The Forgotten Virtue of Chasity & What it Means for Each Soul & Family

Fr. Samuel Waters | The Daily Knight

Sermon of the Much Needed Virtue of Charity

St. Paul today tells us as followers of Christ the Thessalonians and all of us are to regulate our conduct according to the holy will of God and strive to become more and more perfect. The holy will of God for us is our sanctification. There is nothing more opposed to our sanctification than impurity. Today's epistle warns us against the vice and gives the reasons why we must shun impurity.

The first reason that impurity should be shunned is that followers of Christ are to abstain from fornication. The pagans on the other hand, were of the belief that fornication was not sinful. They understood that their gods were pleased with obscenity. This resulted in the activity of fornication being made a part of the pagan religious services.

St. Paul believed it was necessary to instruct the new followers of Christ by better assuring them that the one true God is grievously offended by everything unchaste and that God requires us all to live chastely. Again, the will of God is that we are to abstain from fornication.

The second reason for the preservation of Chastity is that impurity desecrates the body of mankind and robs him of his honor and good name. Our body is sacred. It is created by God, redeemed by Christ and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. It is destined to rise again glorious, and immortal, and to reunite with our soul in eternity. Our body and soul are the temple of God and the Holy Ghost dwells in us. (I Corinthians 3:16).

Yes, impurity robs man of his honor and good name. The world excuses this vice and tries to pass it off as a harmless pleasure. Yet, it is true that every person despises the impurity in his heart.

The Third reason we must shun impurity is that we know God and His holy law far better than the non-believers who do not know God. The non-believers are, in ignorance to the baseness and the culpability of this vice. However, we know by the Word of God that whatever violates the Chastity of our state of life is forbidden. Sins against Chastity can be committed and thought, word or in deed, whenever we entertain them voluntarily, take pleasure in them and consent to them.

How do we sin against Chastity or purity?

1- idleness

2- bad companions and conversations

3- too free companionship with the opposite sex

4- immoral books, magazines, newspapers

5- indecent TV shows, pictures, games including those on cell phones

6- immoral dances

7- immodesty and excessive luxury in dress. Attract the opposite sex

We know that unchaste glances, words, touches and actions, wherever they are voluntary, exclude us from Heaven and draw Eternal damnation after them.

Chastity is an essential part of living the Catholic life. Every Catholic is to be chaste at every point of their life. Children, teenagers, young adults, single or married, middle-aged, old age, priest, male and female, and religious. We all are called to be chaste.

The ignorance of Chastity is not the road that leads to remaining innocent.

Chastity is the starting point of where the Catholic begins his or her education concerning sex education. Chastity is the moral virtue which disposes us to be pure in soul and body. Chastity is opposed to lust, it preserves the mind and body from everything that is impure. Chastity is purity. It is called the angelic virtue because it makes men resemble the Angels in Heaven. It gives health to the soul and light to the understanding. Aids wisdom and develops strength of character.

For the unmarried Chastity forbids indulgence of the sexual appetite.

For the married Chastity regulates the use of the sexual appetite in accordance with right reason. It is incorrect to think that Chastity is not a virtue for the married. The chaste marriage is the basis of the Catholic Family.

And avoid all occasions of sin to preserve the virtue of chastity. We should form the habit of temperance and moderation that is not too much in all things to strength in our self-control, (Fasting helps to build self control). We should often have recourse to prayer and the Sacraments and receive them frequently to remain in the state of grace.

Living Chastity

The integrating of Chasity starts in our head with what the virtue is (keep us pure) and why it is important, ( so we can get to heaven).

Realize, when our Chastity is under attack:

1- from ourselves through impure thoughts

2- from the world through things we observe & see

3- from others who are tempting to misuse us as things for their pleasure

4- from temptations the devil may send us to act on

Thus, we should train our sensitivities to be offended by impurity to put us on alert for any attacks.

Remember:

1) Being ignorant of what Chastity is and how to live Chastely will not keep you innocent nor pure.

2) If you have children at home, teaching them about Chastity is essential to them being a Catholic and living the Catholic life.

3) If you are a young adult and your parents have not taught you about Chastity then you need to start educating yourself about it the sooner the better for you.

4) If you are still daydreaming about getting married and having children, take some of that wasted energy and think about how you are going to teach your future children how to be chaste.

5) If you are a married adult and still do not have a handle on how to be chased in this state of life, start studying, and fasting to get more self control.

6) If you are married and your children have left your home and you do not know about living a chaste life, start reading and studying.

7) If you have failed to teach your children about Chastity and failed to help them integrate this virtue into their lives, you have Penance to do.

We are currently experiencing the weaponization of the government against its citizens. Human sexuality has been weaponized against we humans for a very long time. We see this in the grave harm to children by abortion, by sex out of wedlock, by single parent homes, by fornication, by adultery, by sodomy, by transgenderism, the list can go on. The failure to promote, teach and integrate this virtue has and continues to do grave harm to us in this world. It will have eternal harm to our souls if we do not take the time to learn and integrate this virtue in our lives here on earth now.

Prayer for Chastity and Purity

By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift

and especially that of chastity,

depends on the power of Thy Providence.

Without Thee, a mere creature can do nothing.

Therefore, I beg Thee, to defend, by Thy grace

the chastity and purity of my body and soul.

And if I have ever sensed or imagined anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers that I may advance with a pure heart

in Thy love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Thy Divinity, all the days of my life.

Amen

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