In today’s day and age, the virtue of chastity can seem unrealistic and out-of-touch with the modern world. But, in my opinion, that’s the wrong way to think about it. A better approach is that modern world is out-of-touch with reality.
Chastity has always been a hallmark of Christian virtue. It is the “form of all the virtues” according to the Catechism. “Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom.” See here.
So what exactly is Chastity? How can we define it? Well, Chastity depends on our state. For single people, it means continence, that is, abstaining from sexual activity. For married, it means conjugal chastity, including fidelity to our spouse.
A key challenge we face today, particularly men, is that we are inundated with lustful images, temptations, inflaming our desires. The most hardcore pornography is literally at our finger tips.
What can we do to help ourselves live Chastity? Well, it is very difficult to live chastity without mortifying ourselves. Acts of mortification temper our sensual desires. Practical examples include things like taking cold showers, eating less than we like at meals, keeping good posture, fasting, smiling when we do not feel like it. (Note that smiling and remaining cheerful especially around people we find difficult can be one of the hardest and most virtuous forms of mortification : )
Chastity should not be understood as a negative virtue. It’s not a virtue that is simply the absence of something good. That’s not a great way to think about it. It is a positive thing that allows us to live greater freedom. For most of us called to the married life, there is a great good involved in being with a person we love. To fully realize that love, one must give oneself fully to another person. Without self-mastery (i.e. chastity), one cannot fully give oneself to another.
The best analogy I’ve heard to describe chastity is that it’s like a floodgate. I was living in Manhattan at the time of Hurricane Sandy, a storm that managed to break the city’s barriers. Without these necessary bariers, water flooded the streets causing chaos everywhere and effectively shutting down NYC. However, an effective floogate holds back the storm that is our sensual passions so that they do not run amok. As the waters rise, they do not spill over the barrier and the water is contained. Once we have control of our passions, we can use them in positive ways, such as in the beautiful romance that is marriage. At the same time, they do not destroy our lives.
So how does Fasting fit into all this?
Well, it turns out that fasting has a real, physiological impact on our sensual desires. By holding back our consumption of food, we reduce our sexual urges. This can be an important tool for those of us struggling with sexual addiction or just trying to live chastity and purity in thought.
This also isn’t some new, modern discovery. In fact, bridling the lusts of the flesh the first reason St. Thomas Aquinas gave in why we should fast.
“First, in order to bridle the lusts of the flesh, wherefore the Apostle says (2 Corinthians 6:5-6): ‘In fasting, in chastity,’ since fasting is the guardian of chastity…lust is cooled by abstinence in meat and drink. “
Fasting is an important practice that was once practiced frequently throughout Christendom. Today, it isn’t so well-telegraphed. But that doesn’t mean we should do it. I would argue that in the context of the superabundance of pleasures – food, drink, sensuality – we should be more keen to fast, not less.