January 13, 2013

A True Spouse


By Metropolitan Meletios of Nikopoleos

Vaso and Taki married young, but Vaso was very good and religious while Taki, though he was very good, was indifferent to religion.

Vaso saw his beautiful character with which he treated her with much love, but he also rejoiced very much for the love of his wife. One day Taki asked his wife:

"Vaso, I see that you do me every favor and never tell me no. What do you want from me?"

"I have everything", she responded to him, "I want nothing."

But he insisted:

"But I also want to do something for you. Tell me, and whatever you want will happen."

"Since you insist, I will tell you. The only thing I want is for you also to do your cross, when we eat, when we go to sleep...."

Taki became a little cloudy, but conquered by her goodness and the humility of the woman, he told her: "It will happen, my golden one! Since you want it, it will happen." And he learned to do his cross.

How did Vaso accomplish this? She accomplished it because she did not apply pressure, stress and endless advice to her husband, because she saw these things do not turn out well. She treated him with kindness, goodness and love, to the point where Taki felt so good, that he himself wanted to reciprocate something for her love.

From Οι σχέσεις των συζύγων. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.