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Theology of the Body <strong>Stud</strong>y: 1/25/10 Office of Family Life<br />
Men and Women are from Eden<br />
Dr. <strong>Mary</strong> <strong>Healy</strong><br />
Chapter Four: Redeemed Humanity<br />
1. Redemption: Matthew 5:27-28—Another “Hard Saying”<br />
a. Many find this offensive: too idealistic, rigorous, severe<br />
b. It reveals the level of perfection and human possibilities<br />
2. Slaves to Lust?<br />
a. Jesus’ words are not simply an accusation, but an appeal<br />
b. Jesus Christ crucified calls humanity to life<br />
c. Cultural Minimalism vs. Gospel Potential (maximalism)<br />
3. Eros and Ethos<br />
a. Jesus does not condemn eros<br />
b. Eros is a natural desire for what is Good, True, and Beautiful (ultimately,<br />
God!)<br />
i. “… man cannot live by oblative, descending love alone. He cannot always<br />
give, he must also receive. Anyone who wishes to give love must also<br />
receive love as a gift.” (Deus Caritas Est, 7)<br />
c. Ethos refers to a way of being which corresponds to ethical values<br />
d. “The heart is the battleground between love and lust.”<br />
i. Need to rediscover the spiritual beauty of the human person<br />
ii. True eros must be fused with purity of heart<br />
e. Impossible to live purity of heart without the Holy Spirit<br />
4. Life in the Spirit<br />
a. Tension within each of our hearts between flesh and spirit<br />
b. “Flesh” in St. Paul refers to our disordered interior desires<br />
c. Holy Spirit enables us to participate in the very life of Christ (by Baptism,<br />
sacraments, etc.)<br />
d. Our “flesh” must be crucified in order to live self-gift<br />
5. Passion and Purity<br />
a. Prudishness vs. Promiscuity (both are kinds of devaluation of the body)<br />
b. Purity is a virtue and a gift, which allows us to see the body within the full inner<br />
dimension of the human person<br />
c. Purity is a living out of temperance (the virtue by which we balance our pursuits<br />
of pleasures and allow the will to master our instincts).<br />
d. Purity leads to true freedom (recall that true freedom cannot be had without<br />
truth).<br />
e. Purity is a “yes,” not a “no”<br />
6. Temple of the Holy Spirit<br />
a. Centrality of Paschal Mystery<br />
b. The human body is meant to be experienced as a sacrament.
Theology of the Body <strong>Stud</strong>y: 1/25/10 Office of Family Life<br />
Chapter Five: Glorified Humanity<br />
1. The End Times: Mark 12:18-27<br />
a. The final end of all humanity<br />
b. We live here in the “already but not yet”: we’re on a journey<br />
c. Resurrection of the Body: Professed, but believed?<br />
2. The Body in the Life to Come<br />
a. What will it be like?<br />
i. We will still be male or female<br />
ii. Our life will be fully human<br />
b. We will no longer have a need for sexual union and procreation<br />
c. Perfect union between God and the communion of saints<br />
d. Deification: The Trinitarian God will enter into communion with us and we will<br />
become “like God.”<br />
e. The saints are our models: every time we live the nuptial meaning of our body, we<br />
do what we were created for<br />
3. Celibacy for the Kingdom<br />
a. Celibacy was not a blessing in the Old Testament<br />
b. Celibacy is a renunciation involving sacrifice<br />
c. Celibacy is a gift from God<br />
d. One must receive it, and make a total gift of one’s self, including his/her<br />
sexuality, to God<br />
e. A celibate woman is a spouse of Christ; a celibate man is a spouse of the Church<br />
4. Complementary Vocations<br />
a. Marriage is a good (that’s why Christ calls some to renounce it!)<br />
b. Celibacy is a different sign of God’s love: a sign of what is to come for all<br />
c. Celibate persons remind the Church of the temporality of this world<br />
d. Marriage: Sign of the love of Christ for His Church (and the communion of<br />
persons of the Trinity)<br />
e. Celibacy: Sign of the relationships between God, individuals, and the Church,<br />
which will be perfected in heaven<br />
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:<br />
2347 The virtue of chastity blossoms in friendship. It shows the disciple how to follow and<br />
imitate him who has chosen us as his friends, who has given himself totally to us and allows us<br />
to participate in his divine estate. Chastity is a promise of immortality.<br />
Chastity is expressed notably in friendship with one's neighbor. Whether it develops between<br />
persons of the same or opposite sex, friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to<br />
spiritual communion<br />
2348 All the baptized are called to chastity. The Christian has "put on Christ," 135 the model for<br />
all chastity. All Christ's faithful are called to lead a chaste life in keeping with their particular<br />
states of life. At the moment of his Baptism, the Christian is pledged to lead his affective life in<br />
chastity.
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