www.happycatholic.org - Chastity and Abstinence

Chastity and Abstinence

"The Pope is preaching about chastity and abstinence from sex, I think he is crazy. He lives with medieval thoughts. Abstinence from sex is impossible."

I am going to be very brief on this subject. After a short introduction, I will ask you some decisive questions. Your answers will hopefully show you the raison-d'etre of chastity and abstinence.

If you think like that the Pope is crazy, don't worry you are not alone. Together with a lot of other people, I also used to think that Pope John Paul II was crazy. Usually, we give chastity and abstinence a 1-minute thought and draw our lightening fast conclusion that the Pope had no clue of what he was talking about.

Our society wants us to believe that without sex, there is no love. So chastity and abstinence are against love. We are bombarded with glamorous images of Hollywood movie stars and we are told that's love. It took me a while to realize that our society has no clue about whatlove is, true love. If we don't know what is True Love, there is no way for us to understand chastity and abstinence.

The questions

Young couples, let's assume that you truely love each other. I don't wish it to anyone of you but if, in a car accident, one of you become paralysed and lose the use of your body, do you think that True Love will accept the idea that your spouse could abandon you to find another "sex partner" ?
Parents, read the above example of car accident. If the paralysed victim is your beloved daughter (or son), would you tell your son-in-law that he is free to abandon your daughter and their children, and go on with his life since abstinence from sex is impossible? Would you really do that?

True Love requires total commitment. True Love is not about staying together during the good times, and cowardly running away when things get tough. A parent who truely loves their children will not hesitate to sacrifice his/her own life for their children. A parent can not choose to love their children based on pure feeling, loving them is a commitment, not simply a feeling. A husband who truely loves his wife will love her under _any_ circumstance, he does not love her only for their conjugal life. He should love his wife to the point of putting his selfishness aside and think about the well-being and dignity of his wife, that's true love. Without practicing the virtues of chastity and abstinence, how can a husband truely love his wife? If his mind is not capable of controlling his body then how can he truely love?

Our society does not encourage us to learn to use our mind to keep our body under control. Instead, we are pushed to satisfy whatever our body asks for. Chastity and abstinence are not impossible. With love and prayer to Jesus, we will receive the grace that strengthens our mind. And soon enough, we will be able to control our body.

If you are honest with yourself and recognize what True Love is, you will have no problem with chastity and abstinence. You will find the Truth in the teaching of the Catholic Church. You will no longer think that Pope John Paul II was crazy. Convenient or inconvenient, Pope John Paul II has taught, witnessed and stood up for the Truth during his whole life.

To learn more, please read this chapter on chastity from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Lastly, if you understand chastity and abstinence, you'll also understand the topic of "celibacy of priests" if you are willing to push your thoughts a little bit :-)