Showing posts with label Chastity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chastity. Show all posts
Friday, May 16, 2014
Sunday, October 21, 2012
LUST vs CHASTITY -- Day 7
Introduction to the Devote Life
By St. Francis De Sales
Book 3, Chapter 13:
COUNSELS FOR PRESERVING CHASTITY
Be extremely prompt in turning away from all the advances and from all the allurements of incontinence, for this evil works insensibly, and by little beginnings advances to great misfortunes: it is always easier to flee than to cure it.
Human bodies are like glasses, which cannot be carried in contact with one another without running a risk of being broken, and like fruits, which though sound and well seasoned, are damaged when placed in contact with one another. Even water within a vessel, however fresh it may be, when it is touched by some beast, when it is touched by some beast of the earth, cannot preserve its freshness. Never permit anyone, Philothea, to touch you in an unmannerly fashion, either by way of play or way of favor; for though perchance chastity may be preserved amidst these actions which are rather frivolous than malicious, yet the freshness and bloom of chastity always receives some harm and loss therefrom; but to allow oneself to be touched immodestly is the utter ruin of chastity.
Chastity depends on the heart as its source, but it is concerned with the body as the matter; and therefore it may be lost by all the exterior senses of the body and by the thoughts and desires of the heart. It is immodesty to behold, to hear, to speak, to touch impure things, when the heart occupies itself with them and takes pleasure in them. St. Paul says quite shortly: "Let fornication be so much as named among you."
Bees not only refuse to touch carrion, but they shun and dislike immensely all kinds of unsavory smells which come from it. The sacred Spouse in the Canticle of Canticles has hands drop with myrrh, which is a preservative against corruption; her lips are as a scarlet lace, a mark of the modesty of her words; her eyes are those of a dove by reason of their clearness; her ears have earrings of gold, a token of purity; her nose is likened to the cedars of Libanus, an incorruptible wood. Such ought the devote soul to be: chaste, clean and modest, in hands, lips, in ears, in eyes, and in all her body.
To this end, I will tell you of a saying which the ancient Father John Cassian relates as having come from the mouth of the great St. Basil, who speaking of himself, said one day: "I know nothing of women, yet I am not a virgin." Certainly, chastity may be lost in as many ways as there are kinds of immodesty and watonness; and, according as they are great or small, some of these enfeeble it, others wound it, and others cause it to be lost entirely. There are certain indiscreet, foolish and sensual familiarities and intimacies, which strictly speaking, do not violate chastity, and yet enfeeble it, make it languid, and tarnish its beautiful whiteness. There are other familiarities and intimacies, bot only indiscreet but vicious, not only foolish but impure, not only sensual but carnal; and by these chastity is, at least, sorely wounded and endangered. I say "at least," because it dies and perishes altogether when acts of indecency and lasciviousness give to flesh the final effect of voluptuous pleasure; for then chastity perishes more unworthily, wickedly and miserably than when lost by fornication, or even by adultery and incest; for these kinds of filthiness are but Pudicitia, are monsters of iniquity and sin. Now Cassian does not believe, any more than I do, that St. Basil was thinking of any such lasciviousness, when he accuses himself of not being a virgin; for I think that he was only alluding to the bad and voluptuous thoughts, which, though they had not defiled his body, had yet contaminated his heart, of the chastity whereof all generous souls are extremely jealous.
Do not associate at all with immodest persons, especially if they be also unashamed of being immodest, as they almost always are; for, as the he-goats when they touch the almond trees with their tongues makes them become bitter, so these malodorous souls and corrupted hearts can scarcely speak to anyone, either of the same sex or of the other, without causing some sort of loss to modesty: they have poison in their eyes and in their breath like basilisks. On the contrary, associate with chaste and virtuous persons; think upon holy things and often read holy books, for the word of God is chaste, and makes them chaste that delight in it; which makes David compare it to the topaz, a precious stone which has power to allay the power of concupiscence.
Keep yourself always close to Jesus Christ crucified, both spiritually by meditation, and really by Holy Communion; for just as those who take their rest upon the herb called agnus casts become chaste and modest, so you also, resting your heart upon Our Lord who is the true Lamb chaste and immaculate, will soon find your soul purified from all defilements and impurities.
By St. Francis De Sales
Book 3, Chapter 13:
COUNSELS FOR PRESERVING CHASTITY
Be extremely prompt in turning away from all the advances and from all the allurements of incontinence, for this evil works insensibly, and by little beginnings advances to great misfortunes: it is always easier to flee than to cure it.
Human bodies are like glasses, which cannot be carried in contact with one another without running a risk of being broken, and like fruits, which though sound and well seasoned, are damaged when placed in contact with one another. Even water within a vessel, however fresh it may be, when it is touched by some beast, when it is touched by some beast of the earth, cannot preserve its freshness. Never permit anyone, Philothea, to touch you in an unmannerly fashion, either by way of play or way of favor; for though perchance chastity may be preserved amidst these actions which are rather frivolous than malicious, yet the freshness and bloom of chastity always receives some harm and loss therefrom; but to allow oneself to be touched immodestly is the utter ruin of chastity.
Chastity depends on the heart as its source, but it is concerned with the body as the matter; and therefore it may be lost by all the exterior senses of the body and by the thoughts and desires of the heart. It is immodesty to behold, to hear, to speak, to touch impure things, when the heart occupies itself with them and takes pleasure in them. St. Paul says quite shortly: "Let fornication be so much as named among you."
Bees not only refuse to touch carrion, but they shun and dislike immensely all kinds of unsavory smells which come from it. The sacred Spouse in the Canticle of Canticles has hands drop with myrrh, which is a preservative against corruption; her lips are as a scarlet lace, a mark of the modesty of her words; her eyes are those of a dove by reason of their clearness; her ears have earrings of gold, a token of purity; her nose is likened to the cedars of Libanus, an incorruptible wood. Such ought the devote soul to be: chaste, clean and modest, in hands, lips, in ears, in eyes, and in all her body.
To this end, I will tell you of a saying which the ancient Father John Cassian relates as having come from the mouth of the great St. Basil, who speaking of himself, said one day: "I know nothing of women, yet I am not a virgin." Certainly, chastity may be lost in as many ways as there are kinds of immodesty and watonness; and, according as they are great or small, some of these enfeeble it, others wound it, and others cause it to be lost entirely. There are certain indiscreet, foolish and sensual familiarities and intimacies, which strictly speaking, do not violate chastity, and yet enfeeble it, make it languid, and tarnish its beautiful whiteness. There are other familiarities and intimacies, bot only indiscreet but vicious, not only foolish but impure, not only sensual but carnal; and by these chastity is, at least, sorely wounded and endangered. I say "at least," because it dies and perishes altogether when acts of indecency and lasciviousness give to flesh the final effect of voluptuous pleasure; for then chastity perishes more unworthily, wickedly and miserably than when lost by fornication, or even by adultery and incest; for these kinds of filthiness are but Pudicitia, are monsters of iniquity and sin. Now Cassian does not believe, any more than I do, that St. Basil was thinking of any such lasciviousness, when he accuses himself of not being a virgin; for I think that he was only alluding to the bad and voluptuous thoughts, which, though they had not defiled his body, had yet contaminated his heart, of the chastity whereof all generous souls are extremely jealous.
Do not associate at all with immodest persons, especially if they be also unashamed of being immodest, as they almost always are; for, as the he-goats when they touch the almond trees with their tongues makes them become bitter, so these malodorous souls and corrupted hearts can scarcely speak to anyone, either of the same sex or of the other, without causing some sort of loss to modesty: they have poison in their eyes and in their breath like basilisks. On the contrary, associate with chaste and virtuous persons; think upon holy things and often read holy books, for the word of God is chaste, and makes them chaste that delight in it; which makes David compare it to the topaz, a precious stone which has power to allay the power of concupiscence.
Keep yourself always close to Jesus Christ crucified, both spiritually by meditation, and really by Holy Communion; for just as those who take their rest upon the herb called agnus casts become chaste and modest, so you also, resting your heart upon Our Lord who is the true Lamb chaste and immaculate, will soon find your soul purified from all defilements and impurities.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
LUST vs CHASTITY Day 6
Introduction to the Devote Life
By St. Francis De Sales
Book 3, Chapter 12:
OF THE NECESSITY OF CHASTITY
Chastity is the lily of all virtues, and makes men almost equal to angels. Nothing is beautiful but by purity, and the purity of men is chastity. Chastity is called honorableness, and the profession thereof of honor; it is named integrity, and is opposite to corruption -- in short, it has is glory apart in that it is the beautiful and white virtue of the soul and of the body.
It is never lawful to derive any carnal gratification from our bodies in any manner whatsoever, except in lawful marriage, and sanctity of which is able, by a just compensation, to repair the loss which is received in the delectation. And even in marriage we must observe honesty of intention, so that, if there be anything unseemly in the pleasure that is taken, there may be nothing but honesty in the will which takes it.
The chaste heart is like the mother pearl which can receive no drop of water but such as comes from heaven, for it can receive no pleasure but that of which marriage is ordained by Heaven; beyond this it is not permitted to think of it with a thought which is voluptuous, voluntary and deliberately entertained.
For the first degree of virtue, take care, Philothea, not to admit any sort of carnal gratification that is prohibited and forbidden, as are all those which are taken out of marriage, or even in marriage when they are taken against the rule of marriage. For the second, refrain yourself as far as possible from useless and superfluous delectations, though they be lawful and permissible. For the third do not set your affections on those pleasures and gratifications which are commanded and ordained; for though we must practice certain necessary delectations -- that is to say, those which concern the end and institution of holy marriage -- yet we must never set our heart and mind on them.
For the rest everyone has great need of this virtue. Those that are in the state of widowhood must have a courageous chastity, which not only despises present and future objects, but which resists the imagination of former pleasures lawfully received in marriage can stir up in their souls, which for that reason are more prone to feel the force of fleshly allurements. For this cause, St. Augustine admires the purity of his dear Alipius, who had wholly forgotten and despised the pleasures of the flesh, of which he had sometimes tasted in his youth. And in truth, so long as the fruits are undamaged they may be preserved, some in straw, some in sand, and some in their own leaves; but once they are bruised, it is almost impossible to keep them but with honey and sugar in conserves: in like manner chastity which never has been wounded or violated can be kept in many ways, but when it has once been impaired, nothing can conserve it but an excellent devotion, which as I have often said, is the true spiritual honey and sugar.
Virgins have need of an extremely simple and delicate chastity, in order to banish from their hearts all kinds of curious thoughts, and to despise with an absolute contempt all kinds of unclean pleasure, which indeed do not deserve to be desired by man, since asses and swine have more aptitude for them than human beings. Let these pure souls, therefore, be careful to never doubt that chastity is incomparably better than all that is incompatible with it; for, as the great St. Jerome says, the enemy strongly tempts virgins to the desire of tasting these pleasures, representing them to them as infinitely more pleasant and delightful than they are; and this troubles them very much, because, as the holy Father says, "they esteem that more sweet of which they know nothing."
For, as the little moth seeing the flame flutters about it, being curious to try if it be sweet as it is beautiful in appearance, and carried away by this fancy ceases not till it is lost at the first trial; so young persons very often allow themselves to be so much swayed by the false and foolish estimation which they have formed of the pleasure of the ardours of passion, that after indulging their curiosity in many thoughts, they finally plunge into ruin and destruction; being more foolish in this than the moths, which have some reason to think that the fire is delicious since it is so beautiful, whereas they, knowing that which they seek is extremely shameful, cease not for all that to overestimate the senseless and brutish pleasure thereof.
But as for those who are married, it is most true, though people do not commonly this so, chastity is very necessary for them, because in their case it does not consist in abstaining altogether from carnal pleasures, but in exercising self-control in the midst of them. Now, since the commandment, "Be angry and not sin" is, in my opinion, more difficult than this: "Be not angry at all" and because it is easier to refrain altogether from carnal pleasures than to observe moderation in them. It is true that the holy liberty of marriage has a special power to allay the ardour of concupiscence, but the frailty of those who enjoy it passes easily from permission to dissoluteness, and from use to abuse. And as we see many rich persons steal, not from poverty, but from avarice, so also we see many married people give way to excess through lack of restraint and wantonness, notwithstanding the lawful object, to which they ought and should be able to confine themselves; their concupiscence being like an unsteady flame, which goes burning lightly here and there without settling down anywhere. It is always dangerous to take strong remedies, because if we take more than we should, of if they be not well prepared, we receive much harm from them; marriage has been blessed and ordained in part as a remedy against concupiscence, and it is without doubt a very good remedy, but a strong one none the less, and in consequence very dangerous, if it be not discreetly used.
I add that, besides long illnesses, human affairs of various kinds often separate husbands from their wives, and therefore married persons have need of two sorts of chastity; the one for entire continence when they are separated from one another on such occasions as I have mentioned above; the other, for moderation when they are living together in the ordinary course. Indeed, St. Catherine of Siena saw amongst the damned many souls in great torment for having violated the sanctity of marriage, which happened she said, not because of the enormity of sin, for murders and blasphemies are more grievous, but "because those who commit it do not make it a matter of conscience," and consequently continue for a long time in it.
You see, then, that chastity is necessary for all kinds of persons. "Follow peace with all men", says the Apostle, "and holiness without which no man shall see God." Now the holiness which he means is chastity, as St. Jerome and St. Chrysostom have remarked. No, Philothea, no one will see God without chastity, no one "will dwell in his holy tabernacle" who is not "clean of heart"; as the Savior Himself says, "the dogs and the unchaste shall be banished from it" and "blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God."
By St. Francis De Sales
Book 3, Chapter 12:
OF THE NECESSITY OF CHASTITY
Chastity is the lily of all virtues, and makes men almost equal to angels. Nothing is beautiful but by purity, and the purity of men is chastity. Chastity is called honorableness, and the profession thereof of honor; it is named integrity, and is opposite to corruption -- in short, it has is glory apart in that it is the beautiful and white virtue of the soul and of the body.
It is never lawful to derive any carnal gratification from our bodies in any manner whatsoever, except in lawful marriage, and sanctity of which is able, by a just compensation, to repair the loss which is received in the delectation. And even in marriage we must observe honesty of intention, so that, if there be anything unseemly in the pleasure that is taken, there may be nothing but honesty in the will which takes it.
The chaste heart is like the mother pearl which can receive no drop of water but such as comes from heaven, for it can receive no pleasure but that of which marriage is ordained by Heaven; beyond this it is not permitted to think of it with a thought which is voluptuous, voluntary and deliberately entertained.
For the first degree of virtue, take care, Philothea, not to admit any sort of carnal gratification that is prohibited and forbidden, as are all those which are taken out of marriage, or even in marriage when they are taken against the rule of marriage. For the second, refrain yourself as far as possible from useless and superfluous delectations, though they be lawful and permissible. For the third do not set your affections on those pleasures and gratifications which are commanded and ordained; for though we must practice certain necessary delectations -- that is to say, those which concern the end and institution of holy marriage -- yet we must never set our heart and mind on them.
For the rest everyone has great need of this virtue. Those that are in the state of widowhood must have a courageous chastity, which not only despises present and future objects, but which resists the imagination of former pleasures lawfully received in marriage can stir up in their souls, which for that reason are more prone to feel the force of fleshly allurements. For this cause, St. Augustine admires the purity of his dear Alipius, who had wholly forgotten and despised the pleasures of the flesh, of which he had sometimes tasted in his youth. And in truth, so long as the fruits are undamaged they may be preserved, some in straw, some in sand, and some in their own leaves; but once they are bruised, it is almost impossible to keep them but with honey and sugar in conserves: in like manner chastity which never has been wounded or violated can be kept in many ways, but when it has once been impaired, nothing can conserve it but an excellent devotion, which as I have often said, is the true spiritual honey and sugar.
Virgins have need of an extremely simple and delicate chastity, in order to banish from their hearts all kinds of curious thoughts, and to despise with an absolute contempt all kinds of unclean pleasure, which indeed do not deserve to be desired by man, since asses and swine have more aptitude for them than human beings. Let these pure souls, therefore, be careful to never doubt that chastity is incomparably better than all that is incompatible with it; for, as the great St. Jerome says, the enemy strongly tempts virgins to the desire of tasting these pleasures, representing them to them as infinitely more pleasant and delightful than they are; and this troubles them very much, because, as the holy Father says, "they esteem that more sweet of which they know nothing."
For, as the little moth seeing the flame flutters about it, being curious to try if it be sweet as it is beautiful in appearance, and carried away by this fancy ceases not till it is lost at the first trial; so young persons very often allow themselves to be so much swayed by the false and foolish estimation which they have formed of the pleasure of the ardours of passion, that after indulging their curiosity in many thoughts, they finally plunge into ruin and destruction; being more foolish in this than the moths, which have some reason to think that the fire is delicious since it is so beautiful, whereas they, knowing that which they seek is extremely shameful, cease not for all that to overestimate the senseless and brutish pleasure thereof.
But as for those who are married, it is most true, though people do not commonly this so, chastity is very necessary for them, because in their case it does not consist in abstaining altogether from carnal pleasures, but in exercising self-control in the midst of them. Now, since the commandment, "Be angry and not sin" is, in my opinion, more difficult than this: "Be not angry at all" and because it is easier to refrain altogether from carnal pleasures than to observe moderation in them. It is true that the holy liberty of marriage has a special power to allay the ardour of concupiscence, but the frailty of those who enjoy it passes easily from permission to dissoluteness, and from use to abuse. And as we see many rich persons steal, not from poverty, but from avarice, so also we see many married people give way to excess through lack of restraint and wantonness, notwithstanding the lawful object, to which they ought and should be able to confine themselves; their concupiscence being like an unsteady flame, which goes burning lightly here and there without settling down anywhere. It is always dangerous to take strong remedies, because if we take more than we should, of if they be not well prepared, we receive much harm from them; marriage has been blessed and ordained in part as a remedy against concupiscence, and it is without doubt a very good remedy, but a strong one none the less, and in consequence very dangerous, if it be not discreetly used.
I add that, besides long illnesses, human affairs of various kinds often separate husbands from their wives, and therefore married persons have need of two sorts of chastity; the one for entire continence when they are separated from one another on such occasions as I have mentioned above; the other, for moderation when they are living together in the ordinary course. Indeed, St. Catherine of Siena saw amongst the damned many souls in great torment for having violated the sanctity of marriage, which happened she said, not because of the enormity of sin, for murders and blasphemies are more grievous, but "because those who commit it do not make it a matter of conscience," and consequently continue for a long time in it.
You see, then, that chastity is necessary for all kinds of persons. "Follow peace with all men", says the Apostle, "and holiness without which no man shall see God." Now the holiness which he means is chastity, as St. Jerome and St. Chrysostom have remarked. No, Philothea, no one will see God without chastity, no one "will dwell in his holy tabernacle" who is not "clean of heart"; as the Savior Himself says, "the dogs and the unchaste shall be banished from it" and "blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God."
Saturday, October 13, 2012
LUST vs CHASTITY - Day 5
Is chastity a negative or positive mindset? Many individuals think chastity is a stuffy and prudish word. It is a turn off, especially, the way that most people talk about it. For me it is easy to talk about lust, because everyone can understand what that is, what it looks like, what it feels like. But chastity is a concept more foreign to our society and often presented as something left to be desired. I stumbled upon an article which I believes gives a more positive outlook on the virtue, we, as individuals and a culture, so desperately need. Below are snippets of the article: (click here for the full discussion http://www.catholicculture.com/past_discussions/june28_july12_01.html)  |  | | ||||||||||
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| Tonight’s discussion addressed the last section of Chapter Three called “The True Meaning of Chastity,” pages 166-173. Peter introduced this important section by saying that he found it to capture, in a certain sense, the essence of the book, and in fact the essence of the Pope. He focused our attention on the bottom of page 171, where Wojtyla writes, “The connection between chastity and love results from the personalistic norm, which — as we said in Chapter One — has a dual content: a positive content (‘thou shalt love!’) and a negative content (‘thou shalt not use!’).” Many people put inordinate weight on the negative, and think of chastity in a negative sense, while John Paul, said Peter, puts it first in the positive context of thou shalt love. Alberto concurred, adding that one of the most attractive qualities of John Paul II is that he is so positive, and this clearly requires more intellectual effort and understanding than merely prohibiting this or that action. Wojtyla explains that people are unwilling to acknowledge the enormous value of chastity to human love because they reject the full objective truth about the love of man and woman, and “put a subjective fiction in its place.” When the objective truth about love is accepted, chastity is understood as a great positive value and an essential element in “the culture of the person.” He then returns to his theme of the integration of love, asserting that “love is only psychologically complete when it possesses an ethical value, when it is a virtue. Only in love as a virtue is it possible to satisfy the objective demands of the personalistic norm, which requires "loving kindness" towards a person and rejects any form of ‘utilization’ of the person.” He then proceeds to explain chastity in the context of St. Thomas Aquinas's hierarchy of virtues from Summa Theologica. In St. Thomas’ system, chastity is linked with the cardinal virtue of “moderation.” Wojtyla writes, “The virtue of moderation strives to save a reasonable being from this perversion of his nature.... The virtue of moderation helps reasonable people to live reasonably, and so to attain the perfection proper to their nature.” Yet Wojtyla’s description of chastity transcends St. Thomas’ hierarchy of values (the Pope is “para-thomistic,” we joked). Wojtyla strives to emphasize the “kinship” between chastity and love. He says, “Chastity can only be thought of in association with the virtue of love. Its function is to free love from the utilitarian attitude.” As we know from our last section, this utilitarian attitude is grounded in carnal concupiscence, the subjectivism of emotions and the subjectivism of value judgments, and it can easily transition to “sinful love.” “To be chaste,” Wojtyla writes, “means to have a ‘transparent’ attitude to a person of the other sex — chastity means just that — the interior transparency without which love is not itself, for it cannot be itself until the desire to enjoy is subordinated to a readiness to show loving kindness in every situation.” Wojtyla cautions that chastity is often misunderstood to mean a blind inhibition of sensuality so that the value of the body is pushed into the subconscious — which explains why chastity is often mistaken for a negative virtue. He writes, “Chastity, in this view, is one long ‘no.’ Whereas it is above all the ‘yes’ of which certain ‘no’s’ are the consequence.” “The essence of chastity consists in quickness to affirm the value of the person in every situation, and in raising to the personal level all reactions to the value of ‘the body and sex.’ This requires a special interior, spiritual effort, for affirmation of the value of the person can only be the product of the spirit, but this effort is above all positive and creative ‘from within,’ not negative and destructive. It is not a matter of summarily ‘annihilating’ the value ‘body and sex’ in the conscious mind by pushing reactions to them down into the subconscious, but of sustained long term integration; the value ‘body and sex’ must be grounded and implanted in the value of the person.” The Pope writes that chastity is a difficult, long term matter, “and one must wait patiently for it to bear fruit, for the happiness of loving kindness which it must bring. But at the same time, chastity is the sure way to happiness.” Chastity involves a humility of the body. Part of this humility is recognizing that we live with concupiscence through the consequences of original sin — that we have these negative tendencies and must work to counter them. Wojtyla writes that the “body” must show humility in the face of human happiness. Happiness is not just mere enjoyment, the sum of pleasures the body can bring to a relationship between a man and woman. Man and woman “can and must seek their temporal, earthly happiness in a lasting union which has an interpersonal character since it is based in each of them on unreserved affirmation of the value of the person.” If the body is not humble, then it can obscure the full truth about the happiness of man — obscure the vision of the ultimate happiness: the happiness of the human person in union with a personal God. This, says Wojtyla is how we should understand Christ’s words from the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “It should be added that the truth about the union of the human person with a personal God, which will be fully accomplished within the dimensions of eternity, at the same time illuminates more fully and makes plainer the value of human love, the value of the union of man and woman as two persons.” Marriage is a lasting union on earth to prepare ourselves for permanent union with God; in this way, marriage is the image of our relation with God. | ||||||||||||
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
LUST vs CHARITY - Day 4
A few Bible verses on lust:
Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
Matthew 5:28 But I say to you, That whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints;
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are on the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
LUST vs CHASTITY - Day 2
From the blog, "Archdiocese of Washington": http://blog.adw.org/2012/01/sowing-in-the-wind-and-reaping-the-whirlwind-or-dont-wake-up-in-a-roadside-ditch-a-meditation-based-on-a-clever-new-t-v-commerical/
Consider two “thought chains” similar to the commercial below, as our culture “thinks out-loud” It may help you to watch the video first so you can see what I’m trying to imitate and can hear the voice.
Scenario one: The roadside ditch of sexual confusion
- When you’re lustful you say, Sex is just for fun. It really has no relationship to the procreation and rearing of children at all, unless the couple wants it to have that meaning. So sex is just for fun.
- And when sex is just for fun you say, “So what’s wrong with contraception? Bring it on!”
- And when you bring on contraception you think you can have free sex without consequences.
- And when you think there are not consequences you start to discover sexually transmitted diseases, exploding promiscuity, teenage pregnancies, skyrocketing single motherhood rates, higher divorce rates, plummeting marriage rates, terrible abortion rates, broken and incomplete families.
- And when you have these things, you don’t connect them to contraception because lust has darkened your intellect.
- And when your intellect is darkened you loose your ability to see even the physically obvious facts about human sexuality and start to say that there is nothing wrong at all with homosexual acts.
- And when your darkness is light, how deep will the darkness be!
- Don’t wake up in a deep darkness. Buy a Catholic Catechism and the Holy Bible. Get them today.
Scenario two: The roadside ditch of Marital destruction
- When you are a baby boomer you say, “The purpose of marriage is the happiness of the couple….Children are merely a way of accessorising the marriage and are not essential.
- And when you think this way, you contracept and have few children.
- And when you have few children, they are less of a priority in terms of money and decisions.
- And when you run into difficulties, as most marriages do, you don’t say “Let’s work it out for the sake of the kids.” After all there’s only one or two of them, and the purpose of marriage is the happiness of adults. Kids are just an accessory and can be raised well in any circumstance.
- And when you think this way you get lots of divorces.
- And when you get lots of divorces, marriage starts to look like a flimsy social fiction that exists only for adults, rather than a sacred trust oriented toward the raising of children.
- And when marriage looks like a flimsy social fiction, the homosexual community comes to you and says, “You mean that the purpose of marriage is just for two adults to be happy and is not linked to the procreation of children? Then Why can’t Gays be married?”
- And when they ask this you have nothing to say.
- Don’t wake up with nothing to say. Get a biblical and Catholic understanding of marriage that links it to the mutual support of the spouses AND the procreation of children. Do it today.
Just something to consider, based on a creative commerical. The critical among you, will cry “simplistic.” But I already admit that, so chill. These chains I have constructed are influenced by a lot of other things too. But it’s fun to follow some of our often unquestioned premises through to their end in a roadside ditch.
Don’t wake up in a roadside ditch. Examine your premises now.
Friday, October 5, 2012
LUST vs CHASTITY
While all capital sins are addictive or have addictive qualities, they also are a perversion of something good.
Lust is a perversion of love, in particular, it is a perversion of marital love.
Surprisingly, many believe that in marriage it is okay "to lust". Outside of marriage lust is "bad", but within marriage it is "good". This is not actually the case.
Lust is always an objectification of something. In marriage if one lusts after his/her spouse, he/she is looking at the other as on object of pleasure. It is an attitude of "what can you do for me" vs. "what can I do for you".
Love in marriage is always selfless. It is a giving of oneself to another freely, and never "using" the other. Love is mutual expression. Lust is individual gratification.
New Advent, a Catholic encyclopedia, says this about lust: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09438a.htm
The wrongfulness of lust is reducible to this: that venereal satisfaction is sought for either outsidewedlock or, at any rate, in a manner which is contrary to the laws that govern marital intercourse. Every such criminal indulgence is a mortal sin, provided of course, it be voluntary in itself and fully deliberate. This is the testimony of St. Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians, v. 19:
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, . . . Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God."
Moreover, if it be true the gravity of the offences may be measured by the harm they work to the individual or the community, there can be no doubt that lust has in this respect a gravity all its own... Lust is said to be a capital sin. The reason is obvious. The pleasure which this vice has as its object is at once so attractive and connatural to human nature as to whet keenly a man's desire, and so lead him into the commission of many other disorders in the pursuit of it. Theologians ordinarily distinguish various forms of lust in so far as it is a consummated external sin, e.g., fornication, adultery, incest, criminal assault, abduction, and sodomy. Each of these has its own specific malice--a fact to borne in mind for purposes of safeguarding the integrity of sacramental confession.
Of chastity, the virtue opposed to this vice, New Advent says: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03637d.htm
Chastity is the virtue which excludes or moderates the indulgence of the sexual appetite. It is a form of the virtueof temperance, which controls according to right reason the desire for and use of those things which afford the greatest sensual pleasures...Under Christianity chastity has been practiced in a manner unknown under any other influence. Christian morality prescribes the right order of relations. It therefore must direct and control the manner of relationship sustained to each other by soul and body. Between these two there is an ineradicable opposition, the flesh with its concupiscences contending unceasingly against the spirit, blinding the latter and weaning it away from the pursuit of its true life. Harmony and due order between these two must prevail. But this means the pre-eminence and mastery of the spirit, which in turn can only mean the castigation of the body. The real as well as the etymological kinship between chastity and chastisement then is obvious. Necessarily, therefore, chastity is a thing stern and austere. The effect of the example as well as of the words of Our Saviour (Matthew 19:11-12) is seen in the lives of the many celibates and virgins who have graced the history of the Christian Church, while the idea of marriage as the sign and symbol of the ineffable union of Christ with His spotless spouse the Church — a union in which fidelity no less than love is mutual — has borne its fruit in beautifying the world with patterns of conjugal chastity.
Links to help the sexually addicted & to prevent sexual addiction in youth:
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