Innocens manibus et mundo corde

For those not fortunate to have the Office of Matins for tomorrow's feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, I present the Third Nocturn, taken from a homily of St. John Chrysostom on Virginity.

"This I say, that virginity is good. And in this I agree likewise, that it is better than marriage. And I will even add, that it is as much more excellent than marriage, as heaven is more noble than earth, or Angels than men, and indeed, if I must say more, even more so. For if Angels neither marry nor are given in marriage, at least, they are not creatures of flesh and blood, they dwell not upon earth, they are exposed to no restless troublings of desire or lust, they need neither meat nor drink, they are not such that sweet sound, or soft song, or the delight of beauty can charm them; there is nothing of this sort to take hold on them and draw them away.

But the human nature which striveth its utmost to follow them, is not so exalted as that of these blessed intelligences. How? Angels marry not nor are given in marriage; neither doth a virgin. Angels stand ever before God, and serve him ; and so doth a virgin. But if a virgin, still weighed down with this body, and unable, like the Angels, to ascend to heaven, doth make it his one great comfort here to be holy in body and in spirit, and to open his heart for a home for the King of heaven―dost thou not see wherein a virgin is higher than an Angel? The excellence of virginity in men over virginity in Angels lieth in this, that it maketh them which are yet earth-dwellers and body-burdened equal to intelligences unshackled by bodies

In what respect, I ask, differed Elijah, Elisha, and John, those great lovers of virginity, from Angels? In nothing, except that their faithfulness was exercised in a dying body. For the rest, if we look carefully, their minds were no otherwise than those of the blessed spirits, and their crown of glory is this that they attained the same honour under conditions less favourable. For consider of what manliness, of what superiority of reason over feeling they must have been possessed, to enable them bravely to fight their way, earth-dwellers and dying creatures as they were, to the bright summit of grace which was theirs."

PS The Church of the Holy Annunciation in Florence, which contains the remains of St. Juliana Falconieri, was where St. Aloysius made his vow of virginity.