Vocations Period One Mr. Salter 1

 We live in a sexually saturated society ◦ Sex is used to sell virtually everything  We are sold to believe sex is for selfish, pleasure-seeking good  Sex is widely seen as a toy  In Jesus’ lifetime ◦ Divorce was common, marriage rates were low  Ironically, similar to our time 2

 Christ Takes Marriage Back to the Beginning p. 63 ◦ Though divorce was common, Jesus challenges the Pharisees to a deeper understanding of marriage ◦ Marriage as a covenant  The Covenant of marriage and Divorce p. 64 ◦ A covenant is an agreement (promise) between two parties ◦ Covenants in the Old Testament are conditional and unconditional  Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David  A covenant promises ones self ◦ Genesis tells how Adam and Eve become one flesh  In other words, they form a covenant  They give (promise) their whole self 3

 Indissoluble Bond p. 66  God’s covenant establishes two critical aspects ◦ People participate in the covenant  O.T. sacrifices, circumcision, obedience  N.T. Baptism, Eucharist ◦ People make present the covenant  O.T. obeying the Law would make them free  Being free, makes them like God; able to witness to God’s goodness  Te sacrament of Marriage participates in the New Covenant, and makes present the self-giving love of the New Covenant ◦ Marriage is a gift, a covenant, which cannot be broken  Marriage is like a mirror, it reflects the love of a man and woman as the faithful love of God  Marriage makes present God faithfulness; God’s covenant 4

◦ We are created in God’s image and likeness  But through marriage, we can reveal God’s image in a much stronger, clear way  God is in relation with Himself, the Trinity ◦ God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”  God desires unity and community ◦ Marriage reveals man at the moment of communion  Similar to the Eucharist ◦ Marriage allows us to participate in God’s very life  Two acts are needed to make an indissoluble bond: 1.Commit to each other for life, until death 2.Then by sexual intercourse, consummate the marriage (meaning to perfect, or bring to the highest level of fulfillment) 5

 Premarital Sex and Living Together p. 69 ◦ Humans are unique in that we are in solitude with God  We are symbolic  We are created to be in unity; for love  We are nuptial; to be in one flesh ◦ Sex belongs to the world of symbol and love  Sex is not selfish; not a toy  Sex is not an experimental activity (to try out a relationship to see if it “will work out”) ◦ Sex consummates  It elevates a relationship; perfects a relationship  Sex is mysterious because it is symbolic and nuptial  Sex is (should be) a seal on a relationship 6

◦ Sex seals, rather than initiates a relationship  Sex prior to marriage can confuse its intent  The exchange of pleasure can easily be confused for “love”  Thus the saying of being in lust, rather than in love  Chastity can help clarify intent; safegaurd the treasure ◦ Oxytocin – the bonding hormone  Released by a female during sexual intercourse  There is a natural law, leading couples to bond during intercourse  Hormone is physical term  Bonding is a spiritual term  Sex within marriage expresses a profound unity; it is a language of love  Sex with multiple partners leaves part of “you” with each 7

 Contraception p.72 ◦ Latin – Against Conception ◦ Form of preventing conception:  Male  Coitus interruptus  Condom  Vasectomy  Female  Oral contraception (The Pill)  Diaphragm  Spermicides  Tubal ligation 8

◦ The Church has always taught contraception is wrong ◦ Based on TOB, JPII says:  One of the purposes of sex is procreation; (divine and human)  Humans create the body  God creates the soul  When humans contracept procreation, they deliberately exclude God from the sex act  Animals reproduce, humans procreate  Fertility is a blessing; to manipulate it is acting against God natural order  Because we are symbolic, we are spiritual and physical  To divorce the spiritual from the physical thwarts the meaning of life 9

◦ The second reason JPII gives against contraception:  We are Nuptial beings  To fully embrace a woman for who she is, we must embrace her full physical being (reproduction cycles)  To ask or expect her to use chemicals or false devices to alter her blessing of fertility, thwarts God’s plan  With contraception, it could be said, that couples symbolically use each other, rather than love each other  Real love gives itself in open, honest communication  It could be said that contraception communicates a “lie” with one’s body 10

 Natural Family Planning (NFP) p 75 ◦ Married couples can “plan” their families while having reverence for each other  The Church teaches that sex is good, healthy and life-giving  As for the number of children, it should be a mutual, sacramental decision ◦ NFP is symbolic, in that it preserves our Original Unity and Nakedness  NFP incorporates full communication between husband and wife  A women monitors her body to learn when she is fertile  They then have or avoid intercourse 11

◦ The Church gives the following reasons to plan for children:  The reason must be just, and not selfish  Physical difficulties of one of the spouses  Psychological difficulties for one or both spouses  Financial difficulties  Social reasons (war, natural disasters, family tension) ◦ This is why NFP expresses a sacramental reality 12

 Pornography, Masturbation and Oral Sex p. 78 ◦ Pornography and masturbation remove the symbolic nature of sex  The human person is reduced to only a physical thing  Our invisible dimension is removed  In pornography, women/men are seen as objects  In masturbation, sex is a selfish act, frequently used with lustful fantasies using others  Acts can become patterns; patterns habits; habits-addictions  Oral sex is a form of mutual masturbation 13

 Homosexuality p. 80 ◦ Homosexuality is a difficult topic  According to God’s original plan, man is meant for woman  Homosexuality is a disorder, in that it is against natural order ◦ Therefore, homosexuals have two pains:  Being attracted to a person of the same sex  “Why am I attracted to the same sex, when others are not?”  Knowing they can never be of “one flesh” with another  No face to face physical union  Homosexual acts are seen as immoral  All non-married people should live a chaste lifestyle  All people should be loved with compassion and understanding 14

◦ Much study is being conduced about:  The causes of homosexuality  Healing and therapy for homosexuals  Obviously this is perceived as not politically correct 15