1. 3rd Quarter Final Exam will be on March 5th 1. 3rd Quarter Final Exam will be on March 5th 3rd Quarter Final Review will be on March 4th Study Guide will go out on Monday Feb. 25th 2. Project is due by Feb. 28th at 11pm (5 minutes window) 3. VIRTUS Permission Sheet will be counted as a Quiz and is due on Feb. 22nd in CLASS!!! 4. VIRTUS training will take place in class on March 1st Housekeeping

Theology of the Body for Beginners Based on the Book by Christopher West

The 2 Fundamental questions that TOB seeks to answer. What does it mean to be human? How should we live our lives?

When you hear the word “sex” what generally comes to mind? Is it the great mystery of the one-flesh union as a foreshadowing of Christ’s union with the Church? When you hear the word “sex” what generally comes to mind? Or is it something more secular…

Sex is not just about sex What does Christopher West mean by this statement?

Think About It … Words like attraction and intimacy are almost exclusively associated with sexual activity.

Attraction Intimacy What people or things can you be attracted to that do not have a sexual connotation? How can you experience intimacy that does not involve sex?

Well, what does that mean????? When sexual union is oriented towards love and life, it builds families and, in turn, cultures that live the truth of love and life. As Christians you are constantly being told that you are to Love as God has LOVED you! Well, what does that mean?????

To truly love -- means that… You want what is best for the other person. Parental love Friendship Families Romantic

God has shown great love for us –his creation ! God “impressed his own form on the flesh…in such a way that even what was visible might bear the divine form.” (CCC704)

What is Theology of the Body? The first major teaching project of the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II 129 short talks given between Sept. 1979 and Nov. 1984 “a rich biblical reflection on the meaning of human embodiment, particularly as it concerns sexuality and erotic desire. Oct. 1978 “Man and Woman He Created Them” a work of John Paul II completed just before he became pope

God, Sex, and the Meaning of Life What is Sexuality? What makes us female or male… All beings have sexuality and the ability to make more of themselves That does not mean we all partake in sexual activity “The way we understand and express our sexuality points to our deepest-held convictions about who we are, who God is, the meaning of love, the ordering of society, and even the ordering of the universe.” (C. West)

“In short, pondering the deepest meaning of the human sexual-body leads us step by step into the heart of the mystery of God himself.” (C. West) Christ’s mission is to restore the order of love in a world seriously distorted by sin.” (C. West) “But only by pondering Christ’s body can we understand our own.” (C. West)

CCC 1146 “As a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols.”

As bodily creatures, this is in a certain sense the only way we can experience the spiritual world – in and through the physical world, in and through our bodies. (C. West) “By taking on a body through the Incarnation, God humbly meets us right here – in our physical, human state.” (C. West)

Why do you think many Christians grow up thinking that their bodies (especially their sexuality) are obstacles to their spiritual life?

Reminders Virginity = not having had sex yet Abstinence = refraining from having sex for a time Chastity = how one thinks, speaks and behaves when it comes to their own sexuality or that of another

The problem with our sex-saturated culture, then, is not that it overvalues the body and sex. The problem is that it has failed to see just how valuable the body and sex really are. (C. West)

The Sacramentality of the Body The great mystery of the sacraments … Composed of matter God’s chosen means by which, through the action of the HS, we encounter God’s spiritual treasures. In a sense we could say that In the Sacraments spirit and matter kiss. The body is a Sacrament (JPII) … b/c it is a sign that makes visible the invisible mystery of God

John Paul II’s Thesis – quote directly from Theology of the Body The thesis statement of JPII’s TOB “The body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it.” (TOB 19:4)

Father CCC221 “God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.” Holy Spirit Son

Icon of the Trinity, Images of Christ and the Church Sexual love as the Image of the Trinity “God created us male and female so that we could image his love by becoming a sincere gift to each other.” (C. West) “In this way, sexual love becomes an icon or earthly image in some sense of the inner life of the Trinity.” (C. West) Sexual love as the image of the Union of God with Humanity St. Paul says in Ephesians 5:31-32 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery and I mean in reference to Christ and the church.”

The Spousal Analogy More than any other image -- the image of spousal love is used far more often in Scripture to convey the love God has for us Genesis begins with the marriage of the first Man & Woman The Bible also ends with a marriage in the Book of Revelation

Assignment #1– TOBPPL#1 Complete Heading Write a 10 -15 sentence essay discussing a marriage that you know of (could be your parents, grandparents, aunt & uncle, family friends etc) that you think is a good marriage. Describe the qualities of that marriage. Why you think it’s a good marriage. And what have you learned from observing that marriage. Make a List of 10 things you believe an ideal marriage should have. On your list what would you consider the top 5 and circle them.

The Body and the Spiritual Battle What do you think of this statement …. “If we want to know what is most sacred in this world, all we need to do is look for what is most violently profaned.” Profane means something that is characterized by irreverence or contempt for God or sacred principles or things; irreligious.

SEX Is meant to be: Sacred, Holy, of God, Important, Special, Religious…

Yet, is that how sex is treated? Is that how people view sex?

The Foundation of Ethics and Culture “human sexuality has crucial meaning for, and an essential relation to, marriage and the family. And as marriage and the family go, so goes the culture.” (C. West) Sex is intertwined with the very reality of human existence…you would not be here if it weren’t for sex When we interfere with God’s plan for sex we are interfering with the whole of human existence When sex is orientated against love and life it breeds death A “culture of death” – a culture that, failing to recognize the infinite worth of every human person, chooses death as a “solution” to its problems.

Reclaiming the Truth About Sex The gift of sex is being misused and abused. The debate about abortion is not about when life begins but about the real meaning of sex. Approximately 4000 abortions in the US a day Although the amount of abortions in US has decreased since the mid 1990’s

The reality is that the fight for abortion is not really about the right to end the life of an unborn child but about the right to have unrestricted sex without consequences.

“We need a new language to break the silence and reverse the negativity. We need a fresh theology that explains how the Christian sexual ethic – far from being the prudish list of prohibitions it is often assumed to be – corresponds perfectly with the deepest yearnings of our hearts for love and union.” (pg. 14)

The Pope’s Method and Approach We need to embrace our own dignity It does not matter how often we have settled for something less. John Paul II’s message is one of sexual healing and redemption, not of condemnation.

Christ points us to 3 different stages of the human drama. Our Origin Our History Our Destiny Where we come from Where we are now Where we are headed

Christianity Does Not Reject the Body “As a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols.” CCC1146 (reiterated) We experience the spiritual world through our physical bodies. When God becomes human (Incarnation) he meets us in our human state. That’s how much you are loved. God shows his love not just in dying for us but in being one of us!

The body is to be celebrated. Yes, your body has limits. But, still your body can do amazing things.

For Discussion: The Divine Mystery God created us in his image so we can reflect his love in our lives and ultimately be united to him in heaven. God created us to learn to love like he does. How can we reflect the love of God in our lives…

In the textbook … Evil Christopher West talks about Who is the Enemy? The enemy wants to separate us from God. The enemy knows that the body and sex are meant to proclaim the “divine mystery” The enemy wants to keep us from recognizing the mystery of God in our bodies Evil