The Mystery of Love for the Single by Fr. Dominic J. Unger
Chastity for the single is necessarily a negative virtue; it is abstinence from the use of a faculty, from the use and enjoyment of sex.
But it is not merely negative, especially when it is deliberately chosen and willed for the more perfect end of undivided love for Christ. It has then a preeminently positive value: the love of and union with Christ.
Chastity, perfect and perpetual, is not merely a negation, an inhibition of powers, a non-exercise of sex, a fighting against temptations. It is something quite positive. It is as positive as love of Christ, which in fact makes it quite reasonable, quite intelligible.
It does not make a person, or suppose that a person is, emotionless, or even without the passion of sex. Such a person would be abnormal. A chaste person is essentially normal in his passions and emotions.
Virginal chastity is full of love, full of the spiritual love of Christ. With this idea we enter into the realm of the mystic. Virginal love is mystical union with Christ, which results in being loved, protected, consoled, rejoiced by Christ.
It is in no sense the mere ascetical endurance of a passionless existence. In its positive aspect especially, it is far superior to married love. Even for married people the ultimate end of their human love must be the mystic love of Christ. And often when marriage, from the point of human love, fails to satisfy, the married must seek spiritual satisfaction in supernatural love and mystic union with Christ.
Virginal love is as positive, too, as a consecration. The gold chalice with which a priest celebrates the Holy Eucharist may be used for no other purpose than consecrating the Precious Blood of Christ. The chalice was made sacred for that purpose alone; it was set aside exclusively for that use. That is certainly a pre-eminently positive use and purpose.
Through dedicated virginity or perfect chastity, in like manner, one sets aside as sacred to Christ the power of sex, in order that one’s entire person may be devoted to Christ’s service and love more completely. That is assuredly something positive.
We must note, however, that (every simile limps) the chalice which is consecrated for only the one purpose is itself used for that purpose, whereas in perfect chastity it is not the power of sex itself that is used. The power of sex is consecrated to Christ not to be used at all, in order that another faculty, that of spiritual love, may be more completely devoted to Christ and used to its fullest capacity.
Virginal love is as positive, again, as the Eucharistic Sacrifice itself. It is a sacrificing of the power of sex, in order that the power of love might be exercised in a more sublime and perfect fashion. It is the perfect communion of Christ with the soul through undivided love.
“We can change the world within our own families. We do not need heroic deeds, exceptional intelligence or extraordinary talents. Every day, our daily duties, our interactions with our family, our living out the Faith in the small ordinary things, will be the thread that weaves the beautiful rug that future generations will be walking upon and building upon….” Finer Femininity, Painting by Giuseppe Magni (1869 – 1956, Italian)
Old World Veil and Capelets. A beautiful twist on the normal chapel veil. Ties with a ribbon in front..made from chiffon and lace. Will fit various ages of young girls… 6 to 16 years old. Available here.
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Very beautiful on chastity. Thank you. Merry Christmastide!