This past week, the seminary community welcomed Christopher West and his conferences on John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB). The TOB is a collection of 129 Wednesday General Audience reflections by JP II on the “meaning of human embodiment as male and female.” (PTOB, p. 2) If you have never heard of this fantastic and revolutionizing series of reflections, I encourage you to find the book, get a copy, and read it! It will change the way you perceive your relationships with friends and family members and, more importantly, your relationship with God.

The Theology of the Body is not simply for married couples, it is meant for all people who are looking to grow in their relationship with the Lord by examining their relationships with their fellow human beings. It is only through the relationships we have here on Earth that we can get a glimpse of what true union with God involves. We have to remember, however, that man is made in the likeness of God, not the other way around. “God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective ‘perfections’ of man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God.” (CCC 370) Christopher West calls the TOB the “lens through which to view the whole mystery of human life.” (PTOB, p. 7)

The most profound aspect of the conferences for me was the part on celibacy. Throughout the years, there have been so many different reasons explaining why priests should remain unmarried. Here is the common one (this one I have used to explain celibacy in the past.) “If a priest gets married, he will not be able to devote the majority of his time to the people of his church community. Instead, the majority of his time will be given to his family.” I never realized how ignorant this statement really was until this series of conferences. Christopher West explained it to us in a way that really made sense.

A man who gives his life to the church by becoming a celibate is “someone who freely forgoes sexual relations in order to devote all of his energies and desires to the union that alone can satisfy. Those who are celibate for the kingdom share the same vocation to love as those who marry, but manifest this same vocation in a different manner. By devoting themselves entirely to the marriage of Christ and the Church, celibate men and women boldly proclaim that ‘the kingdom of God is here’.” (PTOB, p. 20)

He goes on to say:

“Christian celibacy is not a rejection of sexuality. Rather, it is meant to be a living out of the ultimate purpose and meaning of sexuality—union with Christ and the Church. The celibate person must embrace the spousal meaning of his or her body and live it in an authentic call to spiritual union and fertility.” (PTOB, p. 23)

“Celibacy is not a life of sexual repression but of sexual redemption. Christ calls everyone to experience liberation from lust through the redemption of the body. Only to the degree that one is free from the domination of lust is he or she able to live a healthy life either as a married person or as a celibate.” (PTOB, p. 23)

If there is anyone who is interested in this topic, I encourage you to do some research and look into what this is all about. Once you get into these amazing reflections by John Paul II, you will be amazed at how much it will really change your life. I have simply just begun my personal study of the Holy Father’s reflections and it has already touched me tremendously. Imagine what it could do for you.

For more information on the Theology of the Body, or to find resources to begin your personal studies of it, please visit http://www.tobinstitute.org.

Citations:

CCC—Catechism of the Catholic Church

PTOB—Proclaiming the Theology of the Body: A Seminar for Priests

PHOTO 1 SOURCE: Tom Pringle

PHOTO 2 SOURCE: St. John Vianney College Seminary