The Church Fathers on Pure Purity or Evil Lust? - WordPress.com
The Church Fathers on Pure Purity or Evil Lust? - WordPress.com
The Church Fathers on Pure Purity or Evil Lust? - WordPress.com
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<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Church</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Fathers</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Pure</strong> <strong>Purity</strong> <strong>or</strong> <strong>Evil</strong> <strong>Lust</strong>? 2010“C<strong>on</strong>cerning your body, and the passi<strong>on</strong>s which afflict its members.....reverence the h<strong>on</strong>ourwith which God has dignified the body, and do not reduce it to the vile c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s of sinfullust.” -St. John Chrysostom“Christians practice self-c<strong>on</strong>trol and exercise c<strong>on</strong>tinence, observe m<strong>on</strong>ogamy, guardchastity, and wipe out all injustice, destroying sin with its root.” – St. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>ophilus of Antioch“In the sixteenth year of the age of my flesh…, the madness of raging lust exercised itsdomini<strong>on</strong> over me (through sexual desire), and my invisible enemy trod me down andseduced me. In my sexual involvements, I drew my shackles al<strong>on</strong>g with me, terrified to havethem taken off me. What made me a slave to lust was the bait of satisfying and insatiablemomentary urge.” -St. Augustine of Hippo“Living a chaste Christian life is sometimes m<strong>or</strong>e difficult than suffering a martyr’s death.” -St. Mark the Ascetic“<strong>Lust</strong>ful st<strong>or</strong>ies and drawings set up market-places f<strong>or</strong> imm<strong>or</strong>ality, and establish infamousopp<strong>or</strong>tunities f<strong>or</strong> the young to practice every s<strong>or</strong>t of c<strong>or</strong>rupt please.” -Athenag<strong>or</strong>as (2ndcent. Athenian Christian philosopher)“<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> princes of evil have blinded me with their passi<strong>on</strong>s and by their cunningness they haverobbed me of the beauty of my youth. What can I do, now that I have lost my purity? I willcry out to Christ, that He might return my beauty to me- and then will the evil <strong>on</strong>es beashamed. My Savi<strong>or</strong> cries out to me, to His disciple: do not despair of the salvati<strong>on</strong>; I willrest<strong>or</strong>e you and f<strong>or</strong>give you your sins. I have found you and I will not leave you; f<strong>or</strong> I haveredeemed you with my very own Blood. Cry out, O sinner, with all your might, and spare notyour throat; f<strong>or</strong> your L<strong>or</strong>d is merciful and loves those who repent. As so<strong>on</strong> as you return,your Father will <strong>com</strong>e out bef<strong>or</strong>ehand to meet you. He will slaughter the fatted calf, clotheyou in a fine robe, and rejoice in you.” -St. Ephraim the Syrian2Bishoy’s Blog <strong>on</strong> Coptic Orthodoxy
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