Chapter Nine. | Lessons by Our Holy Father John Chrysostom on Education.

Chapter Nine. Lessons by Our Holy Father John Chrysostom on Education. Con’t.

20. With whom shall a monk speak? With the walls of his cell, or his blanket? With the desert or the bushes? With the hills or the trees?!
Thus he does not need the same teaching, in spite of the fact that he is striving to perfect himself in it — not in order to teach others, but to teach himself.

What about those people who live in this (worldly) life?
They are in total need of this teaching; for the worldly man is presented with more causes of temptation than the monk. And if you please, know, that with such an education a man will be the most pleasant of men. All will begin to respect him when they see that he is not irascible and seeking after power. Know this, educate your children in the discipline and knowledge of the Lord.

And if some one be poor?
Let him remain poor. It will never be the worse for him if he does not serve among the courtiers; to the contrary, he could become the object of wonder. For if the hellenists — who are a dime a dozen, cynics — who are accepted by those who cost a dime a dozen, philosophers (meaning Greek philosophers), or rather, philosophers only in name, dressed up in mantles with flowing hair, are able to put many to shame; cannot the true lover of wisdom do much more? If a false appearance alone, the mere shadow of philosophy can so exalt a man, what can be said of the love for true and enlightened wisdom? Will not everyone begin to respect such a man? Will they not entrust to him without reservation their houses, wives and children?


St. Theophan the Recluse