Parish Education Instructor's Manual

Author: Christopher J. Godfrey

"The Church thinks sex is bad." "The church thinks sex is something dirty or shameful." "The Church has too may rules about sex."
Have you ever heard people make comments like this? Have you every said or thought things ike this yourself? If so, you're not alone. A lot of people, both young and old, think that the Catholic Church has a negative attitude toward love and sexuality. This is sad, because nothing could be further from the truth.

The fact is that the Catholic Church- just like Jesus Christ- considers human love and sexuality to be something good and very beautiful. It is a precious gift from God, and when it is used appropriately- as an expression of love between a husband and wife- it gives honor and praise to God as well. Moreover it brings us the true happiness and fulfillment we seek. If you have never heard anyone say these things about sex before, then once again, you're not alone. The Catholic Church's attitude toward sexuality is probably one of the world's best kept-secrets.

It is the goal of this program- "See I Make All Things New"- to let you in on that secret. In the weeks to come, you will learn a lot about what the Catholic Church really teaches about sex, love, and their place in God's plan for us. In this volume, we will emphasize the role of building our character. It begins with Jesus who said: "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds came and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." (Matthew 7: 24-27)