Introduction to the Devout Life: Third Part--Chapter 39

Journeying With The Saints

Hello, Catholic Pilgrims, welcome to another great day. Today, St. Francis is going to continue on with his talk for married couples, but he’s going to be speaking about the intimate side of marriage and, so, if you have little ones around, you may want to chose to listen later.

He doesn’t get graphic or anything like that, in fact, he uses eating food as a metaphor for the marital act, which might sound funny until we get into the reading.

The first time I went to Ephesus, our tour guide took us all over and explained many of the structures that we were seeing. One of the structures that we came across had these open holes, but they were kind of out in the open, so they weren’t for using the bathroom. Let me just say, there were many things that were particularly hard about being a woman in the ancient world, but the public bathroom situation was way better for women than men. Men just sat, basically in a big room together, sitting on open holes, and discussing politics and other matters while using the John. That is just the grossest thing ever.

Anyway, back to the other open holes. These holes were used for throwing up. The ancients, the well-to-do’s, at least, would have feasts, and they would gorge themselves, throw up, and then go back to gorge some more. Utter gluttony and no self-control.

You probably felt a bit disgusted hearing that, as I did, and we should. That’s a horrible thing to do. So, what about sexual relationships with our spouse? Should we engage uncontrollably and with no discipline?

Let’s see what St. Francis has to say as we turn to Chapter Thirty-Nine of the Third Part.