Sarah's first seven husbands died on their wedding nights. However, when she had sexual relations with Tobiah on their wedding night, they experienced a beautiful time of life and love. The way married couples approach sexual relations can be very creative or very destructive.

In their sexual relations, married couples have the awesome privilege of co-creating children with God. They determine in part whether or not a person exists and has the opportunity for eternal life. We must be conceived to have the possibility of being born again. We must be created before we can become new creations. This shows why artificial contraception is such a serious sin.

Like Sarah, many couples have multiple deaths related to their plans for and actions during their sexual relations. Unlike Sarah, the ones who died were not their spouses, but rather their children, who were put to death through surgical and chemical abortions. Because of chemical abortions through the use of various "contraceptive" abortifacients, many couples have no idea how many children they actually have.

Moreover, many married couples commit sin in their sexual relations due to lust (see Tb 8:7), unforgiveness, etc. This results in further destruction, for "the wages of sin is death" (Rm 6:23). Married couples, the members of Christ's body are praying for you to have holy, creative, loving, self-giving, enjoyable sexual relations.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 28, 1998

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 1, 1998