Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your request is noted, and I join you in beseeching the Lord, yet I would not have you fix your hope upon outward signs and wonders. If you seek a wife, seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness, and all else shall be added. I have often said that we ought not to account ourselves worse off because we do not work miracles, for the greatest miracle is a transformed life. A man who is meek, lowly, and pure attracts others no less than if he worked signs. Therefore, while you pray for a godly spouse, labor also to become such a man as a godly woman would rejoice to marry.
You ask for miracles; but consider what the apostle Paul accomplished, not by miracles only, but often by his teaching before miracles. The world was not won by wealth or clever speech, but by fishermen who lived holy lives. So do not seek extraordinary signs; instead, seek holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Chastity before marriage, as I have exhorted, preserves the body pure and makes the marriage honorable. If you burn with desire, do not defer marriage overmuch, nor wait until you have amassed great riches, lest delay become a snare. But be not anxious; God knows your need. Pray, then, for a prudent wife, one who will share your life for the procreation of children and mutual help in holiness, not for worldly display.
I will pray with you in the name of Jesus, asking the Lord to guide your steps, to send you a woman who truly shares your faith, and to make the way plain. But let your prayer be, above all, that you both may be preserved pure, so that your marriage may be a true reflection of Christ and the Church. Do not demand a sign, but trust that the same Christ who rose from the dead and proved His resurrection by the lives of the apostles will order your life. For if men were drawn to the gospel without miracles, much more can God bring two souls together without spectacular wonders. Only let your conduct be worthy of the calling.
Now, let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, who didst attend the wedding at Cana and blessed the union of man and woman, look upon this thy servant. Grant him patience, purity, and a heart set on thee. In thy time, bring him a faithful wife, one who will not give up on him but will be his helpmate and companion. Give them both practical means to meet and grow in knowledge of one another. Above all, keep them from the defilement of the world, that their marriage may be honorable and the bed undefiled. For thou art a God of miracles, yet the greatest is a holy life. We ask this in thy precious name. Amen.
You ask for miracles; but consider what the apostle Paul accomplished, not by miracles only, but often by his teaching before miracles. The world was not won by wealth or clever speech, but by fishermen who lived holy lives. So do not seek extraordinary signs; instead, seek holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Chastity before marriage, as I have exhorted, preserves the body pure and makes the marriage honorable. If you burn with desire, do not defer marriage overmuch, nor wait until you have amassed great riches, lest delay become a snare. But be not anxious; God knows your need. Pray, then, for a prudent wife, one who will share your life for the procreation of children and mutual help in holiness, not for worldly display.
I will pray with you in the name of Jesus, asking the Lord to guide your steps, to send you a woman who truly shares your faith, and to make the way plain. But let your prayer be, above all, that you both may be preserved pure, so that your marriage may be a true reflection of Christ and the Church. Do not demand a sign, but trust that the same Christ who rose from the dead and proved His resurrection by the lives of the apostles will order your life. For if men were drawn to the gospel without miracles, much more can God bring two souls together without spectacular wonders. Only let your conduct be worthy of the calling.
Now, let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, who didst attend the wedding at Cana and blessed the union of man and woman, look upon this thy servant. Grant him patience, purity, and a heart set on thee. In thy time, bring him a faithful wife, one who will not give up on him but will be his helpmate and companion. Give them both practical means to meet and grow in knowledge of one another. Above all, keep them from the defilement of the world, that their marriage may be honorable and the bed undefiled. For thou art a God of miracles, yet the greatest is a holy life. We ask this in thy precious name. Amen.
