Matt Fradd
Spirituality/Belief • Books • Writing
This PWA community exists to facilitate an online community of PWA listeners and all lovers of philosophy and theology.
Interested? Want to learn more about the community?

Proposing New Ways to Help Understand Chastity — Part 5: How the Appetite Might Be a Blessing Even for Those Called to Celibacy or Virginity

Lately, I was watching more YouTube videos on Christopher West’s Theology of the Body Institute channel, and I came across “What Do Celibates Do With Their Sexual Urge?” and “Did Jesus Have Sexual Desires?”. The former video even featured our guy Matt Fradd as Christopher’s guest speaker. The videos’ topics reminded me of a thought experiment I once mulled over, about what purposes the sexual appetite could have for someone, whom God is calling to celibacy/virginity.

For a while, this thought experiment was difficult for me to come up with answers for, since having sexual desire at all seemed pointless or even a curse, if someone’s lifelong vocation calls for them to not ever have any relations. I wanted to figure out how to answer it, so that I could more unconditionally see the sexual appetite as a good gift from God and better look to celibate/virgin saints as approachable role models for chastity. That is, without the unintended implication that said saints are role models, simply because they “threw away” or “repressed” such desires altogether. Also, I have felt sympathy towards some Protestants, whenever they express how it would be easier for them to find Mary fully approachable, if her and Joseph did have typical relations and other children after Jesus’ virginal birth.

To tackle this thought experiment, I decided to go straight to analyzing what purposes such yearnings could have had for the Virgin Mary herself, the greatest of all saints, whose grace made her akin to Adam and Eve before Original Sin and whose very title alludes to the perpetual virginity in her calling. After thinking about it for a while, these were the observations and potential answers I noticed:

1.) Because the capacity to desire that physical union was part of Adam and Eve from the very beginning and not a product of the Fall, it would only be natural for Mary the “New Eve” to possess it too (and in its original purity). Any such desires that Mary potentially possessed would have been untainted by sin, per Catholicism’s doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. So it would have been perfectly aligned with God’s will and not have had vices or disorders like Lust mixed in. In turn, the unmet appetite would not have been prone to becoming a stumbling block for Mary.

2.) Although Mary’s calling was to perpetual virginity as the mother of Jesus, Mary still had free will and was entrusted with the ability to choose otherwise. I heard Trent Horn arguing that the Immaculate Conception was also important for ensuring Mary could consent to such a mission, without having her mind clouded by disordered desires or a fear that God would be displeased should she say “no”. If God wanted Mary to choose this mission freely, then I imagine it was important for God to let Mary still have full ability to recognize, appreciate, and even pursue the joys of a more typical marriage. That way, she is not just choosing perpetual virginity out of being denied knowledge of the alternatives.

3.) Even after Mary made the choice to serve God as a perpetual virgin, I imagine having the capacity for such yearnings could still serve a purpose, one of which being how anyone can respond to unmet desires in a way that directly draws them to a greater appreciation of God. For example, Mary could have chastely recognized the physically attractive beauty of the men around her, recognized the beauty of the full person from there, then further oriented her mind towards appreciating the Creator behind such beauty. I reminded myself that one does not need to “possess” or “experience” everything they find desirable firsthand, in order to be enriched by their ability to appreciate something beautiful and praise God for its existence (I might make a post sharing one of my personal examples of this broader idea). When I began to define sexual gratification as the initiation and continual nourishment of that marital bond, rather than merely a “relief”/“release”/“outlet” for one’s internal sexual urges, it became easier for me to adopt my previous sentence’s mentality towards that bodily communion.

4.) For all I know, Mary could have had chances to counsel men and other woman about their romantic yearnings, by drawing from her own perceptions and experiences. According to John 21:25, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written”. Would not the same be true for Mary? Her lack of a struggle with concupiscence might, at first, make her seem less helpful a mentor to someone striving for chastity. But that same Immaculate Conception would presumably allow her to more clearly see the good things people’s hearts are truly yearning for beneath the appetite. Would Mary’s unclouded vision of those good things not also be an invaluable perspective for someone to know, if they were seeking advice and moral support in their quest for chastity?

5.) Finally, if Mary had the same capacity to desire that one-flesh union herself, it could have been an opportunity for her to feel greater joy for those who are called to typical marriage, in turn adding to her relationships with God and other people. If a celibate person were to experience what the draw of sexual intimacy feels like, he could see his feelings as a chance to be all the more happy for those called to lovingly partake in the marital act. That is, rather than pessimistically seeing and lamenting it, as a reminder of what he has denied himself in his earthly life. I imagine Mary’s grace and faith would make it easier for her to similarly respond, by harboring greater happiness for any woman called to “know” a particular man (or vice versa), plus trusting that God will bring about that ultimate fulfillment in the end either way. Not to mention, this could further benefit my #4 point, since Mary’s potential secondhand joy could make her an even more encouraging person to have mentoring and praying for someone called that kind of union.

Using my musings on Mary as a template, I can summarize these reasons why the appetite can still be a gift even for one called to celibacy. It can help ensure that the person was fully capable of understanding and pursuing the joys of marriage, thus making their choice to pursue a celibate vocation a more free and meaningful one than it otherwise would be. Even if they are to never have sex, they can still use their inclinations to help themselves further recognize and appreciate the beauty in which God made man, thus growing closer to God. And living with the same appetite as people called to marital intimacy can enable a celibate person to be a more helpful and encouraging mentor for said people, plus harbor and express greater happiness for them. That is, rather than such a person turning their unmet appetite into a source of jealousy, envy, and/or self-repression. To quote a certain children’s-book-turned-animated-short-film, “One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things”.

EDIT — Shortly after I made and uploaded this post, Christopher West uploaded this video, in which he brings up a few things I only alluded to here as my extra side-points, then articulates them in a better, deeper, and more expansive way than I ever could:

"A Proper Understanding of Mary's Virginity: Sexuality, Desire, and Divine Union"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voEX0U8RAtQ

Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
Our response to the death of Pope Francis
00:01:29
On the Lookout for Sins of Speech - Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.

Hello! I'm writing a book at present on sins of speech for Emmaus Road. I've been thinking a lot about cultivating healthy habits of communication, so just thought I'd share a few thoughts. Prayers for you during this Holy Week!

00:20:01
The Practice of the Presence of God - Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.

There are various different prayer practices that people have used in the tradition as a way of remaining in the presence of God--the practice of the presence of God (or recollection) is just one. In this video, I explain a little how it helps us to connect the dots between earthly life and heavenly realities.

00:19:43
Simple NEW Lofi Song

Working on an entire album of lofi music. Here's one of those songs. Album should drop next week. THEN, a couple of weeks after that we hope to have our 24/7 stream up and running.

Simple NEW Lofi Song
December 01, 2022
Day 5 of Advent

THE ERROR OF ARIUS ABOUT THE INCARNATION

In their eagerness to proclaim the unity of God and man in Christ, some heretics went to the opposite extreme and taught that not only was there one person, but also a single nature, in God and man. This error took its rise from Arius. To defend his position that those scriptural passages where Christ is represented as being inferior to the Father, must refer to the Son of God Himself, regarded in His assuming nature, Arius taught that in Christ there is no other soul than the Word of God who, he maintained, took the place of the soul in Christ’s body. Thus when Christ says, in John 14:28, “The Father is greater than I,” or when He is introduced as praying or as being sad, such matters are to be referred to the very nature of the Son of God. If this were so, the union of God’s Son with man would be effected not only in the person, but also in the nature. For, as we know, the unity of human nature arises from the union of soul and body.

The...

Day 5 of Advent
November 27, 2022
Day 1 of Advent

RESTORATION OF MAN BY GOD THROUGH THE INCARNATION

We indicated above that the reparation of human nature could not be effected either by Adam or by any other purely human being. For no individual man ever occupied a position of pre-eminence over the whole of nature; nor can any mere man be the cause of grace. The same reasoning shows that not even an angel could be the author of man’s restoration. An angel cannot be the cause of grace, just as he cannot be man’s recompense with regard to the ultimate perfection of beatitude, to which man was to be recalled. In this matter of beatitude angels and men are on a footing of equality. Nothing remains, therefore, but that such restoration could be effected by God alone.

But if God had decided to restore man solely by an act of His will and power, the order of divine justice would not have been observed. justice demands satisfaction for sin. But God cannot render satisfaction, just as He cannot merit. Such a service pertains to one who ...

Day 1 of Advent
Meme Monday

… okay. This isn’t a meme. Just my heart’s deepest longing. Also I’m aware that it’s Wednesday.

post photo preview
Daniel O’Connor

Apparently, Daniel has recorded a video about me canceling him from my show. I haven’t watched it, nor will I, But I was shown a screenshot of an edited message from me to him which I think makes my communication with him seem harsher than it was. Here is his version, mine is beneath. I wish Daniel well.

April 24, 2025

I have resigned from my job. I would appreciate some prayers as I start a new phase in my life. I'll be looking for my next programming gig shortly. Thanks.

post photo preview
Candor and Charity: Reflecting on a Papacy

In a recent article by Archbishop Charles Chaput in First Things, he reflects on the legacy of Pope Francis in this moment between pontificates. He was both charitable and candid—two things we desperately need right now.

I have personal memories of Pope Francis that I greatly value: a friendly and generous working relationship at the 1997 Synod on America when we were both newly appointed archbishops; his personal welcome and warmth at Rome’s 2014 Humanum conference; and the extraordinary success of his 2015 visit to Philadelphia for the Eighth World Meeting of Families. He devoted himself to serving the Church and her people in ways that he felt the times demanded. As a brother in the faith, and a successor of Peter, he deserves our ongoing prayers for his eternal life in the presence of the God he loved.

There’s a real tenderness and respect here. And it’s a good example of how disagreement with a pontificate shouldn’t involve hostility toward the pope. Sadly—though not surprisingly—I’ve seen more than a little of that in comment sections online.

He continues:

Having said that, an interregnum between papacies is a time for candor. The lack of it, given today’s challenges, is too expensive. In many ways, whatever its strengths, the Francis pontificate was inadequate to the real issues facing the Church. He had no direct involvement in the Second Vatican Council and seemed to resent the legacy of his immediate predecessors who did; men who worked and suffered to incarnate the council’s teachings faithfully into Catholic life. His personality tended toward the temperamental and autocratic. He resisted even loyal criticism. He had a pattern of ambiguity and loose words that sowed confusion and conflict.

In the face of deep cultural fractures on matters of sexual behavior and identity, he condemned gender ideology but seemed to downplay a compelling Christian “theology of the body.” He was impatient with canon law and proper procedure. His signature project, synodality, was heavy on process and deficient in clarity. Despite an inspiring outreach to society’s margins, his papacy lacked a confident, dynamic evangelical zeal. The intellectual excellence to sustain a salvific (and not merely ethical) Christian witness in a skeptical modern world was likewise absent.

What the Church needs going forward is a leader who can marry personal simplicity with a passion for converting the world to Jesus Christ, a leader who has a heart of courage and a keen intellect to match it. Anything less won’t work.

I love that. “A leader with a passion for converting the world to Jesus Christ.” Amen!

May the Holy Spirit lead the cardinals in choosing our next pope. And may Pope Francis rest in the peace

Read full Article
post photo preview
The Pope is Dead

I got a text from my sister this morning: “The pope died.” I stood there for a moment just staring at the words. I then went to the internet, thinking maybe it was a rumor or a mistake.

But it wasn’t.

Pope Francis died this morning at the age of 88. He passed away in the Casa Santa Marta, the residence inside the Vatican where he had lived since his election in 2013. He had been suffering from a number of health issues in recent years, including a recent case of pneumonia.

His death marks the end of a 12-year papacy, and now the Church enters the period known as sede vacante—the seat of Peter is vacant. Cardinals from around the world will soon gather in Rome for a conclave to elect the next pope. No one knows who it will be, but we should be praying: that the Holy Spirit guide their decision, and that the next pope be a faithful shepherd for the Church in these difficult times.

Pray this prayer with me for the soul of Pope Francis:

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Read full Article
post photo preview
7 Terrible Arguments For Atheism

I’ve heard plenty of arguments for atheism over the years—some thoughtful, some clever, and some… well, let’s just say I used to rattle off the worst of them back when I was an angsty 17-year-old agnostic.

Today I want to look at 7 terrible arguments for atheism—the kind that sound good at first but fall apart when you give them more than five seconds of thought.

1. "Who created God?"

This question misunderstands what Christians (and classical theists) mean by “God.” God, by definition, is uncaused—the necessary, self-existent being who causes everything else. Asking “Who created God?” is like asking “What’s north of the North Pole?” or “If your brother is a bachelor, what’s his wife’s name?” It’s a category mistake. The question only makes sense if God were a contingent being—just one more thing in the universe that needed a cause. But He isn’t. He’s the reason anything exists at all.

2. "I just believe in one less god than you."

This is clever-sounding but logically shallow. The difference between atheism and theism isn’t about the number of gods one believes in—it’s about the kind of being we’re talking about. Christians reject all finite, tribal, man-made gods too. The Christian claim is not that God is just one more being among many, but that God is Being Itself—the necessary, uncaused source of all reality. Saying, “I just believe in one less god than you,” is like saying, “I contend we’re both bachelors—I just have one less wife.” The difference between one and none isn’t minor—it’s everything. Atheism isn’t a slight variation on theism; it’s a rejection of the entire foundation of existence.

3. "Science has disproven God."

Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals