Earlier this summer, a young man said to me in a conversation, "You know Father, it's harder to be pure in the summer."  We both kind of chuckled, admitting that was true.  Nevertheless, we held in common another truth in our conscience, namely, that we were to strive to be pure, and that is something pleasing to God.  How difficult it is, in our present hedonistic culture, to seek after and attain sexual purity.  There are so many temptations from every direction:  movies, T.V., billboard advertisements, the Internet, locker room conversations, peer pressure, etc.  It seems like everybody is having sex, and we are odd, undesirable, out of it, or geekly if we don't.  I remember traveling to Europe as an exchange student in 1985 hearing that everybody who did so "got laid," and if I, or anyone of my friends didn't, there was something wrong with us.  What a crazy mixed up world.
We all suffer from "concupiscence," which is the experience of the sensitive appetite acting over and against reason.  This means out passionate/sexual desires may at times lead us to impure actions, when in fact our conscience is telling us to avoid them.  Original Sin has weakened our "will," and so we can relate to the words of St. Paul:  "I do not understand my own actions; for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15).  This paradigm is true for many of our bad habits.  We become addicted, enslaved, habitualized to patterns of deviant or unhealthy behavior, and then we feel guilty, shameful, and disgusted with ourselves because we did it again and again, and don't know how to get free.
The battle for purity is a lifelong task.  We cannot achieve continence on our own, but desperately need the help of the Holy Spirit.  Whether or not we have lost our virginity, developed a bad sexual habit, committed adultery, or simply struggled with our thoughts, Jesus Christ offers us a treasure so unbelievably gorgeous:  "purity rediscovered."  He desires our freedom, healing and the strengthening of our wills, to live a holy life.  In the following weeks I'd like to look at some prevalent issues in our society related to sexuality:  e.g. lust, masturbation, pornography, contraception, adultery, homosexuality, marital chastity, virginity, modesty.  These will be glances, and not exhaustive.  My dream, for us all, is that Jesus Christ could transform our weak sinful nature, to be like His own in glory, with an innocence, radiant and beautiful.

     
-- Fr. Michael Becker