Call To Chastity

A new life in Christ awaits each person who longs for understanding and peace.

So much energy is sapped up by preoccupations that linger on the margins of daily life, temptations that can be infiltrated by diabolical forces if one is not attentive to prayer, a frequent examination of conscience, and the sacraments. Spiritual exercises which dispose the soul to God's grace are necessary to help one avoid a subtle slide into confusion and despair. One must be ready to reach out for spiritual support bound to the Truth.

Innocence is a frequent casualty these days. A less than prudent use of technology can quickly imprison young and old in a web of self deception and attractions to soul destroying messages and images. Instinctual urges can quickly build and overwhelm even the most balanced and battle tested individual. Indeed, the spiritual life is a battle against intrusions that can rot life - and hope and joy and trust - out of us and leave us injured.

The experience of a Protestant friend and colleague provides a strong reminder how important prayer is to the spiritual life. Her husband gradually found ways to avoid attending Sunday services with their Presbyterian community. Then he declared he no longer believed in God and wanted out of the family. My colleague was utterly devastated. She could not accept that he had lost his faith. Closely on the heels of his declaration, he began distancing himself from his family. Despite heroic attempts by the wife to engage her husband to work through the vagaries of his struggles, efforts that included counselling and a trial separation (which was agonizing for the wife and their young children), home life fell apart. During what appeared to be a mid-life crisis of sorts, the husband abandoned both family and God. He abandoned prayer and thus he turned away from the wellspring of grace found in God, the grace he needed to sustain him in his family.

The spiritual warrior, which is to say the Catholic, must don the habit of chastity to shed the habits and distractions that weaken and can kill the life of God in us. Chastity is a prayer-filled way of living the Gospel that acknowledges God's authority over one's spiritual and physical powers.

Chastity is a moral virtue that involves the successful integration of sexuality within the person, promoting inner unity between bodily and spiritual aspects. It is characterized by self-mastery and the ability to respect the dignity of oneself and others. Chastity is not merely about abstaining from sexual activity; rather, it is a positive affirmation of love that fosters genuine relationships free from selfishness and objectification.

The virtue of chastity is described as a gift from God and a fruit of the Holy Spirit, essential for personal development and societal improvement. It requires an ongoing formation that is achieved in stages, emphasizing the importance of self-giving and the integrity of the person. Chastity is seen as an ally of love, guiding individuals to respect the individuality of others and to engage in relationships that are not dominated by physical desires but are rooted in mutual respect and commitment.

In the context of marriage, chastity prepares couples for a lifelong commitment, teaching them to express love in ways that honor both partners' dignity. It encourages a gradual maturation of the relationship, allowing for deeper understanding and connection beyond the sexual dimension. For those in religious life, chastity involves a commitment to perfect continence, focusing on a relationship with God that enriches their capacity to love others.

Overall, chastity is portrayed as a path to true freedom, enabling individuals to live out their vocation with integrity and respect for the divine image in themselves and others. It is a call to live love authentically, in all states of life, and to cultivate a harmonious relationship with oneself and the community.

References [Magisterium AI]

1. Compendium of the CCC 488
2. The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family 17
3. CCC 2337
4. Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life 57
5. Compendium of the CCC 489
6. Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 763
7. CCC 2344
8. The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family 4
9. CCC 2395
10. Directives on Formation in Religious Institutes 13

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The image above is a classic rendering of the virtue of chastity by Hans Memling (Allegory of Chastity, 1 January 1480).

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Catholics are not prudes; neither are we ignorant of the need to exercise temperance, prudence and the other cardinal virtues in order to avoid the devil's snares and a downfall into despair that happens so often when people do not rely on the wisdom and strength that God offers.

To think that one is immune to temptations of one kind or another is foolish. If, dear Reader, further reminders are required, one need only witness the devastation routinely reported at various social media platforms that testifies to the need for vigilance and communion with God to buffer souls against temptations and pathways that lead to hellish consequences.

We would do well to rehearse in our thinking and in our actions that "Chastity is not merely about abstaining from sexual activity; rather, it is a positive affirmation of love that fosters genuine relationships free from selfishness and objectification." "(C)hastity is ... a path to true freedom, enabling individuals to live out their vocation with integrity and respect for the divine image in themselves and others."