Theology of the Body Session 1: Before the Fall

Our bodies are fundamentally good. The Theology of the Body assists us in the rediscovering of the
meaning of the whole of existence, of the meaning of life. According to Bl. John Paul II, Gods purpose
for the body and sex concerns the whole Bible and plunges us into the perspective of the whole
gospel, of the whole teaching, even more, of the whole mission of Christ. In the beginning, God created
the human being male and female, and that creation is good. It is only through the body that the spiritual
becomes visible: our bodies show that we are made in the image and likeness of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit.
Original Solitude: in the World as a Person: Adam realizes that he is like the other animals but also
different from them. He has a freedom, a knowledge, a love above and beyond them. He has a capacity
for good and evil, and he has the desire for a spiritual relationship with others.
Original Unity: Called to Live in Relationship: Then the Lord God said, It is not good for man to be
alone (Genesis 2:18). We come to know ourselves by knowing others; our humanity is realized
through communion with others. The human person cannot fully find himself except through the
sincere gift of himself (Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 24). We are made to love.
Original Nakedness: They Knew No Shame: And the man and his wife were both naked, and were
not ashamed (Genesis 2:25). Sexual desire was created by God and was originally experienced as part
of a desire to love another according to Gods design. Nakedness reveals the spousal meaning of the
body which is the bodys power to express love: precisely that love in which the human person
becomes a gift and through this gift fulfills the very meaning of his being and existence.
Body Language: Because the body is more than random chemicals thrown together, it reveals the
spiritual realm; it speaks. The body tells us about our God, for we are made in His image. The body
tells us about our destiny, for we are made to live forever, body and soul. It tells us of the means to our
destiny: achieving an integral harmony through Gods grace.

GO DEEPER: QUESTIONS TO SHARE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

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What are some implications of the fact that our bodies are fundamentally good?
How can solitude be a positive experience for an individual? When can it be negative?
What are some signs that we are made for relationships with others?
What does it mean to make a gift of oneself? How might a person be a gift for others?

GO FURTHER: PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

This week, pray to the Holy Spirit then strike up a conversation with someone, tell them the Catholic
Church teaches that the body is fundamentally good, and see where the topic leads.