"A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love. Purity, chastity, and virginity created a special beauty in Mary that attracted God's attention. He showed his great love for the world by giving Jesus to her."
Mother Teresa Calcutta
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
- Chastity
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Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort. The Holy Spirit enables one whom the water of Baptism has regenerated to imitate the purity of Chris (n. 2345).
Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being [1] (no. 2337)."
In other words, chastity is far more than just saying NO to sex.
According to the One More Soul website, "chastity is a virtue that directs all our sexual desires, emotions, and attractions toward the dignity of the person and the real meaning of love."
Chastity is a virtue that each baptized person is called to live no matter what his or her vocation. Chastity is more about what you are doing than about what you are not doing. It is MORE than remaining a "technical virgin". Chastity is actually at the heart of a good marriage. So if chastity is lived even after marriage, then it has to be more than just saying NO to sex.
Below are bullet points from the full brochure. To read it online, you can click here.
Chastity is a virtue that each baptized person is called to live no matter what his or her vocation. Chastity is more about what you are doing than about what you are not doing. It is MORE than remaining a "technical virgin". Chastity is actually at the heart of a good marriage. So if chastity is lived even after marriage, then it has to be more than just saying NO to sex.
Below are bullet points from the full brochure. To read it online, you can click here.
- Chastity is saying YES to AUTHENTIC real love.
- Chastity is saying YES to you.
- Chastity is saying YES to the person.
- Chastity is saying YES to the "it is very good" kind of sex.
- Chastity is saying YES to your future spouse.
- Chastity is saying YES to a great future.
- Chastity is saying YES to God.
There are a number of Chastity Speakers that can be available for Maronite Christian Formation Programs, and Youth Groups to utilize within the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn.
Please note: While the Office supports the assistance these speakers provide in schools and parishes, we are not responsible for the views they express, the talks they offer, or the content of their materials or websites. This list has been compiled through the efforts of the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of NY.
Please note: While the Office supports the assistance these speakers provide in schools and parishes, we are not responsible for the views they express, the talks they offer, or the content of their materials or websites. This list has been compiled through the efforts of the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of NY.
“The human body includes right from the beginning... the capacity of expressing love, that love in which the person becomes a gift – and by means of this gift – fulfills the meaning of his being and existence.”
St. John Paul II
St. John Paul II
A message of Hope and Healing
The Theology of the Body Institute provides many programs that can help you explore this beautiful teaching.
Saint John Paul II’s masterwork, The Theology of the Body (TOB), provides beautiful and compelling answers to the deepest questions we all ask ourselves. The TOB offers the hope of healing and restoration we all so desperately need, In the midst of the profound sexual crisis that is wreaking havoc in both the secular world and in the Church. Enabling everyone to rediscover not only the meaning of our creation as male and female, but, “the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life” (TOB 46:6).
See the Theology of the Body Institute website for a list of courses and events.
The Theology of the Body Institute provides many programs that can help you explore this beautiful teaching.
Saint John Paul II’s masterwork, The Theology of the Body (TOB), provides beautiful and compelling answers to the deepest questions we all ask ourselves. The TOB offers the hope of healing and restoration we all so desperately need, In the midst of the profound sexual crisis that is wreaking havoc in both the secular world and in the Church. Enabling everyone to rediscover not only the meaning of our creation as male and female, but, “the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life” (TOB 46:6).
See the Theology of the Body Institute website for a list of courses and events.
For parents to educate children:
- One More Soul Website has great resources that can help parents in affirming their young men and women to live chastity. These brochures can provide ways to challenge teenagers to behave at their best,
- Resources to Educate Children based on age are provided through the Family Life Office of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, KS and can be accessed here.
- The main points of Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality which provide guidance for parents regarding their role as primary educators of their children, especially in the area of chastity and sexual education can be accessed here.
- If you are a parent or ministry leader looking for helpful resources, programs or continuing education opportunities in the area of chastity or family life education, visit www.FamilyHonor.org. This is the website for Family Honor, Inc., a national organization that provides and promotes a family-centered Catholic approach to chastity education. Their web site offers access to timely articles, research, and parent and teen tips on topics relating to chastity, family life, marriage and more, along with information about their unique parent-child programs, college-level online course, periodic special events, national conferences, and free webinars. You can also sign up for their monthly e-newsletter.
Living Chastely
Matt Fradd, Catholic speaker, shares four ways to overcome lust and live chastely.
Matt Fradd, Catholic speaker, shares four ways to overcome lust and live chastely.