MFP 394: NFP- Love, Life, and Learning Self-Control

Catholic couples don’t discern if they should have a child, they discern if they should postpone pregnancy. These are two different conversations. 

 

Summary

This re-release of a 2015 episode presents Natural Family Planning as more than a technique: it's a way of living that contrasts sharply with a culture focused on control and convenience. We explore how modern society tends to "engineer" outcomes, even in areas like fertility, while NFP invites couples to cooperate with the natural design of the body, integrating both faith and science. This approach requires intentional communication, shared decision-making, and a willingness to embrace sacrifice, particularly through periodic abstinence. Rather than seeing these challenges as burdens, we can view them as opportunities for growth in virtue, deeper unity, and trust in God.

Key Takeaways

• Catholic teaching on marriage holds love and life together.

• Marriage is both unitive and procreative, meaning sex is meant to express love between spouses while remaining open to the possibility of new life.

• Humanae Vitae was not just a rule, but a prophetic warning.

• The Church warned that widespread acceptance of contraception would lead to moral decline, marital infidelity, loss of respect for women, abuse of power, and a distorted sense of control over the human body.

• Responsible parenthood requires prayerful discernment, not pressure or guilt.

• Couples are called to use reason, wisdom, Church teaching, and honest prayer to discern whether they are ready for another child, taking into account physical, emotional, psychological, economic, and family circumstances.

• Natural Family Planning can be hard, but it can also form couples in love and self-gift.

• NFP requires discipline, communication, patience, and sacrifice. It can bring struggles, especially around affection, desire, and misunderstanding, but it also invites spouses to love each other beyond physical intimacy alone.

• Children are a blessing, not a burden or a lifestyle accessory.

• While raising children is demanding, they are one of the greatest fruits of marriage. They change, challenge, and sanctify parents, and families should not measure children only by cost, convenience, or cultural expectations.

 

Couple Discussion Questions

• Do you feel like we communicate openly about family size, timing, and fertility decisions?

• How do you experience the "sacrifice" aspect of NFP?

• What kind of family culture do we want to build around life, children, and generosity?

• How can we better support each other during more difficult seasons?

 

Resources

• MFP 158: Oh Baby! How Many Babies Should We Have?

• Humanae Vitae

• USCCB on Natural Family Planning

• Dr. Janet Smith

• Couple to Couple League

• NaProTechnology (Creighton Model of NFP)

• Theology of the Body Institute