You are no longer two bodies after marriage, but you have become one! And you think that you have two fortunes and not one? You have become one, one living person and you think you can still talk about “your own” belongings?  Let fortune perish a thousand times, or better the free will that does not know how to use wealth [properly] and puts a bigger price on it than on other things! Teach this to your wife among others! But teach her with a lot of goodwill.

None of you should wish to marry a wealthier wife, but rather a poorer one. Wealth and luxury will not bring you joy but sorrow and bitter will be the words you will hear because of her reproach to have brought greater assets in your home.

She will tell you with airs “I didn’t spend anything from your assets, because I still have mine from my parents.” What do you say woman? Your assets? What could be more despicable than these words?! After marriage you no longer have a body of your own, not to mention about your assets! You are no longer two bodies after marriage, but you have become one! And you think that you have two fortunes and not one? Oh, [wicked] love of wealth! You have become one, one living person and you think you can still talk about “your own” belongings? These wicked words came straight from the devil. Things more valuable than these, have become one after marriage and you think that wealth is not shared? You cannot say “light is mine, the sun is mine, water is mine.” All valuable things are shared and your wealth is not?

Let fortune perish a thousand times, or better the free will that does not know how to use wealth [properly] and puts a bigger price on it than on other thing! Teach this to your wife among others. But teach her with a lot of goodwill.

(Translation from: Sfântul Ioan Gură de Aur, Cateheze maritale. Omilii la căsătorie, traducere din limba greacă veche de Preot Marcel Hancheş, Editura Oastea Domnului, Sibiu, 2004, p. 51)