How to Practice the Virtue of Chastity · 5:26pm Dec 3rd, 2019
So a good fellow recently asked for advice on how to better practice the virtue of chastity and I thought would go ahead and publish my answer to him as a blog for anyone who may be interested. Chastity is often misunderstood as "NO SEX". But this is a common misconception. Even married couples must be chaste, even though they are lawfully permitted to engage in the pleasures of marital life. Chastity, quite simply means self-control. Control of our sexuality according to our state in life. Everyone must be chaste in order to truly love. For if love is the gift of self, how can I truly love if I am not in control of myself?
Practicing the virtue of chastity has become all the more difficult in our modern times where sins of impurity are not only the norm, but encouraged. Temptations abound almost everywhere we look (I'm looking at you Fimfiction
) So in order to avoid sins against chastity, we must take up certain precautions and practices.
Always remember that we become what we consume: our entertainments, the things we read, watch, and listen to, and even the people we chose to associate with.
First, make sure what you consume is wholesome; avoid the near occasion of sin and those things that can tempt you. When a bad thought comes, flee from it. Say a quick prayer and then distract yourself with something good until the temptation passes. Remember, an impure thought that pops into our mind is not a sin so long as we do not assent to it. Reject it, and know that you haven't sinned no matter how bad it was!
Second, have a strong prayer life. Spend time with God daily; It is He who gives us the strength to resist temptation. You cannot simply force out bad desires, especially if you are trying to come out of a bad habit. They must be crowded out with better desires. By getting in the habit of loving God always, you desire Him above all things; think often of His Love for you, meditate on His Passion, the sufferings He endured for you. This motivates a contrite heart and inspires us to love Him in return. Call upon the Saints, particularly the Most Pure Blessed Virgin Mary who delights in making her children pure. We have friends in high places!
Third, practice little mortifications e.g: give up salt on a meal, skip dessert, shut off the entertainments earlier, etc. When we are in the daily habit of denying ourselves lawful pleasures, it becomes easier to deny the unlawful ones. Master your flesh in this manner.
Finally, do not get discouraged!
Chastity (self-control) like all of the virtues, is a habit. The more we practice it, the better we get at it. Peace and God's Blessings to you!
Thank you for this encouragement.
5164582
Welcome
I think it also helps to remember there's nothing new under the sun.
Okay, lets take sex for example. I remember being a teenager, same as anyone. It was utterly miserable experience. Then I had it, and sure it fun and all, but really, I have more fun just being with friends or even reading a book. Sex is an overrated experience and, at times, a distraction.
Same thing with drugs or booze. You aren't being subversive or achieving a higher state, you are in a stupor and are literally doing what millions have done, are doing, and will do.
5168315
Wouldn't know
But you are correct, many people allow themselves to be overcome by lesser passions and desires. The addiction to pleasure is very destructive. And its not just sex but the scourge of pornography and masturbation. That is a very hard cycle to break once one gets caught up in it.
5168467
Well, I wouldn't put it like that. Sex is arguably one the most, if not the most, powerful drive in human existence. You're here cause too people had sex. The problem, in my opinion, stems from peoples recent tendency to see others in purely those terms. Its why I rail against the practice of promiscuity. One literally viewing others as a thing to be used, and just as quickly discarded, is hardly what I would call an endearing quality.
Addiction in any form is destructive. The problem, again my opinion, is when its used as both an escape and an excuse.
That's true of any excessive tendency. Moderation dear hearts, moderation
5168748
I couldn't agree more. But this is precisely why pornography is evil: it is the viewing of another person as an object to satisfy myself.
You probably already know this, but as a chaplain, I am speaking from Christian morals
Big misconception among many is with that is we think sex is evil. To the contrary, we see it as a Sacred gift from God and should be treated accordingly.
5169000
Hey, if a sith can manage it...
I should also mention I regard the Jedi as bad if not worse then the Sith in the long run
5214140
I like that guy
The Jedi became very corrupt and arrogant
5214164
I wouldn't say they became corrupt, per sae.
Now I disagree with the Force on a religious basis, or as close as I get to that line of thinking, and neither has one what one would call a healthy view on emotional well being, but at least the Sith aren't liars. They're called deceitful, true, and at times are so, but its not like they're given much choice given Jedi's propencity to mistake Dark as Evil.
5214169
Sith are almost always self-centered to the destruction of everyone else. Kill you for the sake of my happiness
5214187
Sith also tend to eat their own as well and tend to self destruct. And considering that the worst of the Sith are of the Jedi order, it speaks to the destructive nature of Force ideology.
I think George might have flubbed Taoism a tad
5214202
Initially I did not see it as Taoism but simple Good vs Evil: Selfless vs Selfish. I think over time they devolved it into Taoism to be more 'hip' and 'enlightened'
5214215
Well, he did base a lot of it around Taoism, and both that and Buddhism have no direct analogue to things like good and evil, so it might get muddled a bit.
Personally I thought that the second Kotor covered it best. First one was pretty wanky.
Of course, I could just be overexamining things. I'm the sort who delves into the character subtleties of Berserk rather then being a proper male whose just supposed to admire the spectacle of a muscled chad splitting dudes in half with his girth