John Chrysostom, On Virginity

demanding, when especially the payment is made with much gratitude. But not by this alone does he comfort the listener, but also by contracting what is harsh into brief words, before the hearer feels pain, jumping to more pleasant things and dwelling on these more.

30 Why, if marriage is honorable, does the apostle exhort those who are fasting to abstain from intercourse. It is worthwhile to examine this too, why indeed, if marriage is honorable and the marriage bed undefiled, he does not allow it to have a place at the time of fasting and prayer. Because it was utterly absurd for the Jews—for whom all things carnal were prescribed, for whom it was permitted to have two wives and to cast out some and bring in others—to take such forethought for the matter as, when they were about to hear divine words, to abstain even from lawful intercourse, and this not for one or two days only but for more; while we who enjoy so much grace, who have received the Spirit, who have died, who have been buried with Christ, who have been deemed worthy of adoption, who have been raised to such an honor, after so many and so great good things, not even to arrive at the same zeal as those infants. But if anyone should persist in asking again, why Moses himself kept the Jews from this intercourse, I would say this: that although marriage is honorable, it could only reach the point of not defiling the one who uses it, but to also make them holy is no longer within its power but belongs to virginity. That not only Moses nor Paul gave these commands, listen to what Joel says: “Sanctify a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the congregation, gather the elders.” But perhaps you ask this, where did he command to abstain from a wife? “Let the bridegroom,” he says, “go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her bridal chamber.” For this is a greater command than that of Moses. For if a bridegroom and bride, in whom the desire is at its peak, in whom youth is vigorous, in whom longing is unrestrainable, ought not to come together during the time of fasting and prayer, how much more so the rest who do not have such a great necessity for intercourse? For one who prays as he ought and is fasting must cast away all worldly desire, all care and distraction and, having gathered himself from every side, so approach God properly. For this reason fasting is also a good thing because it cuts off the cares of the soul and, by checking the indifference that floods the mind, it turns the whole intellect back to itself. Paul, hinting at this, leads away from intercourse and uses the word very appropriately. For he did not say, ‘that you might not be defiled,’ but “that you may have leisure for fasting and prayer,” as if intercourse with a wife leads not to impurity but to a lack of leisure.

31 That he necessarily made those who were about to devote themselves to prayer abstain from intercourse. For where now, after so great a security, the devil attempts to hinder us at the time of prayer, if he should find a soul that is distracted and softened by sympathy for a wife, what then will he accomplish by fanning the eyes of the mind hither and thither? In order that we may not suffer this, nor, at the very time we are eager to make God propitious to us, then offend him through such a vain prayer, he commands to be rid of the marriage bed at that time.

32 That by praying carelessly we not only do not propitiate God but also provoke him. For if those who approach kings—why do I say kings?—but indeed slaves petitioning the lowest rulers and masters, whether they do this having been wronged by others, or themselves needing to receive some good, or hastening to quell some anger raised against them, having turned their eyes and their whole intellect toward them, so make their petition, and if they are even a little careless, they not only do not succeed in what they were asking for, but are also thrust away having received some harm in addition. If those wishing to stop the anger of men, with so much

ἀπαιτοῦσαν, ὅτε μάλιστα καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης ἡ ἔκτισις γίνεται. Οὐ τούτῳ δὲ μόνον παραμυθεῖται τὸν ἀκροατὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τὸ μὲν τραχὺ βραχέσι συστεῖλαι ῥήμασι, πρὶν ἢ δὲ ἀλγῆσαι τὸν ἀκούοντα ἐπὶ τὰ ἡδύτερα μεταπηδῆσαι καὶ τούτοις ἐνδιατρῖψαι μᾶλλον.

30 ∆ιὰ τί εἰ τίμιος ὁ γάμος τοῖς νηστεύουσι παραινεῖ ὁ ἀπόστολος συνουσίας ἀπέχεσθαι. Ἄξιον δὲ ἐξετάσαι κἀκεῖνο, τί δήποτε, εἴπερ τίμιος ὁ γάμος καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος, οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν χώραν ἔχειν ἐν τῷ τῆς νηστείας καὶ τῆς προσευχῆς καιρῷ. Ὅτι τῶν σφόδρα ἀτόπων ἦν Ἰουδαίους μέν-οἷς ἅπαντα τὰ σωματικὰ διατετύπωτο, οἷς καὶ δύο γυναῖκας ἔχειν ἠφεῖτο καὶ τὰς μὲν ἐκβάλλειν, τὰς δὲ ἀντεισάγειν-τοσαύτην ποιεῖσθαι τοῦ πράγματος πρόνοιαν ὡς μέλλοντας θείων ἀκούειν λόγων ἀποστῆναι καὶ τῆς κατὰ νόμον μίξεως καὶ ταῦτα οὐ μίαν οὐδὲ δύο μόνον ἡμέρας ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείους, ἡμᾶς δὲ τοὺς τοσαύτης ἀπολαύοντας χάριτος, τοὺς πνεῦμα λαβόντας, τοὺς νεκρωθέντας, τοὺς συνταφέντας τῷ Χριστῷ, τοὺς υἱοθεσίας ἀξιωθέντας, τοὺς εἰς τοσαύτην ἀναχθέντας τιμὴν μετὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα ἀγαθὰ μηδὲ εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἀφικέσθαι τοῖς νηπίοις ἐκείνοις σπουδήν. Εἰ δὲ ἐπιμένοι τις πάλιν ζητῶν, αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Μωϋσῆς διὰ τί τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τῆς ὁμιλίας ταύτης ἀπήγαγεν, ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι ὅτι εἰ καὶ τίμιος ὁ γάμος ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοσούτου φθάσαι δύναιτ' ἂν ὥστε μὴ μολῦναι τὸν χρώμενον, τὸ δὲ καὶ ἁγίους ἀποφαίνειν, οὐκέτι τῆς ἐκείνου δυνάμεως ἀλλὰ τῆς παρθενίας ἐστίν. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ Μωϋσῆς μόνον οὐδὲ Παῦλος ταῦτα παρήγγελον, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Ἰωήλ· «Ἁγιάσατε νηστείαν, κηρύξατε θεραπείαν, συναγάγετε ἐκκλησίαν, συναγάγετε πρεσβυτέρους.» Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο ἴσως ζητεῖς, ποῦ γυναικὸς ἀπέχεσθαι ἐκέλευσεν; «Ἐξελθέτω», φησί, «νυμφίος ἐκ τοῦ κοιτῶνος αὐτοῦ καὶ νύμφη ἐκ τοῦ παστοῦ αὐτῆς.» Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ Μωσαϊκοῦ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἐπιτάγματος. Εἰ γὰρ νυμφίον καὶ νύμφην, οἷς ἀκμάζει τὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, οἷς ἡ νεότης σφριγᾷ, οἷς ὁ πόθος ἀκάθεκτος, οὐ χρὴ συνιέναι κατὰ τὸν τῆς νηστείας καιρὸν καὶ τῆς προσευχῆς, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τοὺς λοιποὺς τοὺς οὐκ ἔχοντας τοσαύτην μίξεως ἀνάγκην; Τὸν γὰρ εὐχόμενον ὡς χρὴ καὶ νηστεύοντα πάντα ἀπορρῖψαι δεῖ πόθον βιωτικόν, πᾶσαν φροντίδα καὶ διάχυσιν καὶ πανταχόθεν ἑαυτὸν συναγαγόντα καλῶς οὕτω προσιέναι τῷ Θεῷ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ νηστεία καλὸν ὅτι περικόπτει τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς φροντίδας καὶ τὴν περιρρέουσαν τὸν νοῦν ὀλιγωρίαν ἀναστέλλουσα ὅλην πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐπιστρέφει τὴν διάνοιαν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος αἰνιττόμενος ἀπάγει τῆς μίξεως καὶ τῇ λέξει σφόδρα καιρίως κέχρηται. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν· ἵνα μὴ μολυνθῆτε, ἀλλ' «Ἵνα σχολάζητε τῇ νηστείᾳ καὶ τῇ προσευχῇ», ὡς τῆς πρὸς γυναῖκα ὁμιλίας οὐκ εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν ἀλλ' εἰς ἀσχολίαν ἀγούσης.

31 Ὅτι ἀναγκαίως ἀπέστησε συνουσίας τοὺς μέλλοντας σχολάζειν εὐχῇ. Ὅπου γὰρ νῦν μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ἀσφάλειαν πειρᾶται ἐμποδίζειν ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸν τῆς προσευχῆς καιρὸν ὁ διάβολος, ἂν διακεχυμένην λάβῃ ψυχὴν καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα συμπαθείας μεμαλαγμένην, τί οὖν ἐργάσεται τῇδε κἀκεῖσε τοὺς τῆς διανοίας ἀναρριπίζων ὀφθαλμούς; Ὅπερ ἵνα μὴ πάθωμεν μηδὲ ὅτε μάλιστα ἵλεω σπουδάζομεν ἡμῖν καταστῆσαι τὸν Θεόν, τότε αὐτῷ προσκρούωμεν διὰ τῆς οὕτω ματαίας εὐχῆς, κελεύει τῆς κοίτης ἀπηλλάχθαι τότε.

32 Ὅτι ῥαθύμως εὐχόμενοι οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐξιλεούμεθα ἀλλὰ καὶ παροξύνομεν τὸν Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι προσιόντες-τί λέγω βασιλεῦσιν; - ἐσχάτοις μὲν οὖν ἄρχουσι καὶ δεσπόταις δοῦλοι ἐντυγχάνοντες, ἄν τε ὑφ' ἑτέρων ἠδικημένοι τοῦτο ποιῶσιν ἄν τε αὐτοὶ δεόμενοι παθεῖν εὖ ἄν τε ὀργήν τινα καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἐγηγερμένην κοιμίσαι σπεύδοντες καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ἅπασαν ἐπιστρέψαντες πρὸς ἐκείνους, οὕτω ποιοῦνται τὴν ἐντυχίαν, κἂν μικρὸν ἀπορραθυμήσωσιν, οὐ μόνον οὐ κατώρθωσαν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐδέοντο ἀλλὰ καὶ κακόν τι προσλαβόντες ἀπώσθησαν. Εἰ οἱ θυμὸν ἀνθρώπων παῦσαι βουλόμενοι, τοσαύτῃ