Be Filled

We continue our discussion on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. This episode we discuss Audiences 42 and 43 in which Saint Pope John Paul II analyzes the words of Christ found in Matthew 5:27-28: “...has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” 

Quotes: 

“The concupiscence that arises as an interior act on this foundation changes the very intentionality of the woman’s existence “for” the man by reducing the wealth of the perennial call to the communion of persons, the wealth of the deep attraction of masculinity and femininity, to the mere satisfaction of the body’s sexual “urge”.” (TOB 43:3) 

“...the knowledge about man that allows us-as we emphasized elsewhere-to unite the awareness of human sinfulness with the perspective of the redemption of the body.” (TOB 42:7) 

“Christ makes the moral evaluation of “desire” depend above all on the personal dignity of the man and the woman; and this is important both in the case of unmarried persons and-perhaps even more so in the case of spouses, husband and wife.” (TOB 43:1)

“Adultery in the heart” is not committed only because the man “looks” in this way at a woman who is not his wife, but precisely because he looks in this way at a woman. Even if he were to look in this way at the woman who is his wife, he would commit the same adultery “in the heart”.” (TOB 43:2) 

"...A man can commit such “adultery in the heart” even with his own wife if he treats her only as an object for the satisfaction of drives.” (TOB 43:3) 

“...the grace of marriage offers a healing of concupiscent desire. Through the healing power of the redemption of the body, men and women can progressively (re)experience sexual desire as God created it to be-the desire to love as he loves in the sincere gift of self.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, pg. 225) 

“...man must rediscover the lost fullness of his humanity and want to regain it.” (TOB 43:7) 

“Human life is by its nature “co-educational” and its dignity as well as its balance depend at every moment of history and in every place of geographic longitude and latitude on “who” she shall be for him and he for her.” (TOB 43:7) 

“Should we fear the severity of these words or rather have confidence in their salvific content, in their power?” (TOB 43:7) 

Reflection Questions: 

1. What spoke to your heart in this episode?
2. How in tune are you with your heart? What attitudes do you have that keep you from living out the commandments from the heart? 
3. If you are not living from your heart, do you have a desire to grow and go deeper? If not, ask the Lord to meet you where you are and give you the grace you need.
4. In what ways are you living out the “perennial call” to the communion of persons-to be a gift to another? What areas do you feel you need to grow?
5. If you are married, how do you see your spouse? Are you treating him/her with dignity or as an object to satisfy the sexual urge? Are you acting selfishly or not? If you are not married, how do you view marriage? Is it an outlet for lust or the remedy for concupiscence?
6. Have you ever thought of marriage as healing? What are your thoughts about this?
7. Reflect on Katie’s experience of NFP and how it has led to deeper intimacy with her husband. What feelings are stirred? Pray with this and continue to ask the Lord to reveal how He wants to love you through your marriage

   
   Music from #Uppbeat

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   Resource:

   Rachelle wrote this article describing the Theology of the Body Summer Program we need for kids. It contains a link to a document with the list of movies we used.