Theology of the Body for Teens Seventh Grade Curriculum 1.3 What is Love?

Bellwork Journal: 1. What is love? 2. What or who are examples of real love?

Opening Prayer Act of Love: O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.

Discuss Bellwork Journal: 1. What is love? 2. What or who are examples of real love? .

What is love? “Love is the free self-giving of the heart” (YouCat 309) “Love, in a word, is the gift of self” (Pope St. John Paul II)

What is Love? God is Love. “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)

God is Love God lives in himself a mystery of personal, loving communion as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God the Father = Lover God the Son = Beloved God the Holy Spirit = Love Between Father & Son Here we find ourselves before the most dazzling revelation of the source of love, the mystery of the Trinity: in God, one and triune, there is an everlasting exchange of love between the persons of the Father and the Son, and this love is not an energy or a sentiment, but it is a person; it is the Holy Spirit. –Pope Benedict XVI

We are called to love. Created in the image and likeness of God, we too are called to love. Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. “The more a person loves, the more he/she resembles God.” (YouCat 402)

What does this mean? There are different kinds of love We experience these different kinds of love in different human relationships in our lives Every kind of love flows from God and leads us to God, who is Perfect Love

Talk with your tablemates: Look back at what you wrote as examples of real love and talk with your tablemates to see if you can identify different kinds of love we experience in our human relationships.

Storge – Familial Love Affection between parents and children and other family members This is the first love we experience in human terms Jesus taught us to call God “Our Father” (Mt. 6:9)

Philia - Friendship This love is based on mutual interests and a sincere desire for each other’s well-being. Jesus said to his disciples, “I call you friends.” (Jn 15:15)

Eros – Romantic Love Romantic attraction is God’s way of leading most men and women to marriage. John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the bridegroom (John 3:29).

Let’s Pause: Tabletalk Time Talk with your tablemates: choose one character for each of the three types of love we’ve learned so far (familial love, friendship, or romantic love). How do they show it—specifically? Dory from Finding Nemo Ana from Frozen Stitch from Lilo and Stitch Shrek from Shrek Sam from The Lord of the Rings Woody from Toy Story Buddy the Elf in Elf Nala in The Lion King Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life

What do familial love, friendship, and romantic love have in common? They are real love. They come from God. They teach us about God’s love for us. In our human relationships, they are limited to a select few people with whom we have a personal relationship. The fourth kind of love is similar to the others in the first three points, but it can be extended to all people, even strangers.

Agape– Charity Sacrificial love which seeks to give of oneself for the good of another “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him may not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

Uniting all loves with Charity Every kind of love is good, originating in God’s very Being and breathed into our nature as made in the image of God The highest form, though, is charity Charity is an act of the will; it’s not about feelings but the choice to give of oneself—even sacrificing greatly—for the good of another It is the “bond of perfection” (Col. 3:14) which must animate the other three types of love to elevate them to a true reflection of God who is Love

Discussion Questions 1) …in your family? 2) …with friends? --What does charity look like? 1) …in your family? 2) …with friends?