Arriving at the Peace of Chastity:

A Doable Approach to Rational Leadership of Sexual Desires

Part I

Based on the breakthrough insights of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and Fr. T.G. Morrow,s Achieving Chastity in a Pornographic World. Powerpoint by Dr. Raul Nidoy

Version for males

Unchastity creates painful crises Infidelity Marriage break-up Teenage pregnancy Abortions Porn addiction Rape Girls used as sex objects Animalistic fashion White slavery

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Solution: Theology of the Body of John Paul II “A theological time bomb set to go off with

dramatic consequences…in the 21st century.”

This presentation intends to be one way among many of helping set off that bomb so as to turn around the sickening sexual addiction of our society.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Theology of the Body applied

Fr. T. G. Morrow – Doctor of Theology from John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family

Basic framework of this presentation

His experience: “People do change, and dramatically so. It takes a good deal of motivation, and perseverance in reading the ‘values’ of chastity.”

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

We can be chaste!

He who seeks, finds. It takes prayer and effort. Fruits appear last in a tree.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Clear idea of the goal

Essence of Chastity: Achieving reason in the sexual appetite

– Thomas Aquinas

Control sexual behavior by going to its root source Root source: sexual desires Convert desires through the use of

reason

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

How?

1. Purity is a fruit of prayer – Mother Teresa

2. Efforts to bring the sexual appetite under reason, offered to God, are also prayer.

Reason is light that brings us to reality. Reason is REALITY CHECK!

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Reason and chastity = having our feet on the groundUnchastity = unreal world Chastity = real world

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

You don’t want to be insane.

Scientific findings on unchaste and chaste sex Unwed fathers and mothers are more likely to live in poverty. Men were 63-percent more likely and women 76-percent more

likely to divorce if they had sex before marriage. Children raised outside of intact marriages are significantly more

likely than other children to use drugs, to commit crimes, and to commit suicide.

Couples who sleep together outside of marriage "often suffer guilt and fear.”

Married people have higher sex satisfaction than unmarried people who engage in sex – 72% vs. 41% (31 percentage points higher)

See: http://www.leaderu.com/critical/cohabitation-socio.html; http://center.americanvalues.org/?p=6http://www.troubledwith.com/LoveandSex/A000000350.cfm?topic=love%20and%20sex%3A%20sex%20before%20marriage;;

unitedfamilies.org/downloads/Cohabitation_Part_II.pdf

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Basis of method: knowing why you are containing carnal desires John Paul II: For the promptings of carnal desires to

disappear completely, a man must know 'why' he is containing them

I will find peace in the chaste decision if I am rationally convinced of the truth that chastity has greater value than unchastity.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Main effort: Convert the sexual appetite to the truth Give reasons for the value of

chastity over sexual sins

It is better to control our sexual appetite than to give in to sexual pleasure outside of marriage, because (fill in the blanks)

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Exercise: think of reasons why we have to contain our sexual impulses Reality Check:

What is sex, really? What am I, really? What is human vs. animal? What’s the proper way to deal with women,

really? How can I be happy, really?

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

If you found it difficult to give reasons, you may be a victim of the liar and father of lies

A lie affects people’s ability to know, a condition of every decision. It contains the seed of all consequent evils – CCC

Unmask the lies: in red Or your knowledge of moral reality

is inadequate, pre-Theology of the Body.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Reasons for Chastity:finding peace in the chaste decision

Six realities to remind ourselves again and again, so as to alleviate any interior resentment and find peace in the chaste decision. A list by Fr. T. G. Morrow

Memory aid – SR-PM-HS

Allen Carr: Highly successful quit smoking program

Willpower is not required to quit smoking.

It takes no willpower to stop doing something that an individual has no desire to do.

How? By hammering in persuasive reasoning, Carr convinces his readers to realize the truth and the lies about smoking: the nicotine trap.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

1. Sex is sacred.

Sex is not a plaything. Sex is sacred: a

transcendent dignity that is connected with the Divinity, and thus worthy of veneration.

It should never be trivialized.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Sex belongs only in marriage, because it is sacred.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Sex – a responsible share in the source of an immortal soul

Sex is our most God-like action. Sex helps create a person! It is procreation.

God himself intervenes in an extraordinary way.

It is sacred to be able to give human life.

Because human life is sacred.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

It is sacred to be able to give human life.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Sex = sacred language which by its nature means loving totally and fruitfully

I give you my whole self means

I give you my fertility and I give you my life, my children, my family, my future. I want to share my whole life with you.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Marital sexual love is a sacred sign of Christ’s loving union with his Church.

Key insight of Theology of the Body: It is the body alone that makes divine realities visible - JPII

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Sex = sacred image of the total self-giving love of the three divine Persons

Self-giving = the very meaning of human sexuality (John Paul II)

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Peter Kreeft on sex as image of GodNo animal falls in love, writes profound romantic poetry,

or sees sex as a symbol of the ultimate meaning of life because no animal is made in the image of God.

Human sexuality is that image, and human sexuality is a foretaste of that self-giving, that losing and finding the self, that oneness-in-manyness that is the heart of the life and joy of the Trinity.

That is what we long for; that is why we tremble to stand outside ourselves in the other, to give our whole selves, body and soul; because we are images of God…

We love the other sex because God loves God.

Source: www.peterkreeft.com/topics/sex-in-heaven.htmArriving at the Peace of Chastity

Part I

Marital sex is sacred worship

An experience of the sacred, an experience of what God intended for the world and for us from the beginning.

Insight of John Paul II

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Rational leadership of sexual desire: I reverence the sacredness of sex.

Sex is: sacred power to give human life sacred language of love sacred icon of God’s self-giving sacred worship

It is insane to think that sex is recreational. Sex is sacred. It belongs within the Sacrament of Marriage.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Prayer for Purity of HeartLord, help me to accept and receive my sexuality as a gift from you. 

Grant me the grace to resist the many lies that distort this divine gift and help me to live my sexuality according to the truth of self-giving love. 

By Christopher West Source: http://www.christopherwest.com/article1.asp

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

2. Created in the image of God, I

can live by reason, not just by urges (as the animals do). Man is rational: I can think

before I act. I am empowered to live by

reason, not led by instincts I am free: I can act or not

act. Thus, I am responsible for my actions.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Incarnate spirit = rational master of own life

Prevalent lie: human beings are irrational and driven by sexual instincts (Freud)

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Animals Stimulus body response

Humans Stimulus mind response

Hungry: Animals - automatic response. Has instinctive control. Man – reasoned response: will choose what time, what restaurant,

what food, and quantity

In man, satisfaction of instinct demands the intervention of reason.

If no rational control, he can hurt himself.

Recall: Scientific findings on unchaste and chaste sex

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Wisdom of Aristotle

A happy life is a life governed by reason. Science of health and financial security Insights on people Knowledge of virtue Science of God

True

FalseArriving at the Peace of Chastity

Part I

RealityConcept

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Rational leadership of sexual desires Despotic rule: Because I said so!! Political dealing: Because it is reasonable.

Talmud: The righteous talk to their bodily desires, while evil people let their desires talk to them.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

3. Persons are to be loved. Not to be used. Women are not objects of enjoyment.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Mexican Brad Pitt converts

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

His English coach asked him:

Eduardo, what is the purpose of your life? How are you using your talents? How are you choosing your projects? Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Do you treat your body as a temple to the Holy Spirit?" Do you really love God, Eduardo? Then why do you offend him in

the way you live your life?

He left the room sobbing.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I

Eduardo Verastegui:

I realized that a real man is someone who respects

the dignity of women. Sex is sacred and that gift is to be protected

and shared with the most important person in my life one day — apart from God — and that is going to be the mother of my children, if that is my vocation.

Arriving at the Peace of Chastity Part I