Psalm 127 If the Lord does not build the house in vain do its builders labor; If the Lord does not watch over the city, In vain does the watchman keep vigil. In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat: when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

Do you believe??  In God’s goodness?  In God’s infinite love for you?  In God’s wisdom?  That God has a plan for you, and that it is better than any plan you could dream for yourself?

God’s plan for married couples…  He gave us a way to express our love for each other through sexual union. This act of giving ourselves to one another brings two gifts:  Procreation  Unity

Part of this plan, one that modern society sometimes leaves out, is procreation… Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, a blessing, the fruit of the womb. Indeed the sons of youth are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. O the happiness of the man who has filled his quiver with these arrows! Psalm 127

But what if there are serious circumstances… and the couple believes they should not have a baby at this time?

Natural Family Planning

As Catholic School teachers…  We strive to build a strong Culture of Life in our schools -  Natural Family Planning is part of this culture.

What is NFP?  The observation of fertile signs in the woman’s body. (Men are always fertile, women are rarely fertile.)

What is NFP?  Some types of NFP: –Ovulation method – mucus observation. Aka Billings method, Family of the Americas –Sympto-thermal method Aka Couple-to-Couple league, Creighton model NFP is NOT the “rhythm method”!

Advantages  Can be used at any time in the woman’s life: breastfeeding, menopause, irregular periods.

Advantages  Can be used to achieve pregnancy or to avoid pregnancy if serious reason exists.

Advantages  No cost or adverse side effects to the woman or the child.

Why not contraception?

Why not contraception? answer #1  The teaching authority of the Church – the Magisterium:  “Contraception is intrinsically evil”.  God is the source of our life and happiness both in this world and the next. All is meant for our good.

Why not contraception? #2, #3  Harmful to the woman. –Hormonal: cancer, infertility, cardiovascular problems, uncomfortable side effects  Other types not as effective as NFP.

Science News... from universities, journals, and other research organizations Save Save Print Share Print Share Natural Family Planning Method As Effective As Contraceptive Pill, New Research Finds ScienceDaily (Feb. 21, 2007) — Researchers have found that a method of natural family planning that uses two indicators to identify the fertile phase in a woman's menstrual cycle is as effective as the contraceptive pill for avoiding unplanned pregnancies if used correctly, according to a report published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction today (21 February).

Contraception – Why not?  Some contraceptives are abortifacients. –Hormonal – thins the lining of the uterus preventing implantation of the baby. –IUD – constant irritation and low-grade infection prevents implantation of the baby.

Contraception – Why not? #4  Sexual union is for unity and procreation –Must be open to God’s will in your life. –The sex act in marriage is sacred, God is present in a special way as a new human life comes into existence. –The openness of the parents to God’s will in their lives honors Him and shows their love for Him and their trust in Him.

This is definitely countercultural! I’ll do it My way! Not My will, but Yours be done!