The Wasteland of Lust: Church Fathers Cry of Repentance
Hearken, O brethren, and incline your ears! The earth lies desolate, the cities in ashes, and the hearts of men are hardened, not by famine nor by war, but by the insatiable craving of the flesh, which is always disordered, enslaving, and without end. Augustine teaches that concupiscence, flowing from the first transgression, bends reason to serve desire, and darkens the mind. Chrysostom cries: pleasure of the flesh sought for itself never rests, never satisfies, and enslaves the soul.
Scripture commands: “Flee fornication” (1 Corinthians 6:18), and, “the unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:32). Let all know: virginity and continence are the crown and weapon of the faithful, for the flesh finds rest only in restraint, and the soul ascends to God in purity. Jerome declares: “Virginity is a crown, continence a weapon; he who conquers the flesh reigns with God.” Gregory of …More