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Hi, Michael —
Thanks for the question and please,
call me John. I'm only 43, and Mr.
DiMascio is not only too formal,
but it makes me sound like I should
be collecting Social Security.
The Church does not teach that all
sexual thought or temptation is sin.
First of all, temptation is not sin,
nor is concupiscence (the desire
or tendency to sin.)
Sin takes an act of the will, so
a stray sexual thought is not, in
and of itself, sinful.
It is what you do with that thought.
If one embraces an illicit sexual
thought, dwells on it, nurses it
(and/or) acts on it, then it becomes
sin.
Please note, I qualified that as
an illicit sexual thought. I would
hope that a married couple would
have sexual thoughts toward each
other. I will grant you, though,
that these thoughts should be an
off-shoot of their commitment and
all-giving love for one another.
I would suggest that you read some
of Pope St. John Paul II's writings on
the theology of the body:
I hope this helps,
John DiMascio
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