Today marks the 44th anniversary of the proclamation of the papal document Humanae Vitae, a document in which Pope Paul VI beautifully teaches the value of family and life. This document was written as contraception was on the verge of becoming widely accepted and looking at it now one can see how deeply prophetic it is. Pope Paul VI warns that if society accepts the birth control pill we will see wide spread marital infidelity, disregard for the value of women, and government imposed contraception. We have for years seen the evils of his first two predictions and with the new HHS mandate we see the third coming into full force. All together spooky and amazing if you ask me! When Humanae Vitae was given to the Church many scoffed at it and said the Holy Father was being ridiculous. If only the world had listened to him and trusted the guidance of Holy Mother Church think how much better off society and the family unit would be today.
As I reflect on Humanae Vitae today I think too about the process Eric and I are going through to learn more about the beauty of human fertility. Natural Family Planning is a church approved natural way to achieve or avoid (if serious and grave reasons are present) pregnancy. There are a few forms of NFP out there but the method Eric and I have chosen to learn is the Creighton model. This system of fertility care was designed to treat infertility but can also be used to avoid pregnancy if needed. I love this method because the focus is over all fertility awareness and care. The reason Eric and I specifically love this method is because we are hoping to start a family right away and this method allows us to see the times when pregnancy is most likely to occur as well as identify any potential issues. What is so amazing is that during these few months before our wedding we are working with a Creighton practitioner to make sure my fertility is healthy and that I will be able to first of all get pregnant and second of all be able to sustain a pregnancy. They will be able to identify and treat any possible issues before we are even at the point of trying for a family. Taking these classes has made me deeply aware of the gift of my fertility. On any given day both Eric and I can look at my chart and know exactly what is going on with my cycle. I think of so many women who take pills to suppress their God given system of fertility and I am saddened that in most cases they simply do not know what they are doing to themselves. I am in awe of my body as I watch my chart and see how it works. God is amazing and I can see evidence of Him in the way the body works. I pray today on the anniversary of Humanae Vitae that more woman and men would come to love the precious and amazing gift of fertility, life and family!
If you would like more information on Creighton NFP here is the link for you. If you have ever experienced infertility including miscarriage I HIGHLY recommend you look into this. Creighton has proven to be the most effective at treating infertility.
http://www.creightonmodel.com/
Also here is a link to the encyclical Humanae Vitae.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html
No comments:
Post a Comment