Is Chastity Possible? Part 1 | February 4, 2011

“If we are not working to develop a pure heart or a pure mind, then our bodily actions will reflect this. If we have no control over our desires or passions, then we cannot be trusted in either the big or the small things. We will remain slaves of our own passions and weak in spirit. If we cannot say “no,” then our “yes” will mean nothing. The more we accept chastity and make it our way of life, the more people around us will sense that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.”
 
The above is one of the most beautiful excerpts from the newly released pastoral letter on chastity from the Canadian Conference of Catholic bishops (read the complete letter here) Salt + Light also produced this video  to coincide with the letter’s release.
 
It seems that John Paul II’s Theology of the Body has sparked the discussion but in doing so, it has also revealed much uncharted territory in Catholic teaching. As a Catholic, we understand that the Church possesses Wisdom and Truth in all its fullness but that we will spend eternity articulating these truths. So I guess now is as good a time as any to start!
 
Join host Pedro Guevara Mann as he welcomes 4 young Catholics to Perspectives. Together, Pedro, Matt Nelson, Christa Huddart, Paul Fabina and Leanna Capiello of the University of Windsor put it all on the table in the effort to discover true purity of heart.

Is Chastity Possible? Part 2 | February 11, 2011

Last week, the Canadian bishops’ recent pastoral letter on chastity inspired us to initiate a discussion first on Facebook and then with a panel of young, single people. The discussion and the comments on Facebook became so extensive that we felt obliged to continue the discussion- this time from a different perspective.
 
Does chastity still look the same from the perspective of a married person? What about a religious? Is it all the same thing? Are there different steps to attaining chastity depending on your vocation?
 
Fr. Chris Valka, chaplain and a guest on this week’s edition of Perspectives Weekly says that chastity serves as an umbrella for a family of virtues. And we would tend to agree. If we make the decision to cultivate the virtues on an everyday basis, the bigger virtues fall into place as a result of our “training”. This is all with the help of God’s grace of course- but effort is required- no matter your vocation.