Living Without School: Just say no!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Just say no!

This was a slogan put out by the Health Dept of Western Australia, quite a few years ago now. It was aimed at young people and was part of their safe sex programme.

As you can imagine the slogan attracted a lot of comment. Many people felt it was unrealistic to ask young people to say no to relations outside marriage or to say no to casual sleeping around.

Why am I writing about this?

Yesterday, two homeschool friends and I were talking, while our teens were at band practice and the younger ones were war gaming.

One friend mentioned that her church recently hosted a talk for teens/young people on the issue of abstinence - or not.

She said that, later, her own children asked her about her experiences - had she abstained before marriage.

And, yes, she told them the truth - and her reasons for her choices.

So, we three mothers got to talking. Is it hard to expect our children to wait until marriage ( if, indeed, marriage is in the picture for them).

What is a Christian viewpoint?

The other friend told how some young people in her church are married young - presumably as a solution to the abstinence?

Both friends asked me about my older sons and their thoughts - they are young Christians who are not married. What choices are they making - and why?

Now, obviously, this is a matter between my older sons and God.

But over the years Gerry (dh) and I have talked about why the Church encourages us to wait for marriage - or to be celibate if that is where we are called. About avoiding occasions of possible temptation, where possible.

And all parents know that, ultimately, young adults will make their own choices. We can pray but they are their own people and have their own relationships - with God and with others.

They will make their choices - prayerfully, and sacramentally, we hope - just as we made and continue to make ours.

Can they just say no?

Here are a couple of articles .Everyone has his own gift from God, suited to his vocation - Pope John Paul 2

Pope John Paul 2 - Paul's teaching on the sanctity and respect of the human body

A Christian View of Sex

4 comments:

Cindy said...: Wow, Leonie, you are bringing up some weighty idea in your posts of late! lol I love it.

I was just about to make another blog entry on moving again.. :)

I will think as I work out today.

I have lots of thoughts.. for me the trick is to distill them into postable sense. :)

Thanks for the post--; 10:55 pm
Leonie said...: Cindy, mostly I am my usual flippant self on my blog ( lol!) but every now and then issues seem to come into my life - and I blog and talk about them. :-)

Will check out your blogs today.; 8:13 am
Anonymous said...: Interesting topic and I love how you broached it :-) I've been inspired by Christopher West along these lines and am encouraging our young adult sons to go to one of his seminars....you are right, ultimately they will have to make that choice and hopefully we will have given them the right tools to make a thoughtful one :-); 8:28 am
Leonie said...: Yes, Beate, I pray and hope we have given the right boys the tools to help them deal with these issues :-).....Haven't heard of Christopher West - will have to check him out on the we.Thanks for dropping by!; 9:15 am

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Prayer of Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to thee. I, N___, a repentant sinner, cast myself at thy feet humbly imploring thee to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to thyself as thy possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases thee. If it pleases thee, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of thee: "She will crush your head," and, "Thou alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world."

Let me be a fit instrument in thine Immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever thou enters, one obtains the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through thy hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise thee O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thy enemies.

Prayer of St Bonaventure

Pierce, O most Sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst after Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, attain Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end.May Thou alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.