Chastity is a Christian virtue

It was heartening to read about the campaign organised by the Diocesan Youth Commission, KDZ, promoting the value of abstaining from pre-marital sex. However, from what was said in the interview with Suzanne Vella in The Times of February 6, there seems to be a grave shortcoming in the project being proposed. Christ and Christian values have, it seems purposely, been left out of the equation.

In other words, young people, living in our sex-obsessed society, continuously bombarded by erotic messages from the media, are being rightly encouraged to view sex for what it is - a beautiful gift to be exercised within the context of marriage in order to promote the love and unity of the spouses and the procreation of children. However, they are not being told about the means that they should use in order to live the virtue of chastity, which of course is what abstinence is all about. Words, no matter how good and persuasive, can never hope to achieve success unless those who propound them and those who are supposed to heed them remember Christ's words: "Without me you can do nothing".

The Lord, who knew the frailty of our human nature and what lies deep in the heart of man, founded a Church which in turn provides us with the means - the sacraments, especially confession and the Eucharist and a life of deep prayer - in order to live up to His teachings. Contrary to present perceptions, the radical nature of the Gospel message still appeals both to the young and to the old and it would be a big mistake to believe otherwise. Chastity is an eminently Christian virtue and Jesus' promise that the pure of heart are blessed and shall see God is as valid today as ever before.