In the Know with Fr. Joe
Fr. Joe, a friend of mine says that Jesus
never talked about sex, that all the rules and regulations we have are
man-made. I’ve asked around and a lot of people agree. What do you
think?
I try not
to think. It’s not one of my skills.
I know a lot of people say that about Jesus and sex, and I am not sure
where it came from, but in fact, some of Jesus more strongly worded passages
are the ones where He directly addresses sexuality and sexual issues.
(Matt
5: 27-32, Mark
9:43-47)
In terms of man-made rules, remember that in a certain sense all rules
are “man-made,” right? The bigger question we have to ask is
"What inspired people to make these rules?"
For us, as a Church, we believe that God inspires the leadership of the
Church to teach us how to be who God created us to be. We trust the words
of Jesus when he gave the disciples leadership. He said the Peter was
the rock, and that He (Jesus) would build His Church on that rock and
that “the gates of hell [would] not prevail against it.” It
is hard some days, but we need to trust that God has His hand on the Church
and is guiding us in all our decisions.
We have to remember that Jesus taught us as a Church that each person
is created in the image and likeness of God -- and that makes each human
person (including you) sacred. We must treat what is sacred with care
and following the rules about sexuality are our effort to do just that.
Enjoy another day in God’s presence!
Fr. Joe
e-mail your questions to faithteen@parishmail.com
or joeinblack@priest.com
If You Really Loved Me:
100 Questions on Dating Relationships and Sexual Purity
By Jason Evert
Every teenager, from the beginning of time, has desired true happiness.
In the face of today’s popular culture, this pursuit is a difficult
task, because the noise of the world can deafen us to the truths of our
Catholic faith. “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness,”
begins Jason Evert’s new book, quoting Pope John Paul II. This is
the foundation for understanding and explaining the truth about relationships,
marriage and sexuality. Ultimately, this book is a survival guide to life
and love, with a vision of the human person that can transform the challenge
of teenage life from a burden to an adventure.
In 11 chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of sexuality, Jason
Evert intelligently answers 100 of the most commonly asked questions from
junior high, high school and college students. Recently married and
still in his twenties, he has spoken to more than 100,000 young people
around the world. Clearly and persuasively, Jason utilizes statistics,
anecdotes, Scripture, Tradition, common sense and humor to give straight
answers to a wide variety of questions. The wisdom contained in this engaging
book is invaluable, for it has the potential to prevent hearts from being
broken, to heal wounds of the past and to help readers find what they’re
truly searching for. This is a “must read” for teens and adults
alike. (Servant;
April 2003; ISBN: 1569553696; 231 pages)
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