"It is often thought that ethos — or morality — suffocates the spontaneous expression of eros. …
"Ethics is usually understood in the negative sense — as rules and condemnations. The Sermon on the Mount is often read in this way, too. Christ's teaching on lust is reduced to a prohibition, a limitation on our hearts. But when we look deeper, we see that Christ aims to liberate the heart from the constraints of lust.
"Everyone who accepts Christ's teaching is called to fullness. …
"Jesus' words … require us to examine not only our … behavior, but also our innermost thoughts …[and] that we be aware of our deepest impulses. A man must guard his heart from impurity like a wathcman protecting a hidden spring.
"… [W]e need to acquire a true and full understanding of the human body in its masculinity and femininity. This truth … must be lived in our hearts. It cannot be learned simply by reading a book — it demands a deep study of oneself. We must learn to distinguish true attraction — appreciating the bountiful riches of masculinity and femininity — from the simple reductions of lust. …[T]hrough Christ it is possible.
"There is nothing truly … free about lust. It doesn't aspire to goodness, truth, or beauty. Christ, however, far from stifling the noble desires of the heart, opens the way to their fulfillment."
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