Chapter 3.

5: The Human Sexuality: A Gift From God

Knowing Lovingly

The value of human sexuality is grounded on our dignity as human person. “Let us make human
beings in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

Our dignity is not grounded on any group or government but on God who is eternal. It is not
dependent on what we own, or even on what we do. It does not increase nor decrease. It is not for sale.
Our dignity is a complete and inestimable gift from God whose worth is priceless.

New Life in Christ

Given the gift of dignity, salvation history tells us that the people before us are forgetful to
appreciate this gift and live it according to its purpose. But in spite of that, God continues to love us and
even sent His Son to redeem us. “For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your
body.” (1 Cor. 6:20).

Jesus Christ shed His own blood for all of us so that we can receive new life with Him and find
new meaning in our lives.

The Dignity of Human Sexuality

Created as male and female, this points to the equality of the dignity of man and woman. The
call to a woman to be submissive in the right of the sacrament of Matrimony is not about dignity but
respect for the role entrusted to them. The man being the head of the family has a power based on love
and service and not on abusive will. “In creating the human race “male and female,” God gives man and
woman an equal personal dignity" (FC 22). Thus, “Man is a person; man and woman equally so, since
both were created in the image and likeness of the personal God.”

Human Sexuality

Sexuality refers to us as persons in all aspects, which include physical, social, emotional,
intellectual, and psychological aspect. It includes how we feel, see, and do things.

Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul.

Our sexuality is more than our gender. It is part of our person. It gives us the ability to connect
and give ourselves in love to another person. Our human sexuality is an important means by which we
can share in the love and creativity of God.
 The Church calls us to acknowledge and accept our sexual identity- man or woman.

The Catholic Vision of Human Sexuality

God blessed our first parents and said, “Be fertile and multiply” (Gen. 1:28). God commanded
them to continue His creation as partners and as complementary members of a communion of life and
love. Human sexuality, then, is a part of God’s plan. It has purpose and meaning. It is not incidental to
life.

Human sexuality is directed toward a loving relationship between the man and woman. To
married couple, such love relationship gives rise to physical intimacy and becomes a sign and pledge of a
lifelong commitment. This is not intended to casual but lifelong and life-giving. It becomes an expression
of a lifelong commitment that allows them to give themselves freely and completely to each other in
love and life.

Sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman. In marriage the physical intimacy
of the spouses becomes a sign and pledge of spiritual communion. Marriage bonds between baptized
persons are sanctified by the sacrament.

For married couples, their sexual activity that flows from their sexuality becomes source of joy
and pleasure. It unites them when performed in true self-giving.

Therefore, the spouses do nothing evil in seeking this pleasure and enjoyment. They accept
what the Creator has intended for them. At the same time, spouses should know how to keep
themselves within the limits of just moderation.

God’s purpose of our human sexuality is good and beautiful. But we know, with the reality of
sin, it is misused. Rather than using the ability to love as man and woman, it is being used to hurt and
ignore others. Our human nature, beginning with Adam and Eve, is tainted by sin.

Adultery, fornication, prostitution, rape, sexual abuse and exploitation, pornography, and other
modern crimes illustrate how we have fallen, abused, and misused our human sexuality. We sin against
one another. We use them rather than love. For doing so, we become less the person we are called to
be in Christ.

Jesus commands us to love one another. He said, “You shall love your neighbors as yourself”
(Mark 12:31). We should look upon other people as our other “self” to be treated with love, respect,
and care.

Human sexuality is a gift but not a toy. It is a gift to be respected and directed toward its proper
end: loving and personal communion with others.

Virtue of Chastity
 The virtues are important part of the Christian life. It unites us to God, contrary to sin, which
separates, alienates, and makes us strangers to God, one another, and the world. By a virtue we
mean”… a habitual and firm disposition to do the good” (CCC 1803).

There are lots of virtues to help us remain faithful in our relationship with God there is virtue
that calls us to respect and care for our human sexuality. This we call chastity.

For some, chastity is suppressing human desires and passion for something. The truth is, it does
not suppress but direct it toward what is good. It ensures that we enjoy God’s gift moderately and
appropriately and leads us no t to destruction at the end.

Chastity is a virtue, thus a habit of doing good. It is a habit of respecting and caring for human
sexuality. It follows the law of growth. It is to be done and practiced every day.

Chastity helps us to control our “self” with all its inclination, desires, and passions. “Man’s
dignity therefore requires him to act out of conscious and free choice, as moved and drawn in a personal
way from within, and not by blind impulses in himself or by mere external constraint.

Chastity exists not to prevent happiness but to allow happiness to mature and blossom. Chastity
helps us to see people as they really are. It helps to ground us in truth. Those who treat others as objects
might experience some passing pleasure but they are not going to be happy.

Pope St. John Paul II, during his time as cardinal, wrote a book titled Love and Responsibility. He
points out that chastity does not stand in a way of love but rather exists to protect it. Chastity expresses
love. In this reflection, he stated that the opposite of love is not hate (as many think) but use. In the
absence of love, people tend to use others.

Pope St. John Paul II emphasizes the structure of love as that of an interpersonal communion.
He insisted that chastity is always about persons. He argued “… love is an affirmation of the person or
else it is not love at all.” The moral virtue of chastity is distinct but inseparable with the virtue of love.
Only the chaste are capable of loving. The degree we are chaste is the degree we love others. The more
chaste we are, the more we love others and the lesser we use them. Chastity is both a prerequisites and
expression of love. Chastity is a yes to another person as a person and not as an object to be used.
Chastity may involve saying no, but it is no for a higher purpose and for whatever is self-destructive.