Theology of the Body: Relationships & Virtue

• Understanding Theology of the Body.
• Determining the impact of Theology of the Body in the life of the youth.
• Ability to worship God through showing respect to your own body and others' bodies as creations of God.

Theology of the Body (TOB) Overview

• TOB was the first "topic" of catechesis that John Paul II addressed during his pontificate.
• TOB is a compilation of Saint John Paul II's 129 Wednesday addresses given from 1979-1984.
• TOB answers universal questions and gives the "whys" is behind the "whats" of the Church's teachings regarding sexuality.
• TOB gives a new synthesis for presenting ALL the truths of the Church to this generation.

Universal Questions

• These are some universal questions TOB aims to provide answers for:
• Who is God?
• Who am I?
• What does it mean to be human?
• What is the meaning/purpose of life?
• What will bring happiness?
• What is love?

"Dis-Union" culture

• Hook-up culture is a state the increasingly disconnects sex from marriage.
• This applies to the idea of just being "friends" or, meeting someone, having sex, then deciding if getting to know them is desirable
• It is a type of monogamous relationship without commitment, love, selflessness, or sacrifice.
• Maximum freedom from commitment and responsibility comes from contraception.
• There is underlying knowledge that sex without love and commitment is meaningless.

Result of "Dis-Union"

• Pursuing own pleasure without regard for the other (objectification)
• Misusing the gift of sexuality-for manipulation, as a weapon, to dominate another person, physical pleasure, to overcome loneliness or to gain approval
• Relationships founded on fun and self-satisfaction crumbling once they are no longer mutually enjoyable
• Preparation of people for divorce, not marriage

Theology of the Body vs World Issues

• Addressing social problems or build a culture of life requires understanding and embracing God's plan for human sexuality
• Families are the building block of society i.e. "As the family goes, so goes the world..."
• The state of the world is increasing poverty, violence, atheism, and a “culture of death".
• For men and women the purpose and desire is: to be loved and cherished in a forever relationship
• It is also achieving something larger than themselves with a partner who brings out the best in them

TOB Overview

• Addresses the deepest desires of the heart regarding happiness and existence
• The origin is the human person in Garden
• There is a need to understand origin as image and likeness of God, i.e. human person after sin
• Our deepest longing leads to our destiny of love/unity (Resurrection of the Body)
• A body in this world with an eternal soul
• How should we live to be happy?
• What is common that helps us transcend the now?

The Three Meanings of Sexuality

• The natural good (meaning #1): to be happy, man needs companionship, which requires love, friendship, and union with other persons
• People come to know each other through the body. It is not reduced to a toy, but is bridge that enables one soul to encounter another
• Misuse of the body will SEPARATE persons instead of joining them
• The supernatural good (meaning #2): men and women created in the image and likeness of God-TOGETHER they image the Trinity-they make the reality of the invisible God (love) visible
• The inner life of the Trinity (of love) has three features: free and total gift, permanent union, another Person springs forth from this union
• Human love is designed to image God's love-this is MARRIAGE
• The sacramental good (meaning #3): marriage does not just reflect the Trinity, it also reflects Christ and the Church
• Christ made marriage a Sacrament—to be a visible sign that gives grace
• In a Christian marriage, God gives the graces needed to strengthen the spouses to be able to love and sacrifice for each other and their children; through which the whole family is sanctified

The Five F's

• The three features of marriage are present in the questions asked during the ceremony.
• There will be an agreement to give yourselves to each other in marriage (Total self-gift).
• There will be an agreement to love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives (Permanence).
• There will be an agreement to accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and His Church (Openness to life).
• At the altar the bride and groom commit themselves to each other freely, fully, faithfully, and fruitfully until death (forever) i.e. "Five F's".

Eden

• Original solitude is the realization that man is destined for relationship e.g. friendship with God.
• Unless God is first in our lives, happiness will never be achieved
• Original unity: realization that solitude is overcome through with God and others
• Original nakedness: Man looked at woman, woman looked at man, they were naked, and felt no shame.
• There was also the concept of understanding the “nuptial meaning of the body"

Fall From Grace

• Original sin resulted in our nature no longer works as it is supposed to (distorted and disordered).
• After the fall God's fatherhood is negated because people are now disobedient and fearful which kills love.
• After the fall body, soul and Spirit are injured - spiritual death, physical deterioration, intellect is darkened, will is weakened, and emotions are disordered and concupiscence.

Marriage

• A partnership to help one another to heroic virtue
• The purpose is to have and raise children to heroic virtue

Healing

• To heal, one must learn the truth of the Church teaches about marriage and human sexuality i.e. TOB.
• Pray to transform loneliness to solitude
• A relationship with God is imperative to knowing ourselves before entering a relationship with another
• Stay close to the Sacaments with eucharist, confession etc
• Spending time with God through Adoration, Communion helps.

Preparing for Marriage

• A partnership to help one another to heroic virtue
• There is a need to learn about the truth in marriage and human sexuality (TOB)
• Achieving virtues: resisting passions, commanding the passions, doing what is right regardless feelings, examination of conscience, perseverance
• Develop friendships that include: Shared life pursuing the best (nobler the common goal, nobler the friendship), building on the natural level.
• Understanding the purpose of marriage helps to both know what the expectations are, and what God's plan is
• Discern vocation because you must know the state of life God is calling you to before pursuing it.

Dating

• Dating (Courtship) with proximate readiness for marriage means being able to support a family, and be "ready to give my life for my spouse and children".
• Consider dating when you can fully enter into a healthy romantic relationship with the goal of making a free gift of yourself to help bring about the sanctification of your spouse and your children.

Raising Children

• Teach children and educate them about the truth and beauty of the Church's teachings on marriage and human sexuality (Theology of the Body).
• Teach the children how to pray.
• Keep them close to the sacraments.
• Help them grow in holiness through modesty of dress, purity of eyes, and growing in virtue.
• Encourage and help them discern their vocation.
• Teach them, through virtuous examples, the true nature of dating/courtship in preparation for marriage and not just for fun or personal enjoyment.
• Ensure there is a basic foundation of virtue, self-mastery, selflessness and prayer. Be chaste and limit dating to around two years when appropriate.
• They must be honorable and able to provide for a family with a mindset on setting aside personal desires for the good of their spouse and children.
• Spend time every day in conversation (unrelated to the children/to-do list) and in mental prayer with spouse for the good of the marriage.

Explore virtue cultivation, noble friendship, and marriage's purpose. Understand spousal roles, pre-courtship essentials, and the Theology of the Body's teachings. Discover how we reflect the Trinity through relationships.