By Jon & Holly Schneider

Often when people hear the word “chastity” they think it means saving sex for their future spouse, and once married, the vigil to remain chaste is over.  However, remaining chaste as a single person is merely the training ground for a life of chastity.  Chastity is so much more than refraining from sexual relations before marriage.  Chastity is living a life of virtue both inside and outside of marriage.

We have been married for 11 years and we have been challenged daily in our convictions to remain chaste.  As a married couple, in order to remain chaste we must continually guard our senses.

• Chastity is guarding our eyes from the onslaught of immodesty we see throughout our culture: the images on television and the internet and the magazines and books we read.
  
• Chastity is guarding our bodies from immodesty.  By choosing to dress modestly we are keeping our bodies sacred for our each other and God.
  
• Chastity is guarding our ears from listening to licentious speech or speech that would attack the sacred marriage bond we share.
  
• Chastity is guarding ourselves from the tendency we may have to selfishly look at our spouse as a means to fulfill our pleasures.  Instead we should approach our spouse as Christ approached His spouse, the Church, with a sacrificial love so deep we are willing to look beyond what we want and give our bodies and lives for the good of our spouse.
  
• Chastity is guarding our marriage by surrounding it with prayer, the Sacraments, and people who will encourage us to remain faithful to each other and to God.

With each stage of our lives we encounter new ways in which we must renew our commitment to living lives of chastity.  It will be a lifelong battle but a battle well-worth the fight, for the rewards are tremendous.  Not only do we have a rewarding marriage relationship, but we also look forward to our reward when that day comes where we finally hear those long-awaited words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

May God bless you in your journey to lead chaste lives,

Jon & Holly

Biography:

Jon & Holly Schneider have been married for 11 years and are the blessed parents of 4 wonderful children.
For 7 years they helped run Vocaris, a bi-annual marriage preparation retreat.
They reside in West Michigan, home school their children, and are parishioners of St. Bartholomew Catholic Parish.