Purity is the light of our eyes and the garment of our betrothal to our heavenly Bridegroom, our sweet Lord Jesus.   We have to be sure my brethren, that if we desire the life of purity, God will grant it to us.

“Nothing compares to a chaste soul” (Sirach 26:20).

There are many saints who loved purity from all their hearts and offered their lives as good examples.  I’ll mention four stories to instill in us the love of purity.

First story:

During the attacks of the Arabs on the Christian regions, some of the soldiers attacked a convent, and captured a very beautiful virgin whom the soldiers presented as a gift to their captain.  He wanted to commit a sin with her, but she told him, “Be patient with me for I have a secret which I cannot tell you unless I am a virgin.”  He asked her, “What is it?”  She told him, “It is a special kind of oil that, if someone anoints himself with it before going to war, will prevent the sword or any other kind of weapon from injuring him.  You need this kind of oil badly, because you often go to war.”  He asked her, “How can I be sure of that?”  She held the oil and told him, “Anoint your neck with it and give me the sword to strike you.”  He told her, “No, you anoint your neck first, and I will strike you first.”  Joyfully, she anointed her neck, and said, “Strike with all your strength!” He held the sword and severed her neck.  She became a martyr and a bride for the Lord Christ.  She chose to become a bride for Christ rather than to defile her virginity.  The captain became very sorrowful, and wept bitterly, because he killed the beautiful virgin.  He realized she had done this to avoid defiling her virginity.

Second story:

There was a chaste virgin living quietly in her house.  A young man lustfully looked at her, and used to roam around her house.  She felt very uncomfortable with this.  One day he knocked on the door of her house while she was sewing.  Knowing that he was knocking on her door, she brought the needle and opened the door and asked him, “Why are you coming here?”   He told her, “For your love.” She asked him, “What do you love about me?”  He answered, “Your eyes fascinate me.”  Immediately, she used the needle to pluck out one of her eyes, and threw it at him.  She was about to pluck out the other eye, but he prevented her.  The young man was overwhelmed and regretted his actions; he then repented, and became a monk.

Third story:

When Pope Mathias, the 87th Patriarch was a young man, a girl followed him wherever he went.  He asked her, “Why are you always following me?  What do you like about me?”  She answered, “I like your beautiful eyebrows.”  Immediately, he took a rock and scraped off his eyebrows.  Bleeding heavily, he gave the rock to her saying, “Take what you so desire.”  Seeing this, she was scared from his boldness and his love for purity.  She fled away.

Forth story: 

During the Roman persecutions, the rulers were amazed at the Christian’s firmness in their faith, and realized that there was a strong relationship between the power of faith and the life of purity.  Hence, they tried to tempt the martyrs to fall in the sin of adultery.  They did this to St George and other saints. 

One of those saints was a young man who refused to deny the faith so they tied him to a bed with ropes.  They brought a sinful woman to seduce him.  Being unable to escape, he found that the only organ he could use to defend himself was his tongue.  So he bit his tongue, and bleeding heavily, spat on her.  She was horrified, and fled away.  Hence, this chaste youth sacrificed his tongue and blood to preserve his chastity and purity!

May God help us to keep ourselves pure all the days of our life.