Surrendering to the Healing Power of Christ's Own Chastity

Surrendering to the Healing Power of Christ's Own Chastity | Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., Institute for Priestly Formation | Ignatius Insight

The appropriation of chastity as a stable character trait is won through struggle for most men. Chastity comes at a price. There are, however, some men who appear to be protected in this area by grace, reporting little temptation to choose against chaste living. This grace can and must be prayed for by every man, but each man must accept his real relationship with the virtue of chastity here and now, and for most men that means struggle. This struggle will not mark one's entire life; because over time, as the beauty of one's sexual identity is related to the mystery of Christ, His own irenic strength assists a man to resist the temptation to choose unchaste acts. In the light of this grace a man will no longer see unchaste acts as occasions for artificial consolation. Continuous struggle is not God's will for men. Neither is resting in artificial consolation. If a man orders his affections to the mystery of Christ's love, his desires will be purified and authentic consolation will characterize his interior life.

In this essay I wish to address the chastity formation needs of seminarians. Sound chastity formation is always approached in the context of the nuptial truths of the body. It is useful, on occasion, to raise particular questions about chastity to assist seminarians in gaining self-mastery. As a further concentration in this essay, then, I will approach the question of masturbation and how the spiritual/moral life, in the context of the sacraments, can heal a man of this behavioral habit.

Purified Eros
Unchaste acts are to be rejected. [1] This rejection is not a violent act of self-will but a surrender in faith-filled prayer to the healing power of Christ's own chastity. A man is to cry out and let the mystery of Christ's own obedience to truth, His own love of the Father, and His own spousal love of the Church enter and console the desolate heart. Such consolation yields freedom and peace. By way of faith, Christ's spousal identity enters a man empowering him to live his sexual identity as gift rather than using the power of sexuality for genital self-pleasure.

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Comments

[Fr. Andrew]

I'm so happy you have Deacon Keating writing for Ignaitus Insight. I've studied under him at IPF workshops and he speaks and writes powerfully.

[Andrew]

What an insightful article. "Continuous struggle is not God's will for men. Neither is resting in artificial consolation." How true.

There are times when I think that too many ministries have almost nothing to say to people whose natural desires for sex, marriage, and children will never be fulfilled. In my profession I routinely come into contact with such persons: paraplegics, quadriplegics, and mentally disabled people. And what about the homosexual or lesbian trying to remain chaste or the unfortunate lifelong singles for whom marriage just never arrives?

Too many ministries, I think, are embarrassed by such people- it is a difficult thing to minister to people whose deepest and strongest desires would always be unmet. Every church seems to have programs on dating, marriage and raising children - but for the lonely there's . . . well, nothing.

Thanks for posting this article, Carl. Although it was not specifically about the issues I spoke about here it can be quite useful as a word of encouragement and advice.

[Robert]

I'm not a seminarian, but am a single Catholic man who has remained a virgin but who struggles with chastity, and this article was a blessing to me...