As we draw ever closer to Christmas Day and the birth of Christ, who came into the world as the single greatest gift to mankind, it is well worth revisiting the words of Pope Saint John Paul II regarding the human person as gift.
In his General Audience of Wednesday, January 16, 1980, he remarked:
“The human body, with its sex, and its masculinity and femininity seen in the very mystery of creation, is not only a source of fruitfulness and procreation, as in the whole natural order. It includes right from the beginning the nuptial attribute, that is, the capacity of expressing love, that love in which the person becomes a gift and – by means of this gift – fulfills the meaning of his being and existence. Let us recall here the text of the last Council which declared that man is the only creature in the visible world that God willed “for its own sake.” It then added that man “can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself” (GS 24)
Understanding the gift of self begins with understanding the kind of love Christ had for us: free, faithful, fruitful, full, and forever. That is the first step in understanding how we should love others.
The way young people are taught about Christ-like love in conjunction with God’s gift of sexuality is of critical importance in our current culture, because it can set the ‘framework’ for the choices they make as they grow into adults.
As we say in our Real Love & Real Life program:
“Our relationships with God, others, even ourselves, are based on our belief that I and everyone else is created in God’s image and likeness to be loved for ourselves. If we believe that everyone has dignity and our sexuality is a gift then our hearts and minds will be programmed to be pure in thought, word, and action. We will mature in our sexual desire and feelings and look at ourselves and others with high regard. We will come to see ourselves and others not as objects to be used but persons to love, with respect, reverence, and restraint.” [From Family Honor’s Real Love & Real Life curriculum.]
With each passing year, Family Honor becomes even more convinced about the urgency of providing parents with the encouragement and tools they need to help their sons and daughters make wise choices that are focused on what will help them lead healthy, happy, holy lives. If you’d like to help us in our important mission, please consider making a tax-deductible, end-of-year donation to our life-changing work. You can be a gift to others!