SO GOOD QUOTES

Category: TEMPTATION & LUST & VIRGINITY

  • “I do not avoid women, but I do deny them my essence.”

    Ripper
    Dr. Strangelove (1964)

  • How long do you expect life to be? No one can guarantee its extent or quality. But temporary pleasures are not worth the eternal consequence. Consider all your deeds within an eternal perspective.

    ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
    ON REPENTANCE & DEFEATING DESPAIR
    Letters to Theodore

  • Such a person does good without waiting for a commandment. His good nature makes him in no need of a call to do good.

    He does good because it is in his nature, being in God’s image. He does good as a habitual thing, as a breath coming out, without feeling that he is doing something strange or beyond his ability.

    So, seeing it is something normal, he does not boast of doing it.

    On the contrary, he who does not love good finds God’s commandment heavy, and he becomes an enemy to God! He feels that God deprives him of the pleasure of sinning, and that His commandment restricts him, leading him in a way he does not want. Thus God’s way becomes difficult to him and he walks in it forcibly, if ever he does!

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • There are things which it is better for man not to know or to experience. About such things the Scriptures said, “he who increases knowledge increases sorrow” (Eccel 1: 18).

    Satan said to Eve, “in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened.”, and it would have been better for them had they not have their eyes opened to that kind of knowledge.

    It is much better for man to know only good. He would live in happiness and would love the others because he sees only the good in them.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • A chaste person’s look is not lustful but bashful.

    This does not apply only to sex, but even to respect towards elders. The son dares not look boldly to his father but rather with great reverence, not even lifting up his eyes towards him as if in challenge. It is said that St. Abba Pigimi lived for 18 years in the company of holy elders in the monastery, and he never looked any of them fully in the face.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • The woman should not cause offense with her beauty and femininity, nor the man with his temptations, emotions, and promises, or through extending friendship and familiarity. These usually start innocent, in fact or in appearance, then end the opposite way.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • 7. The first thing which kindles ardour in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose? What more chaste than she who bore a body without contact with another body? For why should I speak of her other virtues? She was a virgin not only in body but also in mind, who stained the sincerity of its disposition by no guile, who was humble in heart, grave in speech, prudent in mind, sparing of words, studious in reading, resting her hope not on uncertain riches, but on the prayer of the poor, intent on work, modest in discourse; wont to seek not man but God as the judge of her thoughts, to injure no one, to have goodwill towards all, to rise up before her elders, not to envy her equals, to avoid boastfulness, to follow reason, to love virtue. When did she pain her parents even by a look? When did she disagree with her neighbours? When did she despise the lowly? When did she avoid the needy? Being wont only to go to such gatherings of men as mercy would not blush at, nor modesty pass by. There was nothing gloomy in her eyes, nothing forward in her words, nothing unseemly in her acts, there was not a silly movement, nor unrestrained step, nor was her voice petulant, that the very appearance of her outward being might be the image of her soul, the representation of what is approved. For a well-ordered house ought to be recognized on the very threshold, and should show at the very first entrance that no darkness is hidden within, as our soul hindered by no restraints of the body may shine abroad like a lamp placed within.

    St. Ambrose, Concerning Virginity (Book II)

  • The intellect that has shut out the senses, and has achieved a balance in the body’s temperament, has to fight only against its memories.

    —St. Thalassios the Libyan

  • The thoughts that encompass all evil are eight in number: those of gluttony, unchastity, avarice, anger, dejection, listlessness, self-esteem and pride. It does not lie within our power to decide whether or not these eight thoughts are going to arise and disturb us. But to dwell on them or not to dwell on them, to excite the passions or not to excite them, does lie within our power. 

    —St John of Damaskos

  • We refrain from committing sin, because we love God, others, and ourselves.

    —H.E. Metropolitan Youssef, How to Develop Your Personality