English 212
2002 First Paper
On Serendip

This love is first of all fully human, that is to say, of the senses and of the spirit at the same time. It is not, then, a simple transport of instinct and sentiment, but also, and principally an act of the free will, intended to endure and to grow by means of the joys and sorrows of daily life, in such a way that husband and wife become one only heart and one only soul, and together attain their human perfection.<#_ftn1>[1]

Having promised at my baptism to raise me in the Catholic tradition, my parents did just that, and as a result I was acculturated into a religion, and in doing so I slowly acquired a family, a community, a law, and a language. Language plays a huge role in both the oral and written tradition of the Catholic religion and more so it's Catechism. 

Oral tradition I would say is present in the method by which parents are encouraged and more so responsible for educating their children in regards to Catholic teaching. The idea that parents are the fundamental teachers of children is a highly valued concept. It is through this oral tradition that language and in particular the language of sex is transmitted generation over generation amongst a family group.

The written language is expressed through the Holy Scripture, the Bible, whose stories attempt to articulate our past in a way that helps us live a better life in the future. Also our more contemporary written language is recorded in religious doctrine which is updated over time in an attempt to provide Catholics with a sense of reaffirmation of traditional values and beliefs in a time where everything around us seems to be changing and developing in a manner that continually challenges those beliefs. 

Then, this love is total, that is to say, it is a very special form of personal friendship, in which husband and wife generously share everything, without undue reservations or selfish calculations. Whoever truly loves his marriage partner loves not only for what he receives, but for the partner's self, rejoicing that he can enrich his partner with the gift of himself.

All italicized passages have been pulled from the following source

Of Human Life (Humanae Vitae, July 25, 1968; Pope Paul VI) Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Paul VI. Available: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html [ONLINE], 19 September 2002


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