Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife

Tonight, we will discuss the other commandment that deals solely with our internal acts of the will and not external, visible acts of the body.  The commandment is the ninth, which reads,

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

In the last post, we introduced the idea of concupiscence.   This is when what is called the “appetites”, or desires, act outside the control of reason.  This includes desires for food, drink, money, possessions, and yes, sex.   The 10^th Commandment, discussed last post, deals with the desires for the material goods of someone else.  This Commandment, the 9^th, deals with desires for carnal pleasures.

Our Lord Jesus Christ exhorts us to be “pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8).  Part of being pure in heart is having our sexual faculties attuned to the demands of God’s holiness.   This allows us, in the words of the Catechism (2519) to "perceive the human body - ours and our neighbor's - as a temple of the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of divine beauty."

The fight for purity is one everyone must undergo.   This battle is fought on several fronts, but with the grace of the Holy Spirit, through the Sacraments, we can win on all of them.

1)      We battle to live the virtue of chastity, so as to receive the gift of chastity.  We have mentioned chastity before; let us recall its definition here:  Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.  The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift. (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2337)   In other words, the sexual appetite is under moderation and control.  Our sexuality must be integrated within our whole personality.  When it is not under control of other faculties, disorder, sin, which sometimes violence, occurs.

2)      We battle to have the right intention in all that we do.  When we desire sex, is it for pleasure only?  Do we do it for the right reason?  Is it God’s will?  Does it give God glory?

3)      We battle to have purity of vision.  Do we see ourselves and others as God sees us, not as objects to be used, but subjects to love and be loved?

4)      We battle in prayer.   If we give God the gift of time, he will give us so much more, including the strength to be victorious in our struggle for purity.  Do we?

An important part of being pure is being modest.   The Catechism (2521 and 2522) discusses what modesty is.  I cannot describe it any better:  Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness.  It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.   Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.

While the battle for purity can be won by the baptized Christian, with the grace of the Sacraments and prayer, in any cultural climate, nonetheless it remains important to have the culture purified as much as possible to help each person fulfill his or her potential as a child of God, and not fall to the slavery of sin, sexual and otherwise.   To this end, standards of decency should be promulgated in the entertainment industry.  Parents must also protect their children from images that can pose undue harm to those whose faculties of reason and will have not reached their height yet.

Let us resolve to fight this battle, knowing that if we are open to the help of God, we will win it, and in the process, become pure souls with pure bodies that give radiant glory to God in this life, and forever in the next.

In the next post, we will move from the inside to the outside, and begin discussion of the Commandments that refer to visible actions of the body that go against the good of our neighbor. 

Joseph most chaste, pray for us.