Please take 9 minutes to watch this video.  It has something profound to say about our relationships with our children as well as about the Catholic view of the human body and sex.  ( hint:  they’re both from God and, therefore, VERY good…when God is kept in the picture!)

As Catholics, we weren’t (or shouldn’t have been) brought up to believe the human body and sex are “bad” and the source of evil and sin.  Unfortunately, though, it seems that the majority of people, both Catholics and non-Catholics, are under the impression that that’s the Catholic view.  Nothing could be further from the truth!

Have you read Pope John Paul II’s writings regarding sex?  I haven’t, I’m sorry to say, but I HAVE read what Christopher West wrote in Theology of the Body for Beginners which is based on the writings of John Paul II.  I highly recommend this book for adults and, also, young adults.

In a nutshell – Catholics believe that sex between spouses is GOOD and an integral part of marriage.  Pope John Paul II even said that sex is holy!   Within marriage and as a way of bonding with your spouse in the most loving way imaginable – wanting only what is best for each other and NOT using each other for lustful purposes – sex is amazing, fulfilling, good and enjoyable.  Of course!  It is truly giving yourself completely to another person – the person you love and have committed yourself to for life.  And when that person is doing the same – loves you with all their heart, has committed his/her life to you and wants to show you that love – well, I don’t think it can get much better than that.  THIS is what the Catholic faith teaches and believes!

I haven’t yet read Christopher West’s newest book,  Heaven’s Song: Sexual Love As It Was Meant To Be .  It covers the  “‘hidden’ talks of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.”  JPII deemed these talks “too delicate to be delivered in St. Peter’s Square.”  I think he was concerned that his words would be taken out of context and misunderstood, as is SO easily done with this topic – especially by the media.  (see the links in my P.S. at the end of this post for a great example)

As divorced Catholics, I’d venture to guess that most of us did not experience the wonders of sexual love in our marriages as God meant it to be.  If we had, I’m pretty sure that our marriages would not have fallen apart.  I’m not saying that a good marriage is based primarily on a couple’s sexual relationship, but that the physical relationship is intimately connected to the emotional relationship.  I pray that we will all be blessed with the chance to experience love and marriages that are truly from God.  And that we all are blessed with the wisdom, patience  and faith we need in order to choose wisely and live our beliefs (i.e. pursue an annulment before pursuing a relationship…keep sexual love for and within marriage…and give control to God so that this road will ultimately be easier and more joyful).

I’m afraid that I’m starting to ramble now, so I’ll stop. 

God bless and bring you peace…and may the Holy  Spirit guide us always.

Manya

P.S. Kind of flabbergasted by Christopher West’s ABC interview – http://tinyurl.com/CWestABCinterview

I have very mixed feelings about some of the things Christopher West said and how he said them, but it is obvious that ABC manipulated his words and, beyond that, they refer to him as a sex therapist…where did THAT come from?!  Also, this interview was boiled down from being hours long to lasting only a few minutes.  Of course, there will be distortion and much taken out of context.  At any rate, if you get a chance to watch the interview and read the comments (post-interview) from Theology of the Body, please let me know your point of view.

Post-interview comments here http://tinyurl.com/poyza2.

watch?v=gqRKvNX4IKU&rel=0&color1=0×6699&color2=0x54abd6&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1