Chapter 1 Created for Love Theology of the Body Chapter 1 Created for Love

Introduction Our sexuality is a gift – choose to be generous or selfish Society has flipped the “self-giving” on its head Love stories have become lust stories Love involves being generous Lust is sexual desire that is selfish – apart from the love of God

Obsession Sexual attraction is good while lust is self seeking Love seeks to give; lust seeks to get Obsession Is the Church obsessed with sex – all these rules In reality society is obsessed with sex Magazines Shows on primetime TV Whether it is explicit or implicit Robs humans of dignity Often come to think of sex as the world does and not as God does

Examples – p. 8 Imagine a world with no Divorce Sexual abuse Rape Stds Depression Eating disorders Guilt Addictions Cutting Cheating Pregnancies outside of marriage

Bridging the gap Original Sin affects us all Instead of wanting what is right, we often desire to do the wrong thing – Concupiscence Affects every single one us as members of society which is damaged by the effects of sin Causes despair in a society that believes in sexual liberation TV and movies have moved from sexual suggestion to sexually explicit

We have become desensitized to it in the media- frog in the pot Country plagued by warped understanding of marriage and the role of sex Lust – disordered desire for inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure Love that selfishly seeks pleasure at the expense of another Dominates our culture Can lead to lack of concern Lack of motivation to change Settle for less But there is HOPE – God is with us

To the core Pope John Paul II dedicated 129 of his Wednesday lectures to the human body and sexuality Goal – explore the meaning of our bodies and sexual desire as it relates to the purpose of existence What is love all about? Theology of the Body

Love equals Communion Not meant to be alone Genesis – “good”. “image and likeness” Communion of persons – created when 2 or more persons give themselves to one another in love – mirrors the Trinity God created us male and female so that we could image His love by a sincere gift to one another Not meant to be alone Adam knew something was missing Fully discover our true self in true gift of self to another(s)

Celibate life or married life– total gift of self Celibacy- choosing to forego marriage to devote self to Christ and the Church “Life is not worth living unless it is lived for others” Mother Teresa The body is capable of making visible what is invisible – sacramentality of the body – points to the meaning of life their desires are GOOD signs of God’s existence – His love for us and our call to love one another

Digging Deeper- Who am I? Your actions say say much about who you understand yourself to be God’s plan for sexual union – we discover the meaning of existence and the meaning of life