, Πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει, ταῖς παρ' ἀνδρῶν μὴ δεσποζομέναις ἀνίσχυρον· τὸ, Ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα, ταῖς παρθενευούσαις ἀργόν· ἡ γὰρ μὴ τίκτουσα τῆς τῶν λυπηρῶν ὠδίνων ἐκτὸς ἀποφάσεως. Ἤδη τοῖς τῶν μελλόντων ἡ παρθένος ἐντρυφᾷς ἀῤῥαβῶσιν· ἤδη τῷ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἁγιασμῷ συνοικεῖς.

Ἐν γὰρ τῇ 50.748 ἀναστάσει, φησὶν, οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμίσκονται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ πτῶμα τοῦ πράγματος πάμμεγα, ἐπειδήπερ καὶ τὸ κατόρθωμα· διὰ τοῦτο τῆς πορνευομένης ἡ τῆς παρθενευομένης ἀσέλγεια μιαρωτέρα· οὐ γὰρ ἴσον παρθενευομένης καὶ πορνευομένης φθορά· οὐκ ἴσον ἰδιώτιδος καὶ βασιλίδος φθορά· οὐκ ἴσον σκεύους ἱερατικοῦ καὶ ἀγοραίου κλοπή. Σκεῦος γὰρ ἱερατικὸν ἡ παρθένος, πορφυρὶς, ἣν οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἄλλῳ πλὴν τῷ τῶν ὅλων βασιλεῖ προσηρμόσθαι, νύμφη γάμον ἀεὶ κεκτημένη παρθένον. Ὢ μακαρίων γάμων, ὧν ἡ στρωμνὴ παρθενία. Ὑπὲρ τούτων τῆς μακαρίας οἱ κίνδυνοι μάρτυρος· εἶδε γὰρ τοῦ νυμφίου τὸ κάλλος, καὶ τῆς θέας οὐκ ἀπεσπᾶτο· ἐπέκειτο μήτηρ πρὸς γάμον ἐπείγουσα, ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς διεβόα νυμφίον· Πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· ἐπεφοίτα μνηστὴρ διαλέξει γαμικῇ γαργαλίζων, ἡ δὲ τῷ Χριστῷ καθ' ἑαυτὴν συνετάττετο, Ἐκολλήθη ἡ ψυχή μου ὀπίσω σου, λέγουσα· συνέῤῥεον συγγενεῖς κολακεύοντες, ἡ δὲ διαμαρτυρόμενον ἐφαντάζετο Παῦλον· Ἡρμοσάμην σε ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ· ἱκέτευον οἰκέται σὺν δάκρυσιν, ἡ δὲ προσῇδεν ἐρωτικῶς τῷ νυμφίῳ· Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; ἐφόβουν δικασταὶ τιμωρίαις, ἡ δὲ φρονήματι πάσας κατεπάτει βοῶντι· Οἱ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶ φόβος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων, ἀλλὰ τῶν κακῶν.

Ὡς δὲ ἔδει κἂν ταῖς ὁδοῖς παρθενίας ἀνδριάντας ἀναστῆναι τῇ μάρτυρι, γίνεταί τι τοιοῦτον τῇ παιδὶ πειρατήριον. Ἀφεμένη τῆς κρίσεως τὴν Παύλου μετεδίωκε θήραν, καὶ ταῖς φήμαις ὁδηγουμένη κατεθάῤῥει καὶ ὁδῶν ἀγουσῶν ἐπὶ Παῦλον. Ἐτήρει δὲ ἄρα τὴν κόρην διάβολος, καὶ τηρήσας ὁδοιποροῦσαν ἐπιστρατεύει τὸν μνηστῆρα τῇ κόρῃ, τῆς παρθενίας ὡς ἐν ἐρημίᾳ λῃστήν. Καὶ δὴ πληρούσῃ τὴν ὁδὸν τῇ γενναίᾳ ἱππόπορνος κατόπιν ὁ μνηστὴρ ὀπιπεύων ἐπωλόλυζε σύλληψιν· ἄπορος πανταχόθεν στενοχωρία· ὁ πολεμῶν ἰσχυρὸς, ἡ πολεμουμένη σαθρά. Ποῦ τις ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καταφυγῆς καταφυγή; Στραφεῖσα δὲ πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἡ παρθένος, πρὸς τὸν πᾶσι πανταχοῦ τοῖς καλοῦσι παρόντα σὺν οἰμωγαῖς ἀνωλόλυζε· Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα. ***