Posted November 12, 2014

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

47. Two different vocations do justice to the summons of being male and female in God’s plan: marriage and celibacy. Both of these disciplines converge on the shared premise that sexual intimacy between a man and woman belongs and flourishes in the context of a covenant. Celibacy is the way that unmarried people confirm the truth and beauty of marriage. Celibacy and marriage both abstain from sexual acts that use others in conditional or temporary ways. Authentic celibate abstinence is certainly not a disdain for sex, but rather honors sex by insisting that sexual intimacy serves and is served by the covenant. By living in the light of the covenant, married couples and celibate persons alike offer their sexuality to the community, to the creation of a society which is not premised on concupiscence and exploitation.

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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.

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