Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are nine (9) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the Sixth Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2394.
The Sixth Commandment ‘You shall not commit adultery“ calls us all to be chaste. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is a model for us, showing us how we are to live. Christ Himself is the model of the all the virtues, chastity included. The word ”virtue" is based on the Latin word for man, vir. To be virtuous is to live according to our human nature. When we live virtuous lives we are living according to the nature which God has given us. The virtue of chastity addresses both our desires and our deeds, alone and with others. The virtue of chastity is a natural virtue. The Sixth Commandment deals more with chaste action(s), forbidding lustful deeds, while the Ninth Commandment addresses chaste desire(s), forbidding lustful desires.
As followers of Jesus Christ we have supernatural motives and means to live virtuous lives. The supernatural motives to live the virtuous life include our being virtuous out of love and obedience to Almighty God. The graces God gives us are the supernatural means we have to live virtuous lives.
As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to lead chaste lives, each according to the proper state of life (cf. 1 Timothy 2:2; 3:12; 5:2). Marital chastity is different from the chastity of single people and differs still from those who live the evangelical counsel of Chastity as monks and nuns, brothers and sisters. The promise of celibacy of the secular clergy differs still. Human sexual desire and activity are proper for and between husband and wife within the context of Holy Marriage. Husbands and wives should love each other, not only spiritually but physically as well. While the ‘nuptial embrace’ is required in order for the consummation of Holy Marriage, it need not, nor should it be limited to the wedding night! Pope Francis is happy to frequently cite Blessed Pope Paul VI (cf. 23 January, 2015; 19 January,2015; 19 October, 2014; 24 November, 2013) who in his encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (25 July, 1968) reminds us that there are two dimension to the chaste love between husband and wife: generative and unitive (cf. HV, 12, 14, 16). While a child might not be conceived as a consequence of making love, openness nonetheless is imperative. While there are certain biological similarities, there are qualitative differences between animal reproduction and the procreation. When a husband and wife make love it is not mere copulation.
Outside of Holy Marriage the virtue of chastity keeps lust in check. When the virtue of chastity is forsaken, human dignity is likewise forsaken and we behave like beasts. The call of God is for us to be holy, to glorify God with our bodies (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:20).
God bless you!