Be Filled

This episode we discuss Audiences 29-31.1 in the text of Man and Woman He Created Them by Saint Pope John Paul II. We look at how man and woman’s new experience of shame and the subsequent covering of their bodies (in particular the parts that make them male and female) impact the communion of persons between them. 

Quotes: 

“Above all...that shame-which...makes the man and the woman hide their own bodies before each other, and especially their sexual differentiation-confirms that the original power of communicating themselves to each other....has been shattered.” (TOB 29:2)

“Since after original sin, man had lost the sense, so to speak, of the image of God in himself, that loss manifested itself by shame.” (TOB 29:3)

“This is the tragedy of concupiscence: It exchanges a self-seeking gratification for the sincere gift of self; it uses the other as an object made for my sake, rather than loving the other as a subject made for his or her own sake.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West) 

“Because of sin, woman now experiences a particular “reduction” in comparison with man. Her special giftedness as woman-the fact that she embodies receptivity in relation to God, the man, and the gift of new life...” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West, pg. 194-195)

“...we reject our posture of receptivity  as “feminine-bride” in favor of being our own “masculine” lords. We want to be “like God” but without God.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West, pg. 195)

“...shame…reveals the moment of concupiscence, at the same time it can provide weapons ahead of time against the consequences of the threefold component of concupiscence.” (TOB 31:1)

Reflection Questions:

1. How can man and woman complete the image of God in the visible world? Is this something you have ever considered? 
2. When have you experienced being “used” rather than loved by another? Take these wounds to prayer. Ask God to meet you in those places. 
3. Prayerfully consider how shame kept you from being vulnerable when you needed to be in a relationship? Are there parts of you that you feel are not loveable? How could you invite the Lord into those places in your heart?
4. Have you experienced a dissatisfying relationship? What do you think contributed? Again, take the Lord with you into all these wounds and experiences. 
5. We often see our femininity as a burden. Pray with your feelings around your fertility. Ask the Lord to heal wounds and to restore your receptivity to life. 
6. How do you see Mary? Ask her to help you image her perfect receptivity to God so that new life may be born in you.
7. Spend some time with this prayer from St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. Read it slowly and prayerfully. Notice your feelings and what the Lord may be saying to you. “Let yourself be vulnerable.  Let your walls down, your carefully constructed fortresses breached, your fiercely guarded heart laid bare.  Let your wounds be touched, your fears revealed, your deepest desires, damaged dreams, and most daring hopes unveiled before the Bridegroom who has the power to redeem, restore, and resurrect them. Drop your independence and the idea—which you clutch so tightly—that you can do anything to protect and save yourself.  And let Him love you.”
8. Think about your relationships. Is there anyone you can be intentionally vulnerable with in your life? Who can you talk to to bring to light what might be in the dark. If you are married, are you able to share openly about your weaknesses? If not, begin asking the Lord to break down any barriers within yourself and your spouse. 

Resources:

Bill Donaghy Commentary

Audio: Music from #Uppbeat

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We are continuing our journey through the text “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” by Saint Pope John Paul II. In this episode we are discussing General Audiences 26-28. John Paul II’s analysis will help us to understand what happened in the heart of man at the Fall which led us to be prone to sin. We also discuss how shame impacts the man and woman in the following areas: relationship with self, relationships with creation, relationship with the Creator, and relationship with each other. 

Quotes: 

“All that is in the world, the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:16) 

“But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:4-6)

“By casting doubt in his heart on the deepest meaning of the gift, that is, on love as the specific motive of creation and the original covenant, man turns his back on God-Love, on the “Father”. He in some sense casts him from his heart.” (TOB 26:4) 

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:7-10)

“Shame touches in that moment the deepest level and seems to shake the very foundations of their existence.” (TOB 27:1) 

“In reality, what shows itself through “nakedness” is man deprived of participation in the Gift, man alienated from the Love that was the source of the original gift, the source of the fullness of good intended for the creature.” (TOB 27.2) 

Reflection Questions: 

1. What was most powerful to you in this episode? 
2. Do you believe that God’s plan for you is bigger and better than you can imagine? 
3. Reflecting on your life, have there been times you grasped for what you wanted rather than waiting for God’s timing? 
4. When have you doubted God’s love for you? Has this doubt led you to turn away from the Father? Pray with any doubt you may have in your heart about his goodness and love. Ask the Lord to show you his presence and to increase your trust in Him. 
5. Consider the areas of weakness or sin in your life. What do you think you are really wanting? How could you redirect your desire (or “rocket engines”) to God? Pray with whatever comes up as you consider this question. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you. 
6. When you are tempted, where do you turn your gaze? How can you pray with temptation and grow in intimacy with the Lord? 
7. What struck you as you learned about the way shame/sin fractured man and woman’s relationship with self, creation, God, and one another? 
8. Where are you, in your heart? Pray with what comes up for you and invite the LORD to be with you right there. 
9. Have you ever thought of shame in a positive way? How has the feeling of “shame” helped you to know what is right and wrong? 
10. How do you imagine God sees you when you fall? Pray with this. Ask the Lord to reveal His heart to you. 

Resources: 

Bill Donaghy Commentary on Audiences 26-28

Man of Original Innocence/Original Concupiscence Comparison Chart 

Music from #Uppbeat

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Welcome to Season 3 of the Be Filled Podcast! This episode we begin a new chapter in the text “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” by Saint Pope John Paul II. We are beginning to look at Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount regarding “looking to desire” and what it means to commit “adultery in the heart”. We are now on YouTube! If you would like to watch the show please follow us

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Quotes: 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’. But I say to you: whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28) 

“Moral value is connected with the dynamic process of man’s innermost (being). To reach it, it is not enough to stop “on the surface” of human actions, but one must penetrate precisely the interior.” (TOB 24:3) 

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17) 

“”Adultery in the heart”, committed by a man when he “looks at a woman to desire her,” signifies a clearly defined interior act.” (TOB 25:3) 

“Through the “heart”, man “is defined in his humanity ‘from within’” (TOB 34:4). Emotions, thoughts, and affections originate in the heart. The heart, then, is where we know and experience the true meaning of the body, or, because of the hardness of our hearts, fail to do so.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained) 

Reflection Questions: 

1. What comes up for you when you hear Jesus’ words, “Whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”? Does this bring up old wounds in your life? Does it leave you feeling discouraged about the state of your heart? Notice what emotions/thoughts come up and pray with them. Ask the Lord to meet you there and to gently show you what He wants you to know. How could your personal experience help you connect with this teaching? 

2. Ponder this question: If God is dwelling in your heart, who is He living with? Who are His roommates? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and ask him to make known to you anything dwelling in your heart that needs to be purified. 

3. How do you view the word “desire”? What are the deepest desires of your heart? What is it that you really want? How could all of your desires point you to God? 

4. What “nutrients” are you putting into your heart? How does what you put in your heart impact your thoughts, feelings, and behavior? Is there anything you may need to let go of in order to be free to hear God’s voice in your life? 

5. Do you believe that Jesus has the power to really change your heart and life? 

Resources: 

Bill Donaghy Commentary 

Hello!! Season 3 will begin September 4, 2024! Listen for some exciting news about a new way to enjoy the show! 

Here are the links mentioned:

Season 3 Reading Schedule 

YouTube Channel 

Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode!! 

This is the final episode of Season 2! This episode we discuss Audience 23 in the text of Saint Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. We also talk about how God has worked in our lives and how the podcast experience has been so far. We share briefly what you can expect for Season 3 and then share resources for more study. 

Reflection Questions:

1. What are you hearing in the culture that shocks you? When you heard that Jesus is not “surprised” by what we encounter, how did you feel? 
2. Where do you go for answers to the concerns you have about our world? Where is your hope found? 
3. How are you able to share this message with those you encounter? Pray for those who are struggling to find their true identity. 
4. What have you found most helpful in this study of Theology of the Body so far? 
5. What are your hopes for the next season? What questions do you need to pray with and seek out answers? 

Resources: 

Theology of the Body Institute has many resources to learn more!  The Institute also offers “TOB Patron” for individuals and “TOB Parish” for Churches. Both of these resources have multiple programs for adults, teens, and middle school students. They also have virtual retreats, talks, and e-books. 

“Dignitas Infinita”  is a new document on the Church’s teaching regarding the dignity of the human person and how it is applied to multiple modern day issues. 

Forever: A Catholic Devotional For Your Marriage by Jackie Angel and Bobby Angel

Catholic Women’s Conference Registration 

Called To Be More: Theology of the Body for High School 

Scripture Study: Daily Readings and Bible In a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz 

This episode we continue our study on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. We are discussing General Audience 20-22 on “Knowledge” and Procreation.  We discuss what it means that man and woman “knew” each other through the “one flesh” union. We also discuss what Motherhood and Fatherhood reveal to man and woman about their masculinity and femininity. 

Scripture:  

“Now Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD. (Genesis 4:1) 

Quotes to Ponder:

“A word on this “unrepeatability” of the person: a husband and wife who truly “know” each other have arrived at the irreducible core of the person, and each loves this person-not merely spiritual or physical attributes of the person, but the person himself (herself). At this level, they continually recognize and affirm the unrepeatability of the other; he (she) is utterly unique and cannot be repeated or replaced.” (West, Theology of the Body Explained, p.154)

“...we should observe that in Genesis 4:1 the mystery of femininity manifests and reveals itself in it’s full depth through motherhood, as the text says, “who conceived and gave birth.” Woman’s motherhood reveals to the man the mystery of his masculinity, “that is, the generative and “paternal” meaning of his body.” (TOB 21:2) 

“Despite all the experiences of his own life, despite the sufferings, the disappointments in himself, his sinfulness, and, finally, despite the inevitable prospect of death, man always continues, however, to place “knowledge” at the “beginning” of “generation”; in this way he seems to participate in that first “vision” of God himself: God, the Creator, “saw everything…and indeed, it was good.” And always anew he confirms the truth of these words.” (TOB 22:7) 

Resources: 

Barbie Movie Opening Scene

Christopher West Commentary on the Barbie Movie

Bill Donaghy Commentary

This episode we continue our study on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. We are discussing General Audience 16.3-19.6 on the Mystery of Original Innocence. With JPII, we are “zooming in” on the Communion of Persons between man and woman. We discover the source of this Original Innocence and it allows man and woman to become a “disinterested gift of self”. 

Quotes to Ponder: 

“This innocence belongs to the dimension of grace contained in the mystery of creation, that is, to that mysterious gift made to man’s innermost [being]—to the human heart—that allows both the man and the woman to exist from the “beginning” in the reciprocal relationship of the disinterested gift of self.”  (TOB 16:3) 

“The body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it.” (TOB 19:4) 

Reflection Questions: 

1. When have you experienced someone making a gift of themself to you not expecting anything in return?  What response did you have? When have you been a free gift to someone else? How did it feel? 
2. “Grace is God’s self-gift to man.” (Christopher West) Are you open to receive the gift that God wants to give you? Is there any resistance to his grace in your heart? Pray with this and ask God to help you open your heart to Him. 
3. How can you become a gift to those in your life? Think about your family, your Church, your friends, and community. Could you do something today to be a gift? 
4. When someone sees you and tells you the goodness they see, how does that impact you? Has anyone ever seen gifts in you that you didn’t recognize? 
5. How do you see God’s love through your relationships? Can you see how God makes His love known in a concrete way through the love of man and woman?

Resources: 

Commentary 

Rachelle’s Visual Aids 

WARNING: This episode includes references that are not suitable for children. Parental discretion advised. 

In this bonus episode, Rachelle interviews Abbey Foard who is an Associate Director of Desert Stream Ministries based in Kansas City. Abbey shares her journey from brokenness to integration and healing. She also shares about Desert Stream Ministries. Desert Stream Ministries mission: Based on Jesus' mercy and the dignity of men and women made in God's image, they equip Christians to gather in pursuit of radical wholeness. You can find more information about this ministry and how you can be involved here.  

Resources: 

Abbey Foard Email 

Desert Streaming Podcast

Living Waters Leadership Training 

Living Waters Workbook

DSM Care Opportunities 

If you have any questions or comments for us, we would love to hear from you. We can be reached by email at befilledpodcast@gmail.com.