Enjoy yourselves for Carnival…know your limits

Did you know that Carnival is part of our Catholic culture? In Trinidad and Tobago, there is a general welcoming of the pre-Lenten Carnival festivities, where there is more social interaction on a whole, in loving friendship.

Carnival is commonly considered a time of celebration before the fasting and abstinence of Lent. Catholicculture.org has an interesting article on Carnival and it notes, “The Latin name is usually translated as ‘Meat — farewell!’ (Carne — Vale!). As we know, one main feature of fasting is usually abstinence from meat.”

“…the weeks of Carnival are a most necessary time for the individual as well as for families and communities. This period is set aside for us to ‘let off steam’, ‘to have a good time’. And for this we need company. Therefore, Carnival is most obviously the season for parties and family get-togethers…”

The article goes on to encourage everyone to dance, play and sing together (in non-sexual ways) during the weeks of Carnival.

It’s Carnival time again and we are grateful not to be in ‘lockdown’ this year. However, we must remind ourselves of that freedom to celebrate is for the good of ourselves and our neighbours. Freedom exists for the sake of goodness.

What is the purpose of sex? Sex has two main aspects: the unitive aspect and the procreative aspect, hence why sex belongs in marriage. It is unitive because as the first book of the Bible notes “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Gen 2:24).

Sex, at the same time, has a procreative aspect. Again, from the book of Genesis, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28).

Sex, therefore, is about bonding and babies. Sex, being a way of affection and enjoyment (bonding) is how married couples can be a gift to one another and celebrate at Carnival time. But what about the babies part of sex, especially if the couple has a serious reason to avoid conceiving a child?

The Cardinal virtue of temperance is one that we all need to practise, yes, even during Carnival time! This virtue invites us to enjoy ourselves, but to know our limits. If consuming two beers is your limit before becoming so intoxicated you cannot control yourself, don’t have more than two beers!

The Billings Ovulation Method® includes (typically more than other natural methods of family planning) times couples can “enjoy themselves” but there are times where the Method calls for intervals of waiting (abstinence).

How can husbands love their wives and wives love their husbands this Carnival? How about a gentle invitation to learn the Billings Ovulation Method®! BOMA-TT offers monthly webinars, and Monday February 27 from 7– 9 p.m. via Zoom online is the next one.

The ‘This Method is Love’ webinar is an introduction to the Billings Ovulation Method® where couples can learn more about their reproductive systems and the simplicity of the Method in identifying the couples’ fertility.

The webinar highlights the benefits of “going natural”, so to speak, including that of couples sharing the responsibility for family planning, making decisions together about their family size, and increasing their knowledge, understanding and respect for fertility (ability to have a child).

The Method, once learned properly, can assist with monitoring women’s reproductive health and it can even be an evaluative tool to assist physicians with diagnoses.

This Carnival remember, “‘Whoever feasts too long gets disillusioned,’ and ‘A little less would have been more’ is the verdict on many an unsuccessful social event” (Catholicculture.org). Enjoy Carnival everyone, but please know your limits.

Free registration for the ‘This Method is Love’ webinar’ is available on our website or by contacting BOMA-TT.

BOMA-TT Tel: 384-1659

Email: billingstt@gmail.com

Website: www.billingstt.com