“The love between a woman and a man is a beautiful gift of God. That is why we must approach it with a proper sense of responsibility” (Saint John Paul II).
“According to the Bible—observes the Holy Father—physical love is a reflection of God’s love for man (cf. Hos 2:18-25), an image of Christ’s love for the Church (cf. Eph 5:21-33). God is faithful, and Christ’s love is irrevocable (cf. Heb 9:10-11;18). That is why the Christian is permitted to consummate physical love only within the marital union; that is, after the final vow is made to the spouse in the presence of God and the Church. Experience shows that pre-marital sexual relations render more difficult, not easier, the choosing of a right partner for life.
“In preparing for a good marriage, you need to train and strengthen your character. (…) The discipline involved in the waiting and self-denial will then make it easier for you to relate to your spouse with tenderness and sensitivity.
“In preparing for a good marriage you need also, in so far as it concerns you, to become familiar with the methods of responsible parenthood, which the Church permits and supports.
“Make the effort to discover all the Church’s teachings on Christian marriage as contained in the document Familiaris Consortio.
“I know, my dear young Christians, that many today have quite different views on these and like matters. I know that it requires a great deal of courage to swim against the current; and I remind you of these principles not to make your lives more difficult than they already are. But I am convinced that these principles conform to the dignity of the human person. They serve the interests of your earthly happiness and eternal salvation.”
The Movement of Pure Hearts stands fully behind this teaching of the Holy Father. MPH is a community of mostly young people who wish to keep their hearts pure throughout their youth. For this reason they have entrusted themselves entirely to Christ. Here a few personal testimonies we have received:
“Our path to deciding to live chaste lives took many twists and turns. When we met, we quickly fell into the sin of impurity. Even though I went to church, I had no idea I was committing a sin. Everything changed after two years of our going together. I fell ill. Then, gradually, I began to return to God and experience His mercy. I realized that my love of God could free me from all kinds of addictions.
“The year I got better, my boyfriend was baptized, and it was then that we decided we wanted to live chaste lives. Of course, the way was not easy, and there were times we fell into sin. But somewhere deep inside us, we felt that living chastely was beautiful, something that gave us an incredible sense of freedom, and thanks to which we could be close to Our Lord. Because of our chaste lives, we respect each other more, and our relations are better. It’s hard to put into words. We have lived this way for a year now, and we want to persevere in it. That’s why we wanted to join the Movement of Pure Hearts. Please pray for us, and we will pray for you too.”
Margaret & Daniel
“I joined MPH five months ago. My life has taken on real meaning. A few months ago, I was out of work, worried, and depressed. Now everything has changed. I find being with Jesus and His Blessed Mother an incredible experience. I can feel the effects every day in various ways. I feel I am really alive. Before it was different. I went to club parties, abused alcohol, took drugs, led a gangster’s life, and treated women as objects for the satisfaction of my pleasure. I hated everybody and trusted no one. I got to see how evil worked. Now I see the world altogether differently. I feel the action of Jesus and Our Lady in my simple life. Jesus cured me of my addiction to alcohol, drugs, and pornography.
“For many years I carried a cross on my shoulders. I could make no sense of it. Now I know that God transforms with His grace my every suffering, humiliation, and sorrow. He wants us to see that without this grace we cannot be truly happy; nor can we be saved without it. Now I know that we have to treat all our problems as a gift of God, which brings us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven with each passing day. Our souls need suffering now, here on earth, so that we can become perfect in the eyes of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
“Thank you, Jesus, for freeing me from Satan’s snare. I bless the Lord and worship Him above all things, for only He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We need to pray the rosary and the chaplet of Divine Mercy for the grace of conversion of many young people, and also for my family and friends who remain enslaved by sin. They very much need our earnest prayers.”
Luke
“I went out with a boy. We had passed the stage of discovering our common interests and passions. Getting to know each other was special experience for me. I felt loved, protected, noticed—in a word, important. After a while, my boyfriend suggested we engage in petting. Today I know it was wrong and displeasing to God. But I was not able to stop right away and admit to myself that what we were doing was wrong. My conscience told me so, but the urge to relieve my sexual tension was too strong.
“One day I came across an article on kissing in your magazine. One of the descriptions described me to a T. I began to think about our relationship and ask myself what there was about the boy that made me want to be with him. Was it sincere, devoted love or was it merely a desire to satisfy his needs? Where was I heading, and where would I end up? Was there anything we had in common besides a desire for self-gratification?
“My answers to these questions terrified me. But then, clearly, this was not the path for me! I decided to end the relationship as soon as possible, since I had no desire to wound God any further.
“I have been alone for a month, but I do not regret my decision. I want to offer my whole self and my purest love to my future husband. These are the greatest gifts you can give the person you love and wish spend your whole life with in the sacrament of matrimony. I think remaining a virgin until your wedding night is a cause for joy and pride.
“Thank you for your personal witness accounts that showed me the way. They forced me to reflect on my life. They have brought me close to Christ. Please register me in your Book of Pure Hearts, and pray for me, that I may persevere.”
Iza