Created for Love

Bell Work Please answer the following in a few sentences 1.What is the reason for our existence? 2.What is the purpose of our bodies? Please answer the following in a few sentences 1.What is the reason for our existence? 2.What is the purpose of our bodies?

Bell Work8/27/09 Copy this quote into the bell work section: “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” Gen 1:27 Copy this quote into the bell work section: “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” Gen 1:27

Pope John Paul II and “Theology of the Body”  Theology is the study of God  Theology of the Body is a study of God and the purpose of our existence as discovered and revealed through our bodies 1.Our bodies reveal something about God 2.We can look at our bodies and sexual desires and discover the purpose of our existence and the meaning of life  Theology is the study of God  Theology of the Body is a study of God and the purpose of our existence as discovered and revealed through our bodies 1.Our bodies reveal something about God 2.We can look at our bodies and sexual desires and discover the purpose of our existence and the meaning of life 1

How?  sacrament: makes a spiritual reality visible to us  Eg. The 7 Sacraments make a spiritual reality (grace) visible to us  Eg. Baptism  The body also is a sacrament 2

John Paul II says:  “The body, in fact, and it alone is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery of God…and thus be a sign of it

Sacramentality of the body:  the human body is capable of making the invisible spirit, visible.  God is invisible but our bodies reveal something about him and make him visible  Christ of course, does this most perfectly  Because we are made in his “image and likeness”  the human body is capable of making the invisible spirit, visible.  God is invisible but our bodies reveal something about him and make him visible  Christ of course, does this most perfectly  Because we are made in his “image and likeness” 3

4 Sacramentality of the Body  The inherent ability of the body to act as a visible sign of God’s invisible love

The body is a “sign”  Sign: points to a reality beyond itself and makes a reality present to us.  Eg. Road sign  The body is a sign of something beyond itself  What might that be? 5

God’s original plan  Being made male and female (human sexuality) points to our call to love one another  Sexual union between man and woman is meant to point to our union with God in heaven  union with God  sexual in nature  Sexual union is a “sign”  Being made male and female (human sexuality) points to our call to love one another  Sexual union between man and woman is meant to point to our union with God in heaven  union with God  sexual in nature  Sexual union is a “sign” 6

Bell Work8/28/09 Copy the quote before answering the questions: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope.” - Jer 29:11 1.What was the purpose of JPII’s “Theology of the Body”? 2.How is the body “sacramental”? 3.What deeper reality is the body a sign of? Copy the quote before answering the questions: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope.” - Jer 29:11 1.What was the purpose of JPII’s “Theology of the Body”? 2.How is the body “sacramental”? 3.What deeper reality is the body a sign of?

“God is love” - 1 John 4:8  We’re made in the image and likeness of LOVE itself  Bodies reflect our being created for love  God is one and at the same time three  Trinity  Trinity is an eternal exchange of love  We are called to share in this eternal exchange  We’re made in the image and likeness of LOVE itself  Bodies reflect our being created for love  God is one and at the same time three  Trinity  Trinity is an eternal exchange of love  We are called to share in this eternal exchange 7

Love is never present in isolation  In order for love to be present, you need something to love.  Love must have  A lover  A beloved  The love between them 8

Love = communion  Communion of Persons: when two or more persons give themselves to one another in love 9

God is a Communion of Persons FatherSon (lover/beloved) Holy Spirit (the love between them) FatherSon (lover/beloved) Holy Spirit (the love between them) 10

Man as a Communion of Persons  Humans were created to participate in the Trinitarian life  To live as a communion of persons  Being made male and female makes it possible for us to image God as a communion of persons  We reflect the eternal exchange of the Trinity in and through our sexuality  Humans were created to participate in the Trinitarian life  To live as a communion of persons  Being made male and female makes it possible for us to image God as a communion of persons  We reflect the eternal exchange of the Trinity in and through our sexuality 11

 We best reflect God in context of the family Woman Man (lover/beloved) Baby (the love between them) The love between them is so strong it creates another person.  We best reflect God in context of the family Woman Man (lover/beloved) Baby (the love between them) The love between them is so strong it creates another person. 12

Foreshadowing heaven  The love between man and woman is a sign that points to something beyond itself  The union between God and man  Sexual love foreshadows heaven  The desire for sexual union is an expression of a deep spiritual desire for union with God 13

Our experience  We don’t experience our bodies this way  Many are burdened by their bodies  Many feel ruled by the “urges” or passions of their body  Because of this many feel burdened by rules imposed by the Church about sexuality 14

Original Sin  This disconnect of spirituality and sexuality is a result of original sin  We now experience concupiscence - a tendency toward sin as a result of original sin  More sin, broken families, sexual abuse, addictions, infidelity… 15

Satan Counters God’s plan  “Satan seeks to counteract God’s plan in plagiarizing the sacraments” - Tertullian  Satan wants to ruin God’s plan of our union with God  Attacking our view of the body, sexual union and marriage is the most effective way to draw us away from that original plan  “Satan seeks to counteract God’s plan in plagiarizing the sacraments” - Tertullian  Satan wants to ruin God’s plan of our union with God  Attacking our view of the body, sexual union and marriage is the most effective way to draw us away from that original plan 16

Culture dominated by lust  Lust – disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure  Primarily selfish in nature  “In the beginning it was not so” – Mt 19:8 17

Bellwork8/31/09  “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another.”  John 13:34  In what way does the family image the life of the Trinity?  What is concupiscence?  Why does Satan attack the image of the body?  “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another.”  John 13:34  In what way does the family image the life of the Trinity?  What is concupiscence?  Why does Satan attack the image of the body?