Of the Body THEOLOGY…

JOURNAL QUESTION: What are all of the reasons why some teenagers engage in sexual activity? Take a step back and see if you can identify all of the reasons why.

Three Alternate Views of Sexuality Recreational Sex Having sex just for the fun of it No commitment, just mutual consent Emotional-Relationship Sex If you “really love each other,” then you engage in sexual intercourse When the love fades, so does the sex Almost-Committed Sex You have an “almost total commitment” to each other but a total physical “commitment” The main cause for this is FEAR

THEOLOGY OF THE BODY A Catholic understanding of a human being is that we are flesh and spirit intrinsically linked This means that we cannot separate our physical lives from our spiritual lives Theology of the Body is from John Paul II who gave 129 speeches between 1979-1984 dealing with the human person as a sexual creature

THE SACRAMENTALITY OF THE BODY What is a Sacrament? A sacrament makes visible an “invisible” reality How is our BODY a Sacrament? It is the only thing that makes visible what & who we truly are Therefore, we can never separate our body from our spirit. This includes sexuality.

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY SEXUALITY Sexual expression should be: Self-liberating Other-enriching Honest Faithful Socially Responsible Life-Serving Joyous