Posted November 11, 2014

See the daily excerpt from the preparatory catechesis for the 2015 World Meeting of Families, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”

46. Because it is a central component of our identity, sexuality cannot be isolated from the meaning of the human person. Sex is never simply a physical or emotional impulse. It always involves more. Sexual desire shows that we are never self-sufficient. We long for intimacy with another. Sexual intercourse, no matter how “casual,” is never simply a biological act. In fact, sexual intimacy is always in some sense conjugal because it creates a human bond, no matter how unintended. A properly ordered conjugal act is never simply an inward looking, autonomous erotic act. Our sexuality is personal and intimate, but always with a social dimension and consequence. A sacramental marriage is never a private possession, but discovers itself in relation to God’s wider covenant.

***

In its introduction, the document says its aim is to present “Catholic teaching in a way that is fresh, insightful, and accessible to contemporary Catholics and all people of good will.” The catechesis “offers a narrative beginning with our creation, soberly noting our fall and the challenges we face, but emphasizing God’s plan for our salvation. Love is our mission, and it is by loving God and one another that we will be fully alive.”

Each day in CatholicPhilly.com’s World Meeting of Families section you can reflect on the official Catholic teaching on the family presented in the catechesis, pray a special prayer together as a family or individually, and stay on top of breaking news about the events coming Sept. 22-27, 2015.

Order the catechesis for your home via Our Sunday Visitor, and visit WorldMeeting2015.org for more information on the events.

Sign up for our newsletter so you won’t miss any development about the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.