Drs John and Evelyn Billings, founders of the Billings Ovulation Method®, were shining examples of faith, hope, and love. They travelled the world spreading the good news of the availability of this method of natural fertility awareness revealed to them by our Lord.

This month, we continue with Dr Evelyn’s talk ‘Two Hearts as One’ delivered to priests in Sydney, Australia in 1988 in this excerpt below:

“When we hear the criticism that natural family planning is not natural, we know the yardstick is not human love, but something less worthy than human.

Human nature which loves is different. Disciplines and demands according to the natural order influence the existence of every single human being and most powerfully in the relationship between human individuals, whoever they are. What makes the conjugal relationship unique is the physical act of love itself and its potential to generate the new life which, already in the mind of God, is infinitely loved. Conjugal love acknowledges this before any child is born.

Every act of love should be an expression of love between husband and wife and can only be so if it is complete, its outcome accepted as a provision of nature, whether the act is fertile or infertile at that time.

It is the essence of natural family planning, that nature itself in the phases of the woman’s cycle dictates the outcome of the act. Within a high degree of certainty, the couple can by free choice direct this outcome through selecting days of recognised fertility or infertility to express the act of love.

Ideally, loving communication between husband and wife concerning the spacing of children, includes the acceptance of all their children even those not specifically intended. Acknowledgement of the Creator as the Supreme Author of Life, takes root in the hearts of the truly loving couple.

Therefore, profound honour should be accorded to the act of love itself because naturally it always remains a reproductive act and as such, especially for a woman, is a tremendous act.

True love demands acknowledgement of this by her husband. If the reproductive element is eliminated, it ceases to be tremendous for a woman, and her husband’s attitude may change towards her as he loses his reverence and wonderment and tenderness, which are all part of his homage to her fertility. Once that is gone, she is just there, that is all.

A couple may try to use natural family planning solely as a means of prevention of birth perhaps to escape the ill-effects of previous contraceptive use. If they do, they will NOT be inclined to acknowledge the role of the Creator.

They together have chosen to substitute their plan for the Divine Plan. Their purpose especially is to enjoy intercourse without having a baby. This makes the act of love fraudulent, and they will not be happy if a child is conceived unintentionally.

They have eliminated love for that child who is in the mind of God. This attitude affects the relationship. We see the wife becoming anxious. This is reflected in her records by confusion resulting in longer periods of abstinence which the husband views negatively.

He may respond to this by making excessive demands on her which she resents and resists. Having yielded to the anti-baby attitude, it is not long before they back up the Method by use of barrier contraception. This practice produces more confusion for the woman and ultimately, they may resort to sterilisation, usually of the wife.

The procreative element of the act of love is eliminated, true generous love is damaged, and the conjugal relationship is now in jeopardy. If the selected birth prevention measure fails, the baby also is in jeopardy. It too may be seen as a failure. Abortion may follow. This couple has now gravely thwarted the loving purpose of God.”

We will continue this talk next month.

BOMA-TT Phone or WhatsApp: 384-1659, Email: naturalfertility@catholictt.org or billingstt@gmail.com, Local Website: billingstt.com, International Websites: woombinternational.org or billings.life