Evangelicum Catholic Homeschool & Catechesis: 19. Theology of the Body

19. LIVING OUR FAITH IN RELATIONSHIPS

THE THEOLOGY OF
THE BODY

...is a series of lectures given by Pope John Paul II in which he discusses the sanctity of the human body in relation to sexual morality, and highlights the fact that our bodies do not belong to us, but to God.

In his first lecture Pope Saint John Paul highlighted...

......Christ's answer to the Pharisees when they ask him about whether a man can divorce his wife. Christ responds "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard, but in the beginning it was not so" (Mt 19:8). John Paul II draws attention to how Christ's response GUIDES the Pharisees to go back to the beginning, to the created world before the fall of man and original sin. The Pope in his lectures delves into the experience of original man through the book of Genesis, and identifies two unique experiences: original solitude, and original unity.

Original solitude is the experience of Adam, prior to Eve, when he realises that through naming the animals there is something intrinsically different about himself. He is unable to find a suitable partner. This self-realisation of a dignity before God higher than the rest of creation is original solitude. Original unity is drawn from man's first encounter with woman, where he exclaims "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (Gn 2:23). Prior to sin, the Pope accounts, man and woman's desire for one another was perfectly oriented in a Sacramental way that pointed them toward God's ultimate plan for humanity: the marriage of Christ the bridegroom with His bride the Church.

Throughout Sacred Scripture, the most common reference that Christ uses when speaking of heaven is that of a wedding feast. Thus, marriage is intended to be a union that draws us deeper into the mystery of our creation and provides a foretaste of the heavenly marriage between Christ and his Church, where man and woman are no longer given in marriage. In heaven, the eternal wedding feast, men and women have now arrived at their ultimate destination and no longer have need of the Sacrament (or sign) of marriage.
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The Theology of the Body & Evangelisation through Beauty

The proclamation of Pope Saint John Paul's Theology of the Body is a credible way forward in proclaiming the dignity of the human person. England is 20 years behind America on this particular aspect of Church teaching. The Theology of the Body provides an inspirational way of living that people are attracted to.

The Catholic Church's language (not teaching) concerning the dignity of individuals is staid and the Church has to proclaim the authentic teaching in a new way, both to Catholics and to the World. The Theology of the Body is one way of achieving this, and is certainly a powerful message for the younger Catholic generation. It has gained much strength among younger Catholic adults in America, and is a mainstay of teaching establishments such as Steubenville. It is slowly catching on in England with Pure in Heart UK. Rather than saying that "you are living your life in the wrong way", it is a way of saying "this is a wonderful way to live your life". This is what is called "Evangelisation through Beauty". The concept is not just about paintings, literature, and architecture, but about all aspects of evangelising the secularised world.

PURE IN HEART