Living Celibacy: Coping with Attraction

Product Description

Overview

Pope John Paul II wrote that the true charism of celibacy doesn’t seek to eradicate human romantic and sexual desires, but rather leaves our “affections and…instinctive impulses intact.” Sustainable, healthy celibacy therefore focuses on the development of skills for coping with such desires. Br. John Mark Falkenhain, OSB, Ph.D., offers practical ways to manage feelings of attraction in the context of celibate living.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

1. Discuss the emotional and practical realities of being attracted to another person or being the object of another person’s attraction;
2. Identify the early signs of attraction and ways to address them; and
3. Discover healthy, life-giving ways to manage feelings of attraction over the long term.

Who Should Participate

Priests, deacons, men and women religious, lay ministers, and those involved in vocations, formation, or clergy and ministry personnel needs.

Reflection Questions

Questions for reflection and discussion prior to the learning session are provided below.

1. What is my first reaction to feeling attracted to someone?
2. How do I know when someone is attracted to me?
3. How have I reacted in the past when I have been attracted to someone?