The greatest gift of God’s love is always open to life. Thus, natural family planning is always open to life and keeps life and love together. This is the good news of our faith in Jesus that the Church proclaims at every marriage — and especially in preparing and caring for couples as they start and grow their family.
Each couple is called to love as God loves. This divine love is a total gift, not just partial. Thus, in promoting natural family planning, we are promoting a total, full, complete self-gift between the spouses to each other. We know that NFP is not the old rhythm method — not just a calendar process — but rather a beautiful way of both husband and wife working together to discern God’s plan for their family.
Other artificial methods of family planning are mostly work for the woman in regards to what the couple wants. NFP is always in communication with our intimate friend and savior Jesus. In talking to him each day, the couple discerns, whether or not God is calling them to possibly have a child. If not, then the couple sees together the miracle of the woman’s body which has built in fertile and infertile periods of the month. The couple with God’s grace then seeks to abstain from relations during the fertile period, all the while looking to love the other in creative and sacrificial ways.
The key is doing what God wants, with total trust that this is the very best thing for us all. If we do not have this trust, then our will is all that matters — and anything standing in the way is a “problem.”
For example, if a couple should become pregnant while not “wanting” a baby, if they are not open to God’s will, then the baby is a “problem” for them. However, life is always a gift, always a miracle and always to be welcomed and loved. None of us reading this is a “problem” in God’s eyes, but rather each person has infinite value.
We have been given our minds and wills to conform and cooperate with God. NFP helps form us to get a hold of ourselves so that we can make a total gift of our self. It doesn’t kill spontaneity, which can mean often that one is not thinking totally of the other’s needs and desires and just acting on impulse. NFP appeals to the great dignity of the other person who is to always be respected and communicated with.
We are called to chastity before and during marriage. To be chaste is a way of loving with a pure heart. Jesus encourages us through his Church to not be afraid to open wide the doors of our hearts and to always keep life and love together, and to receive all God has for us.
Living out this good news will save the world, as we see countries that are dying out in Europe because there are fewer and fewer kids. As they say, “The Church that ain’t crying is dying.”
And thank you God, mom and dad for your loving yes to my life.
Ordained in 2004, Father Adams is the parochial vicar of the parish cluster of Nativity in Cleveland, Immaculate Conception in Marysburg, and St. Mary and St. Henry in Le Center. An initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National NFP Awareness Week is July 23-29.
Related:
- Advocates urge more awareness about natural family planning options
- Learning from natural family planning instructor said better than app
Español: ¡Gracias a Dios por la vida y el amor!
