Theology of the Body and Vocations

Monica Ashour, MTS

I. Introduction—Funny story

4 Main points I will cover: 1. The essence of Christianity, what TOB is ultimately about; 2. Theology of the Body per se; 3. Application to Serra’s mission; 4. 3 zingers!

(Diagrams in handout: Ad intra; ad extra; 4 fold communion; Bible Framed; Parallel Diagram; Mass in our Lives)

II. What is Christianity? In Him we live and move and have our being.

III. The Theology of the Body--Background

A. Audiences/Dates of Audience

B. Why now? (When I ask you these questions, please don’t take it as a mean-spirited and judgmental; rather, it is to show the gravity of the situation)—No need to raise your hand, but I ask you: How many of your children or grandchildren are co-habiting? How many of your children or grandchildren or brothers/sisters or yours have left the Church? (Direct correlation); How many children or grandchildren have divorce? How many men do you think do pornography? Statistics now say that over 70% of the internet is pornography. Must we go on…adultery, fornication, addictions, genocide. I would posit that Pope John Paul’s Theology of the Body is the panacea for these ills. Why? Because Pope John Paul’s Theology of the Body is nothing but a fresh look at the self-same Gospel of Jesus. Many people say it is like putting on a pair of glasses and finally seeing clearly about the human person.

It is life-changing. Listen to this statement I received from a young woman who heard a talk from my group, TOBET, the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team: “I have to tell you….TOBET changed the entire way I think of relationships. This is the first relationship where I have followed the teachings of the Church. That is due to studying the Theology of the Body….It feels so good to have God in the middle of our relationship.” Michelle, Kansas

III. So in a nutshell, what does the term Theology of the Body mean? 2 things

A. The Body reveals the person

1. Subjectivity

2. Body and soul corresponding=Holiness

B. The Body reveals God

1. All humans

2. Masculinity and Femininity—2 “incarnational” ways of being human

a. Language of the body

i. Male body: Rough, tough, and buff—protect and provide

ii. Female body: Hiding, inviting, and exciting—Mysterious, welcoming, nurturing

b. Spousal meaning of the body (and its opposite: using others; objectifying others)

We are meant to be gifts, and by being a gift, we form a communion of persons, which, recall reflects the very inner life and love of the Blessed Trinity (see Parallel Diagram)

IV. Application to Serra’s mission—Your mission is to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

A. Pope John Paul says that the priest and consecrated person must work on the “development of their personality, being transformed” as a gift to all.

1. The priest and consecrated person is to discover and live out the spousal meaning of the body”! Wait! I thought that was only for married people! No, we are all meant to be gifts.

2. The priest and consecrated actually highlight the deepest aspects of conjugal life!

Specific quotation regarding this from the Theology of the Body, the Pope says about the consecrated life: “First, while continence ‘for the kingdom of heaven’ undoubtedly signifies a renunciation this renunciation is at the same time an affirmation that flows from the discovery of the ‘gift’, that is, at the same time from the discovery of a new perspective of personally realizing oneself ‘through the sincere gift of self’ (Gaudium et Spes, 24:3); therefore, this discovery stands in deep inner harmony with the sense of the spousal meaning of the body connected ‘from the beginning’ with masculinity and femininity of man as a personal subject. Second, although continence ‘for the kingdom of heaven’ is a renunciation of marriage—which in the life of a man and a woman gives rise to the family—in no way can one see in it a negation of the essential value of marriage; on the contrary, continence indirectly serves to highlight what is most lasting and more profoundly personal in the conjugal vocation, what corresponds in the dimensions of temporality (and at the same time in the perspective of the ‘other world’) to the dignity of the personal gift connected with the spousal meaning of the body in its masculinity or femininity (81:6; May 5, 1982)

B. Married people are to discover and live out the spousal meaning of the body”

From TOB 81:4 May 5, 1982: “We do not forget that the one and only key for understanding the sacramentality of marriage is the spousal love of Christ for the Church (see Eph 5:22-23), of Christ who was son of the Virgin, who himself was a virgin, that is, ‘a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven” in the most perfect sense of the term.” (see parallel diagram again). This is why the Church teaches against contraception—whereas marriage is to be an icon of God’s inner life and Jesus’ communion with His bride the Church, the opposite happens.

V. Zingers!: Virginity, Liturgy, Getting rid of the Devil! (These seem only to do with priesthood and consecrated life. Not so.

A. Virginity

1. Consecrated Life—Normal way, but also pure heart and bodily actions always corresponding.

2. Married Life---How can marriage be listed under virginity? Because Pope John Paul says that a couple becomes MORE VIRGINAL when they participate in the marital embrace! Edenic garden, before Fall, one flesh, integrated like consecrated.

B. Liturgy

1. Consecrated Life---Worship God every day by going to Mass, the Liturgy. (Diagram)

2. Married Life---Ok, this belongs since a married couple has to go to Mass on Sunday. True, but…and gentlemen, you will be happy about this: You, like a consecrated person, can go to liturgy daily as well. How? By entering into the one-flesh union with your spouse! Pope John Paul says that conjugal love is liturgical, a form of worshipping God!

C. Getting rid of the Devil

1. Consecrated Life—Of course, they pray so much; they are holy and so the Devil hates their life and love, especially them going to Mass which will bear much fruit.

2. Married Life---Next to the Mass, the union of husband and wife is the best way to get rid of the Devil!! How? Marital love, especially the renewal of vows in the marriage bed, expresses deep love and is open to life. The devil hates love; the devil hates life. Joke about marriage encounter, men finally spiritual leaders.

Amazing! This is Good News! The Theology of the Body is indeed a time bomb, set to go off. That is why I travel around the nation giving talks to adults and teens—because it is breathtaking!

If you are interested in helping me detonate it, or if you just want to receive TOBET’s newsletter, please fill out the handout at your table with your address and email. I also have tapes/books if you are interested in more info on the Theology of the Body.

Monica Ashour can be contacted at mashour@tobet.org

The Theology of the Body Evangelization Team can be reached at info@tobet.org