According to the Catechism, chastity is “the moral virtue which, under the cardinal virtue of temperance, provides for the successful integration of sexuality within the person leading to the inner unity of the bodily and spiritual being (n. 2337). Chastity is called one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (n. 1832).”
Chastity comes from a pure heart, and modesty of the eyes helps to preserve it. Our Lord said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).
In 1959, Pope St. John XXIII issued the encyclical Sacerdotii Nostri Primordia – “from the beginning of our priesthood.” The Holy Father proposed St. John Vianney as a model of chastity for priests. John Vianney safeguarded chastity through a life of self-discipline. He served the faithful effectively with pure heart and self-giving love.
John XXIII wrote, “It is said that the face of the Pastor of Ars shone with an angelic purity. And even now anyone who turns toward him in mind and spirit cannot help being struck, not merely by the great strength of soul with which this athlete of Christ reduced his body to slavery, but also by the great persuasive powers he exercised over the pious crowds of pilgrims who came to him and were drawn by his heavenly meekness to follow in his footsteps.”
In one of his sermons, John Vianney said, “A soul adorned with the virtue of chastity cannot help loving others; for it has discovered the source and font of love – God.”
Regarding the self-discipline of St. John Vianney, John XXIII wrote, “M. Vianney was an outstanding model of voluntary mortification of the body as well as of detachment from external things. ‘There is only one way’ – he used to say – for anyone to devote himself to God as he should through self-denial and the practice of penance: that is by devoting himself to it completely.’ Throughout his whole life, the holy Cure of Ars carried this principle into practice energetically in the matter of chastity.”
The examples of the saints teach us that chastity is safeguarded by mortification and by love for Jesus and Mary.
In 1979, on the 25th anniversary of the canonization of St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857), Pope St. John Paul II said in an address to young people, “Dominic Savio, on the occasion of the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 1854, before the altar of Mary – as St. John Bosco testifies – renewed the promises of his First Communion, saying over and over again, ‘Mary, I give you my heart. Always keep it yours. Jesus, Mary, always be my friends. I beg you, let me die rather than be so unfortunate as to commit a single sin.’ Beloved sons, here is where to get strength for your programs of renewal: Jesus and Mary. They are not only role models; they are friends; even more, they are part of your life. You belong to them; they belong to you. It is a question of knowing it and believing it.”
Regarding resisting temptation, St. Clement Hofbauer (1751-1820) said, “When impure thoughts come into our minds, we should think of them as little as we do of the leaves that fall from trees. We must not dwell on them for a moment and, without heeding such suggestions from the enemy of souls, go quietly on our way.”
Our heart is made for love, and we have the natural desire for love. In order to foster the virtue of chastity we should not only dispel evil thoughts and desires, we should also open our heart to be filled with the love of God.
One of the best ways to rid oneself of sinful thoughts is to replace them with holy or morally acceptable ideas. Father Adolphe Tanquerey writes, “Love for God shields the heart from sentimental affections, and thus spares us many a temptation.
愛德及克苦，守護潔德
天主教教理說明：貞潔的德行由樞德中的節制之德所推動。貞潔是性在人身上成功的整合，由此人在肉體與靈性方面得到內在的合一。貞潔是被形容為其中一個聖神的果實。
潔德來自一顆純潔的心，經由管控的眼目去保守。吾主說：「心裡潔淨的人是有福的，因為他們要看見天主。（瑪竇福音5:8）」
1959年，教宗聖若望二十三世發表了有關聖若翰.維雅奈的「、通諭」。教宗推崇聖若翰.維雅奈的潔德，是眾司鐸的模範。聖人克己的一生，守護了貞潔之德，故能以純潔的心，及捨己的愛，去服務信眾。聖若望二十三世寫道：「有聞這位厄思的本堂神父，常發出天神般純潔的光彩。甚至現在任何人在思想和心靈上轉向他也不其然感到震撼；這位基督的健士不但以靈性的强力管控了肉體，而且也以强大的說服力影響來到他那裡的熱心朝聖者，他們被他的温良所吸引而願意步其後塵。」
聖若翰.維雅奈在他一次講道中說過：「一個被潔德修飾著的人靈，不能不愛別人；因他發現到愛的根源與湧泉 ── 天主。」
論到聖人的克己，聖若望二十三世寫著：「聖若翰.維雅奈在克苦肉身和棄絕俗事方面，是卓越的典範。他嘗言：『要適當地通過自我犧牲和實踐補贖來獻出自己給天主只有一個途徑：就是完全地獻出自己去作。』這位厄思的神聖本堂神父，在潔德上，一生都起勁地將這原則實踐出來。」
不少的聖人典範，均教導我們：克苦、愛耶穌、愛聖母，能守護貞潔之德。
1979年，慶祝聖多明我.沙維豪（1842-1857）被宣聖二十五週年之際，教宗聖若望保祿二世向一群青年人說：「聖若望.鮑思高憶述多明我.沙維豪在1854年12月8日的聖母無原罪瞻禮日，重複重申他自己初領聖體時的諾言：『聖母，我把我的心交給妳，妳要視為己心。耶穌、瑪利亞，時常是我的朋友。我請求祢，寧願讓我死去也不許讓我犯罪。。』我可愛的神子們，耶穌和瑪利亞，就是你們更新的力量；他們不止是你們的典範，亦是你們的摯友，甚至是你們生命的一部份。你們屬於他們，他們也屬於你們。這關乎領會和相信。」
有關抵抗誘惑，聖克勉.霍夫鮑爾（1751-1820）教導我們要把不潔的思想輕覷如落葉，對來自靈仇的亮點不屑一顧，平靜地繼續走自己的路。
我們的心，是為愛而被創造，故自然會渴求愛。欲能遜守純潔之德，不但要剔除邪惡的思想和慾念，更要打開心靈讓天主的愛充盈己心。對抗壞思想其中一個最好的方法就是以聖善或乎合道德的思想來取代壞思想。鄧奎里神父寫道：「對天主的愛保護心靈於感性的情意，並因而減少很多誘惑。」
