Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1515510
18 FEB-MAR 2024 | DENVER CATHOLIC Why wait? "Yes, we are cohabitating, but we do love each other, and we do want to will the good of the other. What is the big deal with living together and having sex before or after marriage?" God designed sexual intimacy to be a sacred expression of total self-giving love and an openness to bringing children into this lifelong commitment of marriage. Engaging in any kind of sexual activity outside of God's design for marriage can lead to numerous negative consequences, including emotional, physical and spir- itual harm, as well as undermining the true purpose of human sexuality. God certainly gives us the freedom to choose. When we choose to invite God into our relationships and follow his design, he accompanies us. When we choose to follow our own path i.e. cohab- itation, we are basically saying, "We know better than you, God." We miss the mark in our relationships, and we cut ourselves off from the source, God, and his grace (power and help). God will never abandon us; he will remain in pursuit, subtly, in hopes that we turn back to him. How- ever, he will never force us. Cohabitating and sexually active couples outside the marriage bond/covenant begin to make it easy to 'slide' in and out of relationships, rather than 'decide' to commit. Con- versely, a man and a woman who freely embrace God's glorious plan for their sex- uality find that the 'marital embrace' is set apart and well worth the wait. If we are going to capture the hearts of people in our modern world, we will need to foster encounters with beauty to do it. The main message that many receive in their upbringings is that religion is opposed to passion, longings and desires, so just don't think about those things and follow the rules. Modern man rejects this approach because the heart feels the absence of beauty, and we are made for beauty. What beauty captures your heart? A majestic Colorado sunset, a fine piece of art, a banquet of fine food, a person? 18 FEB-MAR 2024 | DENVER CATHOLIC A man and a woman who freely embrace God 's glorious plan for their sexuality find that the 'marital embrace' is set apart and well worth the wait."