“The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together. Men will take up arms and even sacrifice their lives for the sake of this love. When harmony prevails, the children are raised well, the household is kept in order, and neighbors, friends, and relatives praise the result. Great benefits, both for families and states are thus produced.”

“Thus money is of no use when we do not have a partner with a good soul.”

“Remind one another that nothing in life is to be feared, except offending God. If your marriage is like this, your perfection will rival the holiest of monks.”

“Just as a virtuous man can never neglect or scorn his wife, so a wanton and licentious man can never love his wife, no matter how beautiful she is. Virtue gives birth to love, and love brings innumerable blessings.”

“So when you see a prostitute setting snares, plotting against you, desiring your body, say to her, “This body is not mine. It belongs to my wife. I do not dare to mistreat it nor to lend it to another woman.” The wife should do the same. Here there is complete equality.”

“When your daughter is to be married, don’t look for how much money a man has. Don’t worry about his nationality or his family’s social position. All these things are superfluous. Look instead for piety, gentleness, wisdom, and the fear of the Lord, if you want your daughter to be happy.”

“If a man willingly suffers for his wife, whom he loves, how much more willingly should we suffer for Christ?”

"Show her that you value her company and prefer being at home to being out. Esteem her in the presence of your friends and children. Praise and show admiration for her good acts; and if she ever does anything foolish, advise her patiently. Pray together at home and go to church; when you come back home, let each ask the other the meaning of the readings and the prayers."

“Tell her that you love her more than your own life, because this present life is nothing, and that your only hope is that the two of you pass through this life in such a way that in the world to come you will be united in perfect love.”

“Whenever you give your wife advice, always begin by telling her how much you love her. Nothing will persuade her so well to admit the wisdom of your words as her assurance that you are speaking to her with sincere affection.”

“No husband should believe any accusation he hears from a third party about his wife, and vice versa; nor should a wife unreasonably monitor her husband’s comings and goings, provided that he has always shown himself to be above suspicion.”

“Love her not so much for her own sake, but for Christ’s sake.”

“Finally, never call her by her name alone, but with terms of endearment, honor, and love. If you honor her, she won’t need honor from others; she won’t desire praise from others if she enjoys the praise that comes from you.”

“A man shall leave his father and mother,” he says; but he does not say, “he shall dwell with,” but instead, “he shall cling” to his wife, thus demonstrating the closeness of the union, and the sincerity of the love.”

“If a man leaves his father for his wife’s sake, and then abandons her for whose sake he left his father, what pardon can he deserve? Do you not see, husband, the great honor that God desires you to give your wife? He has taken you from your father and bound you to her. How can a believing husband say that he has no obligation if his spouse disobeys him?”

“A wife should respect her husband even when he shows her no love, and a husband should love his wife even when she shows him no respect. Then they will both be found to lack nothing, since each has fulfilled the commandment given to him.”

“He would much prefer love to prevail, because where there is love, everything else follows, but where love is absent, fear will be of no use.”

“Yes, if we have a son, we worry about finding him a rich wife, and not about how to develop in him a virtuous nature; we worry how he might acquire money, but not manners. If we engage in business, we don’t think about how it might be free from sin, but how it might bring in the most profit. Money is everything now, and so everything has become corrupted and ruined because we are possessed by this passion for money.”

“Look for affection, gentleness, and humility in a wife; these are the tokens of beauty.”

“Don’t turn your back on your wife because she is not beautiful. Listen to what Scripture says: “The bee is small among flying creatures, but her product is the best of sweet things.” (Sirach 11:3)

“Whatever kind of wife you marry, you will never take a bride like Christ did when he married the Church; you will never marry anyone estranged from you as the Church was from Christ.”

“Suffer anything for her sake, but never disgrace her, for Christ never did this with the Church.”

“Husbands,” he says, “love your wives, as Christ loved the Church.” You have seen the amount of obedience necessary; now hear about the amount of love necessary. Do you want your wife to be obedient to you, as the Church is to Christ? Then be responsible for the same providential care of her, as Christ is for the Church. And even if it becomes necessary for you to give your life for her, yes, and even to endure and undergo suffering of any kind, do not refuse.”

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