aeternus

According to Leo the Great, chastity and charity are the two things most needful in preparing for Easter Communion.

You know that word, chastity, gets a pretty bad wrap these days. It seems it is o.k. to talk about every sort of dysfunction a person may have (mental, physical, emotional) and it is perfectly polite to speak of bad behaviors or gossip of any sort. But, say the word CHASTITY, and a hush will come over the room and all eyes will suddenly be upon the speaker of such a provoking word!

The entymology of chastity comes from the Latin “castitatem” meaning purity. What’s so wrong about that definition? I mean, I like purity. I like my drinking water pure (and my food free from contaminants). My car runs best on pure fuel. My children grow best when fed good, wholesome, home cooked food. My dog loves me with a pure heart of unconditional love. In all instances that I can think of, purity is GOOD!

Think of the antonyms of chastity:

adultery, lewdness, nymphomania, promiscuity, dissipation, drunkenness, excess, extravagance, indulgence, intemperance, intoxication, pigging out, revelry, self-indulgence, wantonness…

Surely this lenten season has made us examine our lives to break away from any attachment we may have to any of these types of impurities!

With that said, I appreciated reading this part of a sermon given by Pope Leo the Great who spoke on this Wednesday of Holy Week sometime in the early 5th century…

… “Let us mount to the summit of our hopes not sluggishly nor in sloth; but prudently and faithfully reflecting from what captivity and from how miserable a bondage, with what ransom we were purchased, by how strong an arm led out, let us glorify God in our body:  that we may show Him dwelling in us, even by the uprightness of our manner of life.  And because no virtues are worthier or more excellent than merciful loving-kindness and unblemished chastity, let us more especially equip ourselves with these weapons, so that, raised from the earth, as it were on the two wings of active charity and shining purity, we may win a place in heaven.  And whosoever, aided by God’s grace, is filled with this desire and glories not in himself, but in the Lord, over his progress, pays due honour to the Easter mystery.”

The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great. Sermon LV.
On the Lord’s Passion IV., delivered on Wednesday in Holy Week.

here is a mp3 link of from Spirit Catholic Radio of Mike Aquilina talking about Pope St. Leo the Great.