Becoming a Community of Disciples

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Becoming a Community of Disciples

20 Accordingly, anyone who is truly self-controlled does not desire human glory, but restrains himself from vices such as wrath and despondency and all those obsessions which untaught and incautious souls are wont 14 to cling to. 21 One might go so far as to say that among all the commandments of God we find that the one is so linked with the other that it is impossible to accomplish one in isolation from another. 22 This is found to be especially the case with self-control itself, in that the humble person is judged to be one who has restrained himself from pride 23 and one who has renounced all his property and, according to the Gospel, sold all his possessions and distributed them to all (cf. Matt 19:21) is without a doubt one who has restrained himself from the desire of money. 24 And the meek too will be one who has mastered his wrath and checked his rage. 25 And the wandering looks of the eye, the listening of the ear and the looseness of the tongue—what else but self-control can subdue and check them? 26 Yes, and self-control also curbs immoderate 15 laughter, just as a mark of intemperance is the kind of laughter that is accompanied by disorderly and unruly gestures. Since the cheerfulness of the mind need only be indicated by smiling, 27 it is unseemly to lift up a cackling laughter in a loud din, which is certainly wont to happen, even involuntarily, through intemperance of mind. 28 Such laughter usually softens and undermines gravity and constancy of mind, whence Solomon says: Of laughter I have said it is madness (Eccles 2:2) and, as the crackle

14 Wont – accustomed. 15 Immoderate – excessive.