Sex, sex, sex. We live in a world obsessed about sex! But why? Well John Paul 2 hit the nail on the head when he stated that our sexuality is at the very centre of our being and what we do with it and how we use it determine our life vocation! Do we choose marriage or single life or consecrated life…..So is it any wonder the world is sex obsessed, it is super important!
Before becoming a catholic I recall seeing pictures of a dithery old man in a wheelchair on the TV. It was the pope! What on earth would he know about life, about modern life, I thought! But years later my arrogance would be turned to admiration as I read his encyclopedia on sexuality which is better known as ‘theology of the body’!
(Picture taken outside cathedral in Sarajevo for any photographers out there)
So then I asked Jesus what He thought and He began by talking to me about the body. At the risk of you all thinking I’m gone bonkers mad, here is what He said:
The body is the splendour of creation. So magnificent sublime is the human body that God Himself, from the beginning of time choose to take on this form.
Think of all the things that god in his infinite wisdom and creativity could have made and this is what He chose! It is in itself an unfathomable mystery.
If the angels of heaven could be jealous, they would be jealous of this. In heaven, they worship the most Holy Trinity and Jesus the second person of the Trinity having a full human body means that the majesty of the body is akin to the majesty of the Trinity.
Consequently, all humans are called to both loving and respecting the body while at the same time not allowing the desires of the body to lead to sin.
The joy of God is man fully alive. This includes the body! Music, sport, dance are all wonderful expressions of the body. Always encourage those around you to love and respect their bodies and to continue to thank the father or this most wonderful gift.
In this world Jesus body is your body. Allow him to live and embrace others with your hands, your smile, your body.
So you see we are pretty awesome. Even the angels marvel at us and is it any wonder that demons have a special hatred for the body!
And so isn’t it awesome to think that again as John Paul 2 put it “the glory of God is man fully alive” and so the best way to thank God for the gift of life is to fully embrace it and become who you are meant to be to the fullest!
When I asked Jesus about what it means to be fully alive in the context of today’s sex obsessed world (you may have noticed but i’m a very practical person and for me spirituality that can’t be applied to modern life is not spirituality but science fiction!) This is what He said!
Every man and woman seeks love, they are made for love they have no choice! Yes, even the hardest of criminals seeks and needs love. This is a universal fact that cannot be changed.
Love is plural, taking its definition from me – God is Love, God is 3, Love is 3!
So you see, for love to exist there must be at least two people, Love is vulnerable & open, a complete giving of self.
Where people have been wounded by hurtful reactions to their love, their hearts close, just like a flower closes at night. It is not that the hearts no longer desire love but rather they continue to desire love but are afraid to open.
If sin did not enter the world, this would never have happened. Every person’s love would have been in turn welcomed by love & people would grow tall in love like a sunflower growing taller & taller towards the sun!
The closed heart now searches for a ‘love substitute’ something that feels and tastes like love, but something that does not involve the possibility of being hurt by another person.
And so enters lust. At the root of lust is self-deception. Deceiving oneself that lust is love. Lust is not love, it has the passing feelings of love, without any of the other characteristics.
It could be likened to a toxic poison that has been falsely labelled ‘Love’.
Lust does not lead to the other rejecting you, you have already rejected yourself and what you have been made for if you take lust as your companion.
Lust puts you at the center of the story, Lust makes you feel and believe that the other person loves you, desires you and wants you. But just as you are not giving your full self to the person that is the object of your lust, neither are they giving their full self to you! So ultimately you have two wounded people wounding each other even more, in the name of love.
God is the only person who can love you as you desire to be loved. That is why God walked & talked with both Adam & Eve! They were not alone and their love for each other came out of a love for and of me! I loved Eve through Adam and Adam through Eve and them both through my Father whose Spirit animated them.
Cut from grace Adam looked for fulfillment in Eve and Eve in Adam. Ultimately they could both only be disappointed. This is why there is a sacrament of Marriage, to ‘re-invite’ God into the union of which he was expulsed at the beginning of the creation of man!
So you see, love is at the center of every person. Lust destroys love because lust is not God, it is a god replacement. God loves you as the apple of his eye. Lust pretends to love you on condition for giving away your body and human dignity
It is wonderful to see just how aware Jesus is of who we are and our deepest desires and yet sad that so many people are caught in the trap of lust instead of love.
And so now I finish by sharing one more message with you, a love letter from god!
I love you. My heart aches to see your pain. Let me heal your wounds with my tender love.
I have a very gentle and loving heart. I am proud of you. It takes time for your little heart to heal. That’s ok. I understand.
I am a joyful fun God, heaven is a place of enormous joy. Love is peaceful, love is seeking out others, love is not solitary, love makes friends, family, community. Love is generous and outgoing.
Love is warm, affectionate, embracing, touching, kind. There is no fear in love. Love is secure. Love is!
It is a normal human reaction to be afraid of my love. My love is beyond human explanation or understanding or control.
My love makes a soul vulnerable as the soul melts into me, into my love, my will, my life. The soul dies to itself and this death is painful and fearful for the soul.
To which Our Lady she replied
It’s true, my love for you is but a small ray of light in comparison with the love of the Father.
Everything that i am and that i have comes from Him. Without Him, i am nothing, i am a mere creature created and held in existence by God. The love i have for you is the love that He has placed in my heart for you. The affection that i have for you is the affection that He has placed in my heart for you. The desire that i have for you to be with me in heaven is the desire that he has placed in my heart through Jesus, the eternal son.
And so my prayer today is that we run to God who wants to heal our hearts and make us FULLY ALIVE!