Theology of the Body APHTA 4 February 2016

Theology of the Body

Wednesday Audiences 5 Sept 1979 – 28 November 1984 Man and Woman He Created Them Human Love in the Divine Plan Theology of the Body The Redemption of the Body and the Sacramentality of Marriage

Theology of the Body Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This, as has already been said, is why Christ the Redeemer "fully reveals man to himself". If we may use the expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity. In the mystery of the Redemption man becomes newly "expressed" and, in a way, is newly created. He is newly created! "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. Redemptor Hominis 4 March 1979

Theology of the Body The man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly- and not just in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory standards and measures of his being-he must with his unrest, uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into him with all his own self, he must "appropriate" and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself.

Theology of the Body Gaudium et Spes 24:3 Indeed, the Lord Jesus, when He prayed to the Father, "that all may be one... as we are one" (John 17:21-22) opened up vistas closed to human reason, for He implied a certain likeness between the union of the divine Persons, and the unity of God's sons in truth and charity. This likeness reveals that man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.

Theology of the Body Humanae Vitae The reflections about human love in the divine plan carried out so far would remain in some way incomplete if we did not try to see their concrete application in the area of conjugal and familial morality. We want to take this further step, which will bring us to the conclusion of our, by now, long journey, under the guidance of an important pronouncement of the recent magisterium, the encyclical Humanae Vitae, which Pope Paul VI published in July We will reread this significant document in the light of the conclusions we reached when we examined the original divine plan and Christ’s referring to it. 11 July 1984

Theology of the Body

Part I: The Words of Christ Part II:The Sacrament The second part of the catechesis is devoted to the analysis of the sacrament based on Ephesians (Eph 5:22-33), which goes back to the biblical “beginning” of marriage expressed in the words of Genesis, “a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will be one flesh (Gen 2:24) 28 Nov 1984

Theology of the Body The Sacrament Ch 1. The Dimension of Grace Ch 2. The Dimension of Sign Ch 3. He Gave Them the Law as their Inheritance

Theology of the Body The Words of Christ Ch 1. Christ Appeals to the Beginning Ch 2. Christ Appeals to the Human Heart Ch 3. Christ Appeals to the Resurrection Conclusion of Pt I. The Redemption of the Body

Theology of the Body Christopher West Our origin Our history Our destiny Mary Healy Original humanity Fallen humanity Redeemed humanity Glorified humanity

Theology of the Body Christ’s words Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator created them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and unite with his wife, and the two will be one flesh. So it is that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Mt 19:3-8

Theology of the Body Christ appeals to the beginning We want to ask ourselves what this word “beginning” means. In addition, we want to clarify why Christ appealed to the “beginning” in this particular circumstance. 5 Sept 1979

Theology of the Body Christ appeals to the beginning Gen 1: “a theological character” “the definition of man based on his relationship with God” Gen 2: subjective/psychological “in some way the oldest description and record of man’s self-understanding … it is the first witness of human conscience.”

Theology of the Body Christ appeals to the beginning Original solitude Original unity Original nakedness Gift – the spousal meaning of the body

Theology of the Body Christ appeals to the beginning Original solitude : “it is not good that the man should be alone” “this solitude has two meanings: one deriving from man’s very nature … the other from the relationship between male and female” 10 Oct 1979

Theology of the Body Original unity : “a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one flesh” “Flesh from my flesh and bones from my bones” Christ appeals to the beginning

Theology of the Body Christ appeals to the beginning Original nakedness : “now both were naked, the man and his wife, but they did not feel shame”

Theology of the Body Gift

Theology of the Body The dimension of gift is decisive for the essential truth and depth of the meaning of original solitude-unity-nakedness. It stands also at the very heart of the mystery of creation 2 Jan 1980

Theology of the Body The body, which expresses femininity “for” masculinity and, vica versa, masculinity “for” femininity, manifests the reciprocity and the communion of persons. It expresses it through gift as the fundamental characteristic of personal existence. This is the body: a witness to creation as a fundamental gift. 9 Jan 1980

Theology of the Body Gaudium et Spes 24:3 Indeed, the Lord Jesus, when He prayed to the Father, "that all may be one... as we are one" (John 17:21-22) opened up vistas closed to human reason, for He implied a certain likeness between the union of the divine Persons, and the unity of God's sons in truth and charity. This likeness reveals that man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.

Theology of the Body Son Spouse Parent

Theology of the Body