There were a couple of Catholic Single Life posts floating around National Catholic Register, as well as various little comments I found on tumblr, that I thought it urgent to address Catholicism and being single.

Read more...

Thus summarizes a way of Chastity that I have found particularly significant in my own experience as someone vowing to Consecrated Chastity in the Religious Life. As a result I have limited my scope to particular things that I have found specifically in this context, and have avoided a few others.

I avoided a few frequent Chastity topics like Love, defining love, morality, consequences, and modesty. Because these are important I have included a few resources at the end of this.

I have also not mentioned “Theology of the Body,” which is just about the craze in Catholic circles. I do not mean to diminish its significance, but Chastity (in particular perpetual life-long Chastity) has been a life-form in the Church since before Jesus (like John the Baptist). I draw upon the ages. Theology of the Body has been immensely helpful to many people, and I believe that it is John Paul II’s laudable attempt to articulate a systematic theological vision for sexuality that is accessible. Some of the resources below might touch upon this, as I still believe it significant even if it has nothing to do with my personal experience of chastity.

I have not dealt with pornography, principally because I believe it would merit its own series on the side of this one. Although the websites on the bottom link to filters that I believe are essential even for the individual with the mildest addiction. If I were requested I would perhaps do this issue more justice.

Finally, I have compiled something of a checklist below of some of the important things to look out for in your journey.

Read more...

Having begun the series with a view toward establishing our identity, I just think it worthwhile to return there, with our minds fixed upon new insights over the course of the series. And as a result, you will find, there need not be analogies or anecdotes to clarify this one amongst others, simply because Christ is the focal point for chastity. The only relationship worth talking about in such depth has no parallel, because in some way, Jesus Christ, the person, has no parallel. So in case you have not yet read any of the previous posts, I highly encourage you to connect to the links at the bottom before you engage any further.

Read more...

It has become popular among Chastity speakers to tell people to “Save themselves for their future spouse.” Obviously, this never worked for, nor inspired me. It is clear among a few guys that I know that this is not something that motivate them. On the other hand, I have known plenty of young women who find this the perfect way to keep themselves focused. I think that it should be broadened here to “You Have a Future.”

Read more...

We are drawn to certain people, they are incredibly alluring. They have a power over us, as a result. We become weak to that special person. It is like, there is a world we want to be in. You know, the kid who changes their wardrobe, and starts going to concerts to be near them. If they are so obvious and flat, they are not quite as intriguing. God is much the same way. God is mysterious, and we keep coming back desperately for more grace. It is like, what is on the surface is wonderful, and what is beyond is so magical. It is indescribable.

Read more...

If you are ever lonely, it is a crime to humanity, for nobody should be alone. We all have the right to a handsome prince or gorgeous princess to make our life complete. No, they have to be perfect in every way. Heaven forbid we have a moment to ourselves. What if we meet a great person, our instinct is to swiftly lock a chain around them and drag them along. If we don’t have that “significant other” we will be incomprehensibly miserably lonely and stuff.

Read more...

Emotional Chastity seems to be a relatively recent term, and it could be as a guy that I have been particularly disinterested. As far as I can tell, it has been a discussion among women, in order that women may edify other women. I do believe that the most effective edification and admonishment for girls would be by women. I do offer this, if only to offer a celibate guy’s perspective in my own limited understanding and experience, because a lot of emotional chastity has to do with relationality.

Read more...

New girl pops up, BAM! Attracted. You think about her, you want to be near her. New boy shows up, WAM! Attracted, you wonder what they are thinking and feeling… It is rather endless. There is some strange belief we have that when we find “The One” we will never be attracted to anyone ever again. The emotional highs in being attracted to someone lead us to believe that attraction is an imperative mandate for us to drop everything for the chance for romance with a girl. Over the course of my short life, I have learned that attraction is so much more complicated then that, and that most of the time it is not even about romance. I think committing myself to celibacy has actually helped give me a clear vision for myself, and I call my friends on their nonsense sometimes. So here is my perspective.

Read more...

Discovering who we are as human persons has become an incredibly difficult thing as of late. Commercials tells us that we can buy our value, by enslaving ourselves to their product. The media tells us that we will be valuable as persons insofar as we conform to their criteria as showcased in the images of magazines and music videos. Science (well Darwinists who claim to be representing science) tells us that we are not innately valuable, but just an accumulation of years of random freak chance evolutions. Basically, all the cultural forces that we define as authoritative are implying that we are freaks, but most of all, telling us that we are essentially worthless. Religion, which in many places is not permitted a pulpit amidst these loud voices, well, we insist that you are not only innately and essentially valuable, that you are a sacred manifestation of the Divine Image.

Read more...

This week I will be covering a series of issues on the topic of Chastity & Relationships. Since I have observed that this topic is of central fascination for Catholic youth and young adults, I have observed it is of equally imperative urgency in a generation who has been taught to identify themselves principally with their genitalia.

I made a vow of “Chastity” as a Religious in my Order. I think it is pretty flat out awesome, and is sadly underrated or undervalued in our sex-saturated mainstream media. And you know what, if your sex-saturated, your like a heavy soggy sponge. If your chaste, well then you’re helluva lot lighter and free-er to be yourself.

Initially, I did not commit to chastity with the view of “saving myself for my spouse” or even “for becoming a monk.” I made my commitment to chastity as short term interiorized compulsion to pour out my life to Christ. Therefore, this thing has been on my mind for well over a decade, and has forced me to assess various situations and relationships that I have been in over the years.

Read more...