Dear Ones,
Happy weekend and enjoy! I plan to do some baking today and cleaning our apartment as we have a few busy days ahead. We are excited as we anticipate taking a trip to Michigan to see Al’s sister next week. Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I am reading a book called, “Chastity of the Soul”, and in our culture where sex is freely given without commitment, chastity is ridiculed. But today soulless sex is clearly evident and confusion and unhappiness result. We find that God’s ways are far superior and bring joy and respect. The author Ronald Rolheiser defines chastity as proper reverence, respect, and patience. Sex is included and to be chaste we will not violate others’ boundaries prematurely. He writes that chastity is the key to community, love, joy, and even the enjoyment of sex, and he goes on to say every person we stand before is holy ground.

We live in a culture that everyone wants something right now. But we need to be patient and learn to wait. Instead of irreverence, disrespect, and impatience we learn to wait and to relate to others in respectful ways that don’t violate them. In essence we are to see others as God sees them. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8) We will be pure in heart as we are respectful and honoring of others, and even our sexual energy flows in a life-giving way. We bless people rather than exploit them and we help others flourish and not harass them.

There are people today that don’t believe they have a soul. Today love and sex are described more in terms of chemistry rather than terms of a soul. Songs are all about desiring someone’s body and not listening to the soul, and we see the result as more and more people become broken and suicidal. So often our need for a soulmate is brushed aside and it’s more about the chemistry and that bing feeling! It shows us our society is basically soulless and it is evident with the acceptance of pornography and sex with no ties.

But Rolheiser goes on to say that our souls want to be protected, honored for their sacredness and listened to. We must take care not to lose our souls but when we sense we are reverenced and respected, it gives us the feeling of being home. It’s a place of belonging and we sense that we are in union with each other. We find what we do either connects with others or divides us, and even our private lives impact the whole body for good or for evil. In Rolheiser’s own words, “The ideal of chastity embeds sex within romance, sacredness, commitment, community and soul.

Challenge for today: Be an example of chastity and never take by force what you are to receive as a gift.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy