OF THE SAME: ON CONTINENCE
A To me it always seems most useful and appropriate for the servants of Christ to discuss continence; but especially now we shall make this the topic of our discourse to you, at this time when the children of the Church, having put on Christ, ought to possess continence above all other goods. B For even he who, when he has seen athletes deemed worthy of the Olympics, having anointed themselves and descending into the stadium, then discourses to them regarding wrestling and endurance and victory, would rightly be thought by everyone to have done so at an appropriate time. And so we too, having seen the athletes of the Savior, having received power from the Spirit through the divine mysteries, have deemed it right, after having discoursed on continence, to send them forth to the spiritual contest. Now, in human C contests the crown follows the victory; but in the stadiums of Christ, the crown precedes the victory. But why does Christ send us into the struggle crowned? So that He may strike fear into our adversaries and lift up our own spirits: so that, looking toward the honor given to us by God, we may neither say nor do anything unworthy of the Lord. For if some king, clothed in purple and adorned on his head with a crown, were to behave in a way unworthy of his royal majesty due to the affections of nature, as soon as he looks upon his royal robe, he corrects himself and strives so that he may not henceforth be overcome by base desires. And you, too, having put on Christ, once the shameful desire of the soul is avoided, immediately look toward the divine robe, and you will be improved straightaway, and you will not be harmed by the arts of the wicked one. Therefore it is noble to commend continence with praises, but more noble to possess it. And indeed, those who speak and hear much about continence are not a little encouraged toward it. And for this reason God ordained that the virtues of the saints be celebrated in the holy Scriptures, so that all men might be drawn into their imitation, and by diligently following their footsteps, might be persuaded to produce continence. For if in gymnastic contests many, seeing the athletes crowned, are inflamed and even strip themselves and endure many sweats and labors, so that they may be crowned with branches of either olive or laurel: how much more does it behoove us to endure sweats for the sake of continence with alacrity, when we see others crowned by God, that we may be adorned with heavenly crowns for good and salutary deeds? How is it not grave and worthy of much D anger if a laurel or olive leaf and the glory of this transitory life entice the athletes, but we are moved by nothing of Christ’s gifts, so that we might remove all pleasure and prefer the fear of God to desires? Furthermore, we see such imitation not only in men, but even in brute animals. For doves, too, when one is seen flying away, often all immediately follow: and a noble colt, leaping into a herd of horses, carries the whole herd with him. And among you, as in the herd of Christ, the most continent colt is Joseph, calling us fellow-servants to the imitation of himself by his heavenly exultations. Let us therefore dance the spiritual dance with the good young man, praising his continence, not only in words, but by the imitation of our deeds. He, therefore, he was the diligent and perpetual guardian of continence, though it was in his power to command the queen herself and spend his time in delights and luxury, rich and voluptuous. Nevertheless, although likely to be the master of such and so many things, when he had considered that riches indeed and power and glory pass away with the present life, and only have the gain of temporal things, but the virtue of the soul alone has no end, for that reason he injected the fear of Christ into his pleasures, like a certain bridle. Riches, however, and delights, and the promises of the mistress he mocked, deeming misery in prison sweeter than splendid mansions, even though for those who are excellently beautiful it is difficult to master pleasure. This man, however, showed such a specimen of continence that he hid the beauty of the body with the beauty of the soul, comparable to a certain beautiful star in the form of his body, but to angels in the grace of his soul. But it behooves us to admire not only the young man’s continence, but also the dangers he sustained for it, he who judged it more grievous and terrible than death to serve pleasures. But he who has diligently recognized his virtue and spent time in those moments in which he kept his soul pure will admire it. For before the Lord and Maker of the universe appeared on earth, he guarded the liberty of his mind. He was educated in the house of the impious, he had many urging him to worse things, he lacked a teacher of continence. All served pleasure, indulged the belly, did nothing pious, nothing holy: yet in such a corona of impious men, seeing the mistress lying (in expectation), he did not become a betrayer of heavenly treasures, but guarded the temple of the Spirit inviolable, preferring to die rather than serve pleasures. He had not heard Paul saying that our bodies are members of Christ (1 Cor. 6:15): and before he heard the divine voice, he appeared no less than those who are honored with heavenly promises, teaching us in the Churches how we ought to contend and to keep the soul uncorrupted. For if I, Joseph can say, who lived before Christ was born, and did not hear the exalted apostle Paul crying out that our bodies are members of Christ, thought it worthy of God’s servants to master pleasure, and was not found a spendthrift of continence, although I saw many dangers prepared: how much does it behoove you, with