LIFE 

"What price do we set on life?...As Christians we are thankful to God for life, and recognise that behind the human process involved lies the hand of God. God, being the author of life, has entrusted us with that life, both our own and of those He places within our care. Surely that trust is felt most powerfully with reference to the weak and vulnerable.... This century has seen incredible advances in the ability to help the vulnerable as demonstrated by intricate operations on a child within the womb, yet it also has seen the tragic escalation of deliberate termination of unborn life."
Rev John Stasse in "A life worth keeping: the abortion debate"
 (Presbyterian Church of Victoria Melbourne 2000 ISBN 0949197955 80p)

  So we are formed in the image and likeness of God!

Each of us is absolutely individually willed and created by God's love, we are unique and special. Each of us is called to return this love to God, and to love others with the respect due to fellow sons and daughters of God.
Everything God created He said in Genesis is good. Humans occupy a special privilege of being in God's image.
We have clever minds, a deeper awareness of physical and emotional love, of family bonds and children, and we have the capacity to seek to know and love our Creator.

LOVE
Formed by the love of God and of our parents, we all long for love. We receive love gladly as children, and learn to love others in return. We grow from selfishness and self-centered ways to living mindful of the needs and dignity of others.
Being "in love" is a wonderful feeling: our senses are heightened, we have new energy and life, we revolve around the one we love. A partner in love is a wonderful gift, not just for what we get but for what we can give.
But love is more than this intense emotion, it is also commitment, self-giving, self-sacrifice, sharing the ups and downs, as the marriage vows say "in sickness and in health, until death do us part".

We long for the security of knowing that we will be accepted, respected and cared for, even when the glow of romance has died down, when the mundane jobs of daily life are there to be done, when we lose our good looks and become old and grey. Marriage is more than looking good together, having a nice house and lovely possessions. It needs more than externals - while it allows for complementary personalities, it thrives on unity of belief about the important things such as religion. Who will be committed enough to live with us for life, sharing its joys and sorrows? Who is willing to have children with us and to help us care for them? Who will love us for who we are, not just how we look, or how exciting a time we can have together? Who will say "I will" long after they say "I do"?
Only someone who is mature and unselfish enough to live for others and their needs, and to take on commitment and responsibility.
Because our bodies are an essential part of who we are, and as "temples of the Holy Spirit", we need to learn from an early age the practical virtues of purity, modesty and chastity of body, spirit and mind.
Purity begins in our heart, because we wish to live according to God's will, seeing our body and that of others as temples of the Holy Spirit.
Modesty protects our body , by refusing to unveil what is private, in decency of clothes and in speech and attitudes.
Chastity is a moral virtue (i.e.. a habit and firm disposition of will and intellect to do what is good), where for love of God, we use His gift of sexuality according to our married or unmarried state. We learn self-restraint over our passions, what we do, say, and look at. Our virginity is kept as a gift for our marriage. Chastity is a virtue in both guys and girls. Some people might tell you that "responsible sex" is that in which contraception is used.
Isn't this just a cheap alibi? Avoiding pregnancy while sinning is not responsible sex. Sexual relations outside of marriage is fornication - a mortal sin- contraception or not. True responsibility for the single person means saying
"no" to sex of any kind.Chastity practiced before marriage strengthens our ability to be self-controlled, enabling us to overcome sexual temptations and selfishness and put sex in the context of authentic Christian love, joyfully and exclusively giving of self in marriage. It also helps in those times when a married couple are unable to express love due to sickness, or abstain in fertile times to space pregnancies as part of NFP.

"Some people have never either lived or loved. They love themselves, it is true- but there is no joy in throwing one's arms around his own ego. What such people call "falling in love" is only a projection of their own ego onto someone else; their enjoyment is not the Thou of the other person, but their own ego..They marry not to love, but to be loved; they are never in love with a person, but with a nerve ending. And as soon as the other person ceases to pamper and praise them, they leave and marry again." (Mons. Fulton Sheen)

Love must think of the other unselfishly, for the pleasure one can give rather than the pleasure one can get.

Lust is a disordering of our vocation to love, a sexual weakness or aberration which uses self or others selfishly for our own pleasure, without the self-control and respect our bodies and theirs deserve. It is different from sexual attraction, which is a God-given feeling of admiration of the beautiful person we see. The Macquarie dictionary defines it as "unbridled or lawless sexual desire or appetite". It is any thought or act that is greedy about sexual pleasure, and treats bodies as objects in order to get it. It does not want self-restraint or to follow moral rules.
Initial feelings of self-disgust and shame caused by conscience are overcome if the sin becomes habitual.

Marriage -Total self-giving in love- "Here at last is a helpmate"

The bible shows us that the marriage act is very special, and sacred, and may only be used within marriage. It forms an intimate bond at the level even of the spirit, and so requires trust and commitment. Abuse of this bonding process causes woundedness of both spirit and emotions.
 This is to be a union of love and mutual respect. True love does not allow violence.

Marriage is total giving, a "no strings" love. Just as we keep our relationship with God up by daily prayer and effort, we have to work at the marriage relationship, not just expect it will be fine. It involves day to day toil, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, conversation, listening, respect and commitment - sometimes a pleasure, sometimes working through difficulties, sometimes an effort of will. Loving in spite of imperfections, when we do not like something they have done, when we don't feel romantic, when we are tired, is more than a "warm fuzzy" emotion - it is a commitment worked out in daily situations.
The same exclusive love we give to God is the model for the love given by husband and wife in their mutual self-surrender in marriage. Adultery and fornication are for this reason sins against that total self-gift of marriage. Even non-Christian societies has proven over the ages that sexual infidelity ruptures society's closest bond, and brings great harm.

Living together is an attempt to obtain pleasure without commitment. Living together has the disadvantage of being a trial period, a test, a relationship where all intimacy must be given, but if things don't work out, or if the partner is not up to expectations, there is always the door and some more exciting person. Having given intimacy and attempted a love bond only to be discarded is a significant emotional blow. Living together does not require the commitment or the responsibility some people fear; it allows them to avoid marriage while receiving pleasure. It allows the selfish to use others and get away with lack of commitment, as does recreational sex. Both are sins against the true nature of love.
Studies show that couples who live together are statistically more likely to divorce than couples who abstain before marriage.(Australian Institute of Family Studies "Australian Family Formation Study") 40% of cohabiters either marry or stop living together within 12 months. Almost 3/4 found it did not fulfill their deep need to settle down. Studies also show that cohabiting couples are less sexually faithful, less likely to have children, make less money, tend to more violence, less happiness and less commitment than married couples.("The Case for Marriage" by Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher Doubleday 2000)With serial cohabitation, the tendency to end a relationship in adversity or unhappiness increases rather than producing willingness to work things out together. Rates of depression are treble those of marrieds, and women are more likely to be victims of physical and sexual abuse.Perhaps the most worrying finding is the high levels of child abuse -24% of cases involving a step-parent or defacto partner, and especially high when the cohabiting boyfriend is not the biological father. Cohabitations' "advantage" over marriage is that it is free entry and easy exit, no commitment, no responsibility, appealing to those too selfish or fearful to promise lifelong commitment. (Shane Dore "The costs of cohabitation" article in The Australian Family AFAJournal, April 2000)

"Go forth and multiply" - Life-giving love-

To share in God's ability to create life is an amazing part of becoming parents and creates a family. This marvelous, mysterious ability to form a new life should lead to a new respect for our wonderful bodies, and for our roles and husband and wife. Mothers deserve special respect and care when pregnant, for theirs is such an intimate cooperation to nurture life. Fathers come to realize that they are not just fathers by one act, but have a role to play of protection, providing an example of true manly love and self-sacrifice for the needs of his family.
The Church recognises that while called to generosity of openness to life, spouses may space their family. Decisions to do so may be motivated by serious financial considerations or the ill health of a spouse. The natural method of observing infertile times builds mutual respect, cooperation, communication and is very effective without putting any artificial barrier between the two ends of marriage - unity and procreation. Contraception and sterilization are not allowed because the "act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life" and is "an offence against the law of God and of nature " (Pope Pius XI in Casti Connubii 4,4)     Conscience and the Church's authority
To see children as a burden and to use contraception to avoid pregnancy promotes an "anti-life attitude" which if contraception fails, often leads to an acceptance of abortion. No Christian Church accepted contraception before 1930. Then they allowed it for serious reasons only. Now it is widespread and widely accepted for any reason. Yet the leaders of the Protestant reformation were strongly opposed to unnatural forms of birth control. These are among the facts discussed in John F Kippley's booklet "Birth Control and Christian Discipleship"(available from our library).

Family 

"Mankind's future rests in, and depends upon, the family more than any other society, institution, or environment."                                       Pope John Paul II

By creating in love and for love a new person who will grow and develop, parents take the task of helping that child live a fully human life. To be fully human is to live in relationship with our loving God, not merely to feed the body and mind. [See Catholic parenting site ]
There is no doubt that family life is the safest, most loving place to rear children. That human frailty has not always made this so in every case, does not discard the ideal family structure of two loving parents, father and mother united in a lifelong love bond, and committed to each other and working together to bring up their children in holiness. No matter how imperfect their own parents' marriage was, their children hope for this ideal when they wish to marry. For this reason, and because it was God's plan for us, the Sacrament of marriage should be held up before children as the model to aim for.
Fathers are called to be strong without being tyrants, protective, providers, decision makers, leaders, role models for the children, cooperators with their wife in their relationship and daily life. [See www.dads.org (broken link?)] What feminists fail to see is that the patriarchal system allows women who want to raise their children in economic security without having to join the workforce, to do so. This protection and support by the husband is advantageous, not slavery and abuse.
     As Scripture says "He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers".

             "......Fatherhood is a vocation, a special calling, in which God asks men to make a gift of
             themselves to others.......A father generates life. His authority in his family comes from his love
             and loyalty to his wife and children. Being a good parent means being disciplined and teaching
             children discipline, wisely and justly. As every child comes to understand, a parent who does
             not discipline is not interested in them. A good father will also be a fighter for his family,
             protecting them from harm. In co-operation with his wife, he works hard to provide for their
             material needs. He needs courage not to lose heart when under pressure, and the courage to
             offer guidance even when it is not welcome.
             A good father gives his daughters and sons knowledge and wisdom about the world. He
             teaches them how to battle against suffering rather than running away from it. He tries to offer
             a good masculine example which as much recent research shows, is important for both boys
             and girls. In doing this for his sons in particular, he demonstrates how masculine strength can be
             used to create good citizens....." George Pell, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne
                                        1999 Pentecostal  letter entitled "Fathers and Sons"

To overthrow patriarchy, marriage and family, feminists use the twisted logic that some men and marriages are abusive, therefore all men and all marriages are to be rejected. Ironically, in doing so, they allow more men to avoid responsibility for relationships and children, and more women to shoulder parenting unaided by a loving partner.
A patriarchal system which encourages men to take responsibility for the protection and support of women and children, is superior to a world where patriarchal systems are abolished - ie. of fatherless families where too many single mums live and bring up children in poverty.
  "What is called matriarchy is simply moral anarchy, in which the mother alone remains fixed because all the fathers are fugitive and irresponsible." -G K Chesterton, The Everlasting Man, CW II, p.186
Mothers are intimately linked with the nurturing of new life, of teaching and caring, of being the warm emotional heart of the family. Spouses complement eachother, make up for each others weaknesses and appreciate and lean on each others strengths. [ see Women for Faith and Family ]
Children are the natural outgrowth of the mutual giving, unselfish love of their parents. To the extent that a child lacks this, that child is deprived of the birthright God would have for us. This is what orphans and street children long for. This is where true security to grow up in happiness and knowledge of love and God lies.

Why didn't Jesus arrive on Earth with a great miraculous show of power and Godhead?
Why not capture all the world media with a huge event?

Admittedly, there was an unusually bright star in the heavens, but it only attracted the attention of 3 wise men.
Admittedly also, angels appeared singing in the skies, but they were only noticed by a few poor shepherds.

Why was His miraculous conception an unseen event? Why did He instead choose the same process by which we all arrived, growing in the secret of his mother's womb? Why the poor housing of the stable and the helplessness of a new-born baby?

So that none of us would feel ourselves to be insignificant in His eyes!
It seems to me that Jesus was not concentrating on showing His own might, but His need for our love, and His love of our humanity. The incarnation and birth of Jesus are the ultimate pro-life actions!

He accepted Joseph as his earthly father, while indicating to us all the love our Heavenly Father has for us.
Jesus was spelling out further what was meant in Genesis by God making man "in the image and likeness of God" - our relationship to the Almighty Creator was not one of master and some lowly pet animal, but of Father and beloved child, sharing His qualities of intelligence, love, and all other good qualities, but in a limited capacity where His own are limitless. By stooping down to become one of us, He was saying we have value and dignity in his eyes and heart, and he wants to share a love relationship with us and share daily life with us.
He ennobled us and all that goes with being human.
He didn't live a life of comfort and possessions, His fame was short-lived. He shared heat and cold, sorrow and joy,
food and hunger and thirst. He spent much of His life hidden in ordinary life, working hard at a trade, work that was mundane and ordinary. He felt many of the things we experience -His followers were fickle, He was misunderstood and hated, He was betrayed, knew sorrow and anguish, and suffered enormously, but was still willing to love and forgive us.
He gave meaning to all these facets of existence, and showed us how to live the law of love, and where true inner peace comes from. He showed us why we exist, and where we fit into the universal scheme of things.
We find all pleasures go stale and  lose their glitter, but true happiness comes when we fill the God-shaped void in our lives. We are spiritual beings, and only spiritual truths can satisfy our innermost longings.

To know God, to love Him, and to love all others as fellow beloved children of God, and to hope to be one day united in happiness with Him forever, is a kingdom we join by allegiance of our hearts and souls while still on earth, and this is the Kingdom Jesus brought. Even on earth, we start forming the Kingdom of Heaven by acknowledging and placing Jesus in our hearts as our King. His life is the Way for us to aspire to, to be like Him, to be holy,  to be saints, and He gives us the help we need to do so. We use the talents and gifts He has given us, and ask and allow him to flood them with His own strength, His own life.
 

We are truly created by God's love, and God's love is our destiny in Heaven. While on earth we love Him and share His love with eachother.