Fat (yet chaste) Tuesday

This was the 1st Reading for today's Mass:  

Hebrews 13: 1-8
Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Word of the Lord.
______________________________________________________________

Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.

This verse struck me as an extremely important reminder to everyone who will participate in Mardi Gras parades & festivities over the next few days.  Don't get me wrong.  Mardi Gras season is my favorite time of year.  I love the colors and the music, and especially king cake.  I don't, however, think that a time for feasting & celebrating right before a lengthy time of solemn prayer and fasting should be translated into a time where debauchery is acceptable and even encouraged.

 Here is an excerpt from a chastity lesson I gave a few weeks ago:  (this was geared toward 8th graders, but this all applies to EVERYONE, with your spouse or future spouse in mind)

We are made in the image & likeness of God, by God & for God. 

Every person, single or married, is called to be CHASTE & to respect the sexuality of self & others.

Sex is a gift from God, so He has the right to give us the instructions on how to use this gift.

- He created & intended for sex to be expressed only between a man & a woman who have entered into a covenant of exclusive, lifelong commitment = MARRIAGE.

Married couples are the physical image of the Holy Trinity and the physical representation of Christ’s love for the church in the whole world.

- Each family unit of Husband + Wife (and + children) is called the Domestic Church, and is the foundation for all of society.

- Families exist because of the gift of sex.

- When sex is misused, families suffer.

- When families suffer, society suffers.

 The 6^th Commandment: You shall not commit adultery.

- Adultery = any form of sex outside of marriage.

- Outside of = pre (before) and ‘other than’

- This means that having any form of sex with anyone other than your spouse, before or during marriage, is a sin.

- Any form of sex includes passionate kissing, inappropriate touching & exposing parts of your body, in person or in pictures.

-The way to respect the gift of sex is to practice CHASTITY.

- Chastity is the virtue by which a person deliberately does not act on sexual desires and firmly chooses to avoid those things & situations which will bring about his or her sexual temptation.

Careful thought and lots of prayer need to be put into every aspect of your life so that you can make good choices.  You need to ask yourself:

            
           ‘Will this lead me or lead someone else to sin or to be tempted to sin?’

            - If the answer is yes, then this whatever (or whomever) should be avoided.

            - Choose only healthy, pure, Godly images & messages to enter your mind.

                       - Impure and unhealthy images & messages can lead to sinful desires, 
                        and when you willingly allow or invite these messages to come into your mind, 
                        the more easily you will act on these desires.

                        - Your mind is your most important sex organ, so protect it!

                        - Pray the Our Father: LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION

Remember, Satan is always trying to lead you to sin, so you must always be on your guard.

I hope you all have a very safe and happy Mardi Gras.

With Love,

Becca