The Ten Commandments of Orthodox Spouses
The following was taken from the book Practical Guide of Orthodoxy and Orthopraxia by Priest Michael, published by Orthodox Kypseli Publications. This is a wonderful book for those new to the faith as well as those "seasoned" Orthodox Christians. It covers such topics as the mysteries of the Church, Dreams/Visions, Dress, Television, the types of Holy Water services, fasts, marriage, parenting, etc. It is a very practical book that explains many of the things we do within our faith.
The 10 Commandments...of Orthodox Spouses
1. Don't pretend to be a teacher to your spouse. The best way of changing him is to love him as your own self and respect him.
2. Marriage is a constant but beautiful adventure, which helps us discover our true self, the world of the soul of our spouse and to know God in our "house" Church.
3. We accept our spouse as he is, with his weaknesses and his idiosyncrasies, and not as we would like him to be. The family is a palestra an exercising of souls and the courtyard of Paradise.
4. Try to understand your spouse. Don't forget that the husband thinks with dry logic; whereas the wife with emotion and the heart.
5. Don't try to impose your opinion and to correct your spouse. Strive rather to correct your own self. "Love lives with the harmony of oppositions and with forgiveness." Don't get angry.
6. With faith, patience and love all the difficulties of life are faced victoriously.
7. The greatest enemy of married life is egotism. Attacking our spouses does not save us, but rather attacking our own egotism will save us.
8. The best example for our children is for the father to love the mother and the mother the father and for the children to see them praying and attending Church.
9. The secret of family peace is for one to be able to forgive, to love and to respect.
10. Marriage is "a great Mystery", which begins in Church and is renewed with Confession, with the Divine Liturgy and the remaining Mysteries of the Orthodox Church and our Living Faith.
