THEOLOGY OF THE BODY

THEOLOGY OF THE BODY Chapter #1 CREATED FOR LOVE

Sexuality is a Gift: With it we can choose to be SELFISH or GENEROUS. • Most modern ‘love stories’ are really ‘lust stories’ because they don’t involve self sacrifice.

LOVE vs. LUST • Love= Being generous, sacrifice for the other. • Sexual attraction is good and holy but must be guided by love. • We are made to LOVE and be LOVED! • Lust= Selfish sexual desire apart from the love of God. • Lust is purely self seeking.

The Call to Love as God Loves • The union in Heaven was foreshadowed in Genesis. • In it the original plan for unity with Adam and Eve. • A ‘twisting’ of that plan occurred in our hearts. • Instead of seeking the good of others, we desire our own good (often at the expense of the other’s dignity!) • God created us for union with Him. He gave us ‘echoes’ in our heart of the love He intends for us all.

Why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? • It started with a simple choice. • Adam and Eve chose their own plan instead of God’s. • Original sin affects us all. • Concupiscence: the tendency to desire to do what is wrong. • We are all damaged by it and hurting from the effects of sin in our society (broken families, broken hearts, abuse, addiction, infidelity, shame and regret…). • Our society of sexual liberation has brought despair.

Frog in the Pot • Mass media’s influence has grown stronger. • It has gone quickly from sexual suggestion to sexually-explicit material. • Our culture is a moral swamp. • We have gradually become desensitized. • The body is viewed in extremes; idealized and also degraded. • Our country is plagued by a seriously warped understanding of marriage, sex and relationships.

Sad Facts • The US has the highest divorce rate in the Western world • 1 in 3 girls is sexually abused by 18. • 40% of children live with their single mom without their dad. • Every day 8,000 teenagers become infected with an STD.

LUST  Apathy- Lack of Motivation to Change= Settling for less then what is good, and beautiful in relationships. We are left incomplete. Ask Yourselves: • “Can you imagine a world without divorce, sexual abuse, rape, std’s, depression, eating disorders, addictions, cuttings, cheatings, pregnancies before marriage?” • “If we all want true love, why is it so hard to find?” • “Is their hope?”

Sexuality was not always this way. • In the beginning love had its way and lust didn’t even exist. • If we want to learn how to solve the problem of lust and sexual confusion we must go back to the beginning to see how God created sexuality. • This original plan reveals what we are made for, called to

Pope John Paul II dedicated 129 of his ‘Wednesday Talks” for six years to talk about the human body and sexuality. 2/3 of what has been written by the Church about sexuality has been written by him.

What is Theology of the Body? • Theology means ‘study of God’ • Theology of the Body is the study of God as revealed through our bodies. • When we look to Adam and Eve and God’s plan for the we find answers to our questions about our purpose in life. • TOB is more than just about sex. It is about; what it is to be a man or woman, what we are called to be, how our bodies give glory to God and more! • It shows us that our bodies are good, sexuality is a gift and we are called to something beyond ourselves.

Love Equals Communion “God is Love” John 4:8 • When love is present it is never in isolation, a person can’t marry themselves. • To love you must have a lover, a beloved. The love between the two is a community of persons united in love. • Not all love is romantic love. Love is willing the good of another, giving of ourselves. • When 2 or more people give themselves they form a community of love. • God is a “communion of persons” since He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. • God made humans to participate in heaven and on earth in this love. • He made us male and female so we can become a gift to one another (the two complement each other).

Not Meant to Be Alone • Adam and Eve were not designed to be alone. (Toy Story clip) (Even Mr. Potato desires ‘another’ ) • Adam knew something was missing. • “Man can only fully discover his true self only in a sincere gift of self.” • This total gift of self involves making ourselves living sacrifices. • “Life is not worth living unless it is lived for others” (Mother Teresa)

Sacramentality of the Body • “The body, in fact, and it alone is capable of making visible what is invisible the spiritual and divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery of God …. And thus to be a sign of it” (JPII) • Even though we can’t see God, our bodies reveal many amazing truths since we are make in His ‘image and likeness” • Invisible made seen: Sacramentality of the Body. • God’s plan is not just for human love, but the love we are ultimately created for union with God. • God has a plan of hope and freedom for each one of us.

Know Thyself • “Who are you?” • Your actions say much about who you understand yourself to be. • “What answers have you made and where is your path leading you? • Put aside the lies we have believed about ourselves and embrace the reality of our life in Christ. Our fulfillment cannot be found in lies. • Challenge yourself to be countercultural by answering the radical call of Christ that leads to freedom!

THEOLOGY OF THE BODY