THEOLOGY OF THE BODY

AN OVERVIEW
with Fr Samuel Medley, SOLT

Blessed Pope John Paul II

Theology of the Body: Human Love in the Divine Plan

Introduction by Michael Waldstein

an overview of his overview

But first, Lets get some perspective.

What is it all really about?

Human Sexuality is an area of presenting Catholic Teaching and living of the Catholic Ethos in which it seems that we find ourselves very lost.

Teaching about Human Sexuality Not I grew up. Is it part Not howour work? of the Churchs
Mission to teach about human sexuality? Parents should do that in private.

Controversy. To many, the Church seems like the moral police to those who say we should keep out of the bedroom. Who wants angry parents and parishioners moaning to us about controversial issues? Welsh temperament is much too moderate and private for this!
Sexual Revolution. Pleasure seeking? Self gratification? We dont want to appear immodest or contributing to the sex-craze.

Teaching about Human Sexuality Not known by our work? Churchs teaching isnt
teachers. It is easy to give an opinion or merely the pop-culture Opra Style version about sex and relationships, but what is the Church teaching? Does the Church say anything about this stuff? Should it? People often believe Churchs teaching isnt relevant and is outdated on this topic. People have a looming cultural stigma that the Church basically says, NO and this is all it says.

Teaching about Human Sexuality Not our work?

THE BIG ONE - Because:

-Church teaching isnt known -Thought as not relevant or potent

Teachers do not live it or even are at odds with it.

Young people smell a hypocrite a mile away. No teacher who is not first a witness will be heeded or give any fruitful instruction on this matter.

Teaching about Human Sexuality The Work of Jesus Christ Jesus is not only the window through whom
we see the Father. If you have seen me you have seen the Father (John 14:9).
He is the mirror by which we see ourselves. All of ourselves - all of humanity and every human. Only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light (Vatican II, GS 22) Christ teaches us the Good News about our bodies and human sexuality, that we were made for God, for communion, for love.

Theology of the Body is Christs Teaching on Sexuality Blessed Pope John Paul gave
this gift to the Church to show that Christ wants to speak to us today about ourselves, who we really are, about our bodies, relationships, about intimacy, communion, and true happiness. TOB - a dialogue with Christ

Theology of the Body is Christs Teaching on Sexuality

To have a body is to be made in the image and likeness of God.
God is a LOVING COMMUNION OF PERSONS

Theology of the Body is Christs Teaching on Sexuality need of our THE deepest
times is for a LOVING COMMUNION OF PERSONS. This is the basis of the Theology of the Body and why is so relevant to our times and youth.

Relevance for Teaching Theology of the Body Today

1. Family Structure - Broken relationships?

2. Sex and Fulfillment - Am I lovable? Does sex really make a person happy? 3. Questions on dignity and compassion: Homosexuality, Rape, Sex-Abuse, Infertility

Theology of the body:

an Encounter with the Living Jesus Christ

FOR THIS REASON IT IS NOT NEW

Every saint of every time has had this conversation with Christ about their own body, about communion with God.

The people of our time encounter Christ in the way that they need him the most. One of the most pertinent questions of our time is about relationships, about communion, and therefore about human sexuality. Everyone measures persons, events, schools, parishes, families by it. They might call it something else, like being family friendly, user-friendly, service-oriented, or being person-oriented. The saints of our time must be men and women of communion.

Fundamentals of the TOB

The family, or communion of persons is the way we are made in the image and likeness of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Were made for a LOVING COMMUNION of Persons Each person is fulfilled by a gift of self in the Spousal Meaning of the Body

Marriage is the Basis of the whole Sacramental Economy

Husband and Wife gift themselves to each other and speak a language of the body.

INTRODUCTION
What is the Theology of the Body? Why is the Theology of the Body necessary today? Which translation is best to use? Literary Genre, Intended Audience, Authority, and our response Reading of Scripture Purpose of the Theology of the Body Structure and Argument

What is the Theology of the Body?

A Collection of 129 Wednesday Audiences given by Pope John Paul the Great during the first six years of his pontificate. A bible study, or scriptural reflection, on the theological meaning of the human body.
Theology - , or the study of God, which is the primary thing studied.

Why the Theology of the Body necessary today?

Separation between God and the human body.
Separation between the person and the human body. = Sexual Revolution, recreational sex, culture of lust and impurity, degradation of mans sexual dignity

Which translation is best to use?

Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, introduction by Michael Waldstein

Other translations do not include original titles by PJPII

They are not consistent in their use of terms, eg. Spousal Meaning of the Body

Literary Genre Intended Audience Authority

Catechesis - preaching and instruction holds the first place in a bishops activity Vatican II said that this is especially true for Bishop of Rome.

Universal Church, everybody, because the Wednesday audiences are for everybody. Measured if the Pope speaks (1) to the Universal Church, (2) in a form of teaching central to his office of bishop, (3) on a topic central to the faith.
Religious submission of mind and will to the Pope when speaking on Faith and Morals

Our Response

Scripture is the soul of sacred theology. TOB is built on scripture. PJPII used the CEI translation from the italian in which it was given. He uses the full sense of scripture looking at both the human, historical circumstances, and also the divine meaning: senses - literal, moral, allegorical, anagogical. Especially interested in the Words of Christ - almost as if He Himself is the teacher

Reading of Scripture

Purpose of the Theology of the Body

BIOLOGY - people see the body as purely a thing of science and it needs to be seen as a gift from God. MEANING - to defend the body from being seen only as an object of pleasure A Rereading of Humae Vitae - TOB could be seen as a commentary on Pope Paul VIs encyclical On Human Life.

STRUCTURE
Encounter with Christ in:
WORD and SACRAMENT

STRUCTURE
Part I: Words of Christ
A. Christ Appeals to the Beginning B. Christ Appeals to the Human Heart C. Christ Appeals to the Resurrection

Part II: The Sacrament

A. The Dimension of Covenant and Grace B. The Dimension of Sign

Final Part: Humanae Vitae

Triptych of the WORD

Beginning - Jesus reply to divorce allowed by Moses: In the beginning it was not so Human Heart- Jesus sermon on the Mount: If you so much as look at a woman so as to desire her, you have already committed adultery with her in your heart. Resurrection- Jesus reply to the Saducees: He is a God of the living not of the dead.

Trinitarian Communion
FATHER- Reveals where you came from. You were created in Christ before time began - created in the Fathers mind. SON- Reveals where you are right now.
Christ was crucified for you and loves you exactly as you are right now despite your sins. HOLY SPIRIT- fills in the gap between where you are now and where you need to go

Triptych of the WORD

Beginning

Human Heart

Resurrection

Trinitarian Communion

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

Quo Vadis?
Where did you come from? Where are you now? Where are you going?

THE SACRAMENT The Dimension of Covenant and Grace

Ephesians 5:21-33 St. Paul points us to the Great Mystery of Christ & Church - Man & Woman Spousal-Redemptive relationship is the basis of the whole Sacramental Order and the whole Created Order Gods covenant-

The Dimension of the Sign Marriage is a Sacrament elevated by Christ- visible sign that gives grace The Key to understanding it is to reread the language of the body in TRUTH. Spousal love is intimate and pure when it breaks forth from Eros to Agape (erotic love to selfless gift).

THE SACRAMENT

HE Gave them the law as their inheritance

TWO PARTS: I. The Ethical Problem II. Outline of Conjugal Spirituality

THANK YOU