For the last several weeks, this column has reflected on the challenges faced by our Catholic young people in embracing and implementing the truth of Jesus Christ in our Catholic faith.

For some, the faith is simply not seen as relevant to daily life. For others, the challenge is that accepting something is true implies that it must be true not just for me but for everyone.

But in our very relativistic society where people decide what is true for them, it is hard to stand up for and witness to the truth that applies to each of us and to the whole world.

This challenge, both to young people and to those of us who are older, is not new. Jesus warned His followers that it will not be easy to witness to Him. As He starkly told His Apostles, “If the world hates you, realize that it hated Me first.” (Jn 15:18).

As we have noted as well, there are also real signs of hope and even support for young people in their Catholic faith.

First and foremost, the influence of parents and family, especially the lived example of adult faith, slowly plants deep roots of belief in children.

The strength of marriage, the lifelong and faithful commitment between a man and woman, is the treasured environment for the flourishing of offspring, both humanly, and even more importantly, spiritually.

Marriage is not just a “piece of paper” as one sadly hears at times in our modern day. It is, rather, a total giving of self to the other.

The total gift of self, husband to wife and vice versa, is by God’s plan intended to be so complete, that it becomes an image and even a sharing in the giving of self that was Jesus’ sacrifice for us and for the Church.

It is no surprise, then, that marriage will have moments of great joy and moments of great sacrifice and even trial. That is precisely why marriage is such a great good.

It is in this context of the goodness of marriage and its link to faith, both for the spouses and for their children, that the bishops of the United States have asked us to celebrate this week as Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness Week.

This is an opportunity, then, to remind ourselves of why our Catholic faith stresses the moral responsibility in marriage to use only the God-given natural means for prayerful spacing of births.

Because marriage is a total giving of self, especially in its most intimate moment of marital union, husband and wife should give and receive totally. To alter our bodies in order to hold something back at that moment would be, even if not so intended, to contradict the meaning of the total union of the two truly becoming one flesh.

This is why our Catholic teaching guides us not to use contraceptives, sterilization or other artificial means in order to be joined as spouses while withholding our natural gift of fertility.

Instead, the signs of fertility can be learned in such a way that couples who, for serious reason have discerned postponing pregnancy, may choose to give of themselves fully, avoiding for a time the moments when conception is likely to occur. In this way, that full gift of self is maintained and the representation of Christ’s gift of Himself to the Church is renewed in the couple.

There are other recognizable benefits to the use of Natural Family Planning. For example, the rates of marital stability are remarkably high for couples using NFP as opposed to those who do not. Couples report experiencing greater communication and mutual respect in their marriage.

Additionally, NFP allows husbands and wives to work with the bodies God created without introducing strong drugs or surgeries to artificially suppress or interrupt the gift of fertility.

 Finally, it is our faith — in this, as in other facets of life — that to embrace God’s plan for us is the basis of judgment of heaven or hell for us in the life to come.

For those couples who use Natural Family Planning, what a great example you are. The Church accompanies you with its prayers.

To others, please pray and reflect about using Natural Family Planning in your marriage.

This week should not only be NFP Awareness Week, it should also be NFP Appreciation Week. How good of God to give us His plan for us and His grace and help to live it joyfully.