Children and Chastity

IT’S nice to see those kids troop to Church these days, bringing little flowers to Our Lady. At least amusement springs in our heart to see the girls in white with angel wings, and the boys, well, trying to put their best behavior.

Seeing them has tremendous impact on us. It rejuvenates our hope. It’s almost like praying. So if you’re grappling with your prayers, try praying by looking at those tykes. They surely will melt your heart.

The “flores de Mayo” speaks of a purity of heart that allows love for God and others to blossom. Though done in innocence, this custom reminds us of what we are supposed to be, no matter what it takes.

Truth is we are all God’s children. In spite of our sins and failures, we are meant to be with our Father God. This is his divine will, and he will do everything to fulfill it—of course, with our free cooperation.

We need to protect and defend our dignity as God’s children. He does not want us to be just any creature. Though we grow in age, stature and wisdom, we should try with God’s grace to remain like a child, whose heart is filled with love of God.

This means that aside from truths and doctrine, virtues and pious practices, our heart should burn with joyful desires, meaningful memories, colorful imaginations, songs, poetry, etc. A sad heart is a heart out of love and very vulnerable.

Among the virtues that keep us childlike and always in love is chastity. It’s a beautiful virtue that can only be a fruit of true love for God, a lifelong interplay of God’s grace and our all-out effort.

It provides us with that crucial link between our sexuality, that very intimate and intense element of our identity, and our true dignity as children of God. It keeps us in the right course of our life.

Chastity protects and saves us from the attacks of sensuality and concupiscence, no matter how vicious their grip may be on us. But let’s remember that it is not only to be desired and talked about. It has to be felt and enjoyed.

Though it involves constant internal warfare, chastity never fails to bring about its effect of peace and joy, and an uncanny sense that we are God’s children, complete with tenderness and confidence.

With it, we experience a sense of self-mastery, of freedom, a return to an original state. It’s a manly virtue that requires both grace and will-power.

With it, we have a cleaning apparatus that automatically works whenever some dirt comes to our mind and heart. It makes our senses clean, our faculties pure, able to see and understand things clearly.

It gives us wings to fly and enter the world of the spiritual and supernatural. It facilitates prayer, making us understand why love is joined by sacrifices. It unites body and soul properly. It prepares us for true love.

Of course, the obstacles can not be exaggerated. We have our own weakened flesh to reckon with. Then the temptations outside and the devil himself can not be ignored. Never deny their influence on us!

Though many have fallen to vices and perversions and have written off this
virtue from their lives, the means to deal with the difficulties are always available. “My grace is enough for you,” (2 Cor 12,9) our Lord told St. Paul. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded even more.” (Rom 5,20)

On our part, we have to beg our Lord for it in all humility. Then, offer sacrifices, keep yourself busy, have a tender devotion to our Lady. Confess regularly. See to it that your heart feels young and vibrant, truly in love.

Be careful with tiredness, idleness, loneliness, because that’s when our body feels it has to recover its lost privileges and compensations. Flee from occasions and temptations. Dominate the imagination and memory. Crush internal and solitary sins.

Let’s remember that chastity is a joyful struggle of love. Once we feel like a dog trying to be chaste, something has gone wrong. Be candid in spiritual direction.