Be Filled

Welcome! We are so glad you are here with us as we study St. Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are going to be discussing Audiences 114-117 of the text. We talk about the importance of prayer in marriage, practical advice on how to combine forces in prayer as a couple, and how your love life actually DOES make “Heaven a Place on Earth”! If you would like to watch the video of this episode you can find it here. Quotes Prayer of Tobias and Sarah: “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, and blessed for all generations is your name. Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you for all ages. You created Adam, and you created his wife Eve to be a help and support for him. From the two of them the whole human race was born. You said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make him a help similar to himself.’ Now it is not out of lust that I take this sister of mine, but with rightness of intention. Grant that she and I may find mercy and that we may grow old together.” And they both said, “Amen, Amen”. (Tobit 8:5-8)  “...this love is validated by ethos, that is, by the will and the choice of values.” (TOB 115:1)  “The truth and strength of love are manifested in the ability of love to place itself between the forces of good and evil that fight within man and around him, because love is confident in the victory of good and is ready to do everything in order that good may conquer.” (TOB 115:2)  “...brings the loving dialogue of the spouses in some way to silence. What emerges is another dimension of love: the “language of the body” expressed with the words of choices and acts.” (TOB 115:3)  “...in order to repel the evil threatening to kill the body, one must prevent the evil spirit from having access to the soul, one must free oneself within oneself from his influence.” (TOB 115:5)  “This voice, this act of speaking in unison, allows both of them to pass beyond the threat of evil and death, inasmuch as they open themselves totally, in the unity of the two, to the living God.” (TOB 115:6)  “The spouses of the Song of Songs mutually declare their human love with ardent words. The new spouses in Tobit ask God that they may know how to respond to love. Both aspects find their place in what constitutes the sacramental sign of marriage. Both share in the formation of the sign.” (TOB 116:5)  “The sacraments infuse holiness into the terrain of man’s humanity: they penetrate the soul and body, the femininity and masculinity of the personal subject, with the power of holiness. All of this is expressed in the language of the liturgy…The liturgy…elevates the conjugal covenant of man and woman…to the dimensions of the ‘mystery,’ and at the same time enables that covenant to be realized in these dimensions through the ‘language of the body’” (TOB 117b:2) “When lived according to the “great mystery” of God’s designs, even the marital embrace itself becomes a profound prayer. It becomes eucharistic as an act of thanksgiving offered to God for the joyous gift of sharing in his own life and love.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West)  “When spouses become one-flesh, this great sign expresses not only “an interpersonal event full of intense personal content.” It also expresses “a sacred and sacramental reality, rooted in the dimension of the covenant and of grace.” (TOB 117b:2) Reflection Questions What spoke to your heart most in this episode? If you are considering marriage or preparing for marriage, have you been willing to “look under the hood”? What is holding back? Are there any fears you need to bring into the light? Ask the Lord to look with you and remember “Do not be afraid”?  What suffering have you experienced in your marriage that has led you to grow closer to God and to each other?  Are you encouraging your spouse to make acts of faith even if it is scary to you? Can you trust your spouse to lead you and your family?  What temptation do you need to “stand up” or “get up” and move away from to move to prayer?  If you are single, are you tempted to not believe you could ever find a good man? Or you are too wounded? Take this to prayer and ask the Lord to increase your faith in His ability!  What is the climate of your heart? Do your actions match the love you have in your heart? Ask yourself how can I be selfless today?  What “strengthening exercises” is God allowing into your life right now? Do you pray with your spouse? Are you willing to try one of the ideas Katie mentioned? (Links below)  Can you allow your heart to be pierced every time you receive the Eucharist? Can you allow your heart to be pierced every time you come together with your spouse? Ask the Lord for the grace to see what is really happening in the Mass and in your marriage.  Resources Canon of the Holy Scriptures Fr. Mike Schmitz-Catechism in a Year on the Canon of Scripture  Bill Donaghy Commentary Videos  Divine Office  Forever Catholic Marriage Devotional  Come What May  Heaven is a Place on Earth  Audio: Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: ZWA5WQTXJ0ZTM44Q

This episode we are continuing our discussion, with JPII, on the Song of Songs and how the Bride and Bridegroom are living out the spousal meaning of their bodies. JPII sheds light on how the theology of our bodies can transform our lives and relationships. We talk about how this applies to our marriages and how you can apply it in your life!  Quotes:  “The truth of love, which is proclaimed by the Song of Songs cannot be separated from the “language of the body”. The truth of love enables the same “language of the body” to be reread in the truth. This is also the truth of the increasing closeness of the spouses, which grows through love: and closeness means also initiation into the mystery of the person. However, it in no way signifies the violation of that mystery.” (TOB 111:1)  “As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. I sit in his shadow, for which I longed, and sweet is his fruit to my taste.” (Song 2:3-6)  “The reciprocal closeness expressed through the body is above all a source of the growth of the intimate “language of the heart”. (TOB 111:2)  “The verses spoken by the man-bridegroom…concentrate above all on the specific “revelation of femininity,” the visible expression of which more and more dominates the eyes and heart of the bridegroom.” (TOB 111:2)  “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me. Come, my beloved, let us go into the fields, and pass the night in the villages. Let us go out early in the morning to the vineyards; we will see whether the vines have budded, whether the flowers have opened and the pomegranates are in bloom: There I will give you my caresses.” (Song 7:10-13)  “She goes to meet him with the readiness of the gift of self. The love that unites them is of a spiritual and sensual nature together…because the man and the woman together must constitute the sign of the reciprocal gift of self, which impresses the seal on their whole life.” (TOB 111:5)  “One has the impression that in reaching each other, in experiencing closeness to each other, they ceaselessly continue to tend toward something.” (TOB 112:1)  “Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not….I will rise now and go about the city, through the streets and through the squares; I will seek the beloved of my heart.” (Song 3:1-4)  “I sleep, but my heart is awake. Listen! my beloved is knocking. Open to me, my sister, my friend, my dove, my perfect one.” (Song 5:2)  “In the Song of Songs, human eros reveals the face of love ever in search and, as it were, never satisfied.” (TOB 112:4)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most in this episode?  Did the dynamic of the Bride and Bridegroom resonate with your experience?  What differences do you notice in your own experience between men and women? How do the differences compliment each other?  Have you experienced a twisting of the goodness of the love your spouse has for you?  What music or movies stir your desire for love? What truths do you see? What truths might be missing from those movies?  What pierces your heart? Pay attention to what moves you and thank God for it.  Have you considered the honor it is to really know your spouse? Take this to prayer. Consider sharing with your spouse what you appreciate about him/her.  How do you receive your spouse's way of expressing love?  Are there ways in which you could better communicate your needs to your spouse? Pray with this and be open to the ways that God is calling you to grow.  Have you experienced the ache of not having enough of a person?  Is God the source of all your love you pour out? Or are you trying to pour out from your own resources? Pray with this and ask God to open your heart to receive all the love you need from Him.  Resources:  Understanding Women: Unlock the Mystery by Alison Armstrong Consider a week with your spouse at the TOB Institute! Click here for the schedule!  “Never Enough”  Book of Tobit  Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: IMUXC4ZQXVNAVUTF

This episode is the first of two on the Song of Songs. We are covering Audiences 108-110. You won’t want to miss the beauty of this conversation. We hope that it prompts you to go deeper with the LORD!* Quotes:   “The love of the bridegroom and bride in the Song of Songs is a theme by itself…it is a song of human love.” (TOB 108:1)  “For in this book, kisses are mentioned, breasts are mentioned, cheeks are mentioned, loins are mentioned; and the holy pictures these words paint are not meant for mockery or laughter…we must (rather) notice how marvelously and mercifully, in making mention of the parts of the body and thus summoning us to love, (God) works with us; for he reaches down into the vocabulary of our sensual love in order to set our hearts on fire, aiming to incite us to a holy loving. Indeed, by the act in which he lowers himself in words, he also elevates our understanding; for from the words associated with this sensual love we learn how fiercely we are to burn with love for the Divine.” (Pope St. Gregory the Great)  “The bridegroom says:  You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;  You have ravished my heart with one glance of your eyes,  With one bead of your necklace. How sweet are your caresses, my sister, my bride.” (Song 4:9-10)  “Love…pushes both to seek the common past as though they descended from the same family circle, as though from infancy they had been united by memories of the common hearth ... .A specific sense of common belonging follows from this. The fact that they feel like brother and sister allows them to live their reciprocal closeness in security and to manifest it.” (TOB 110:1)  “A garden closed you are, my sister, bride, a garden closed, a fountain sealed.” (Song of Songs 4:12)  “The bride presents herself to the eyes of the man as the master of her own mystery. One can say that both metaphors, “garden closed” and “fountain sealed,” express the whole personal dignity of the sex-of that femininity which belongs to the personal structure of self-possession and can consequently decide not only the metaphysical depth, but also the essential truth and authenticity, of the personal gift.” (TOB 110:7)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most in this episode?  What do you think about the Song of Songs (erotic love poetry) being in the Bible? Is there any way in which you would rather “disembody” this book of the Bible? Are you tempted to skip the actual physical relationship of the lover and get to the spiritual analogy?  Has the word “eros” been twisted in your heart? Do you tend to think of the sexual embrace in terms of “pornea”? What exposures and experiences have wounded your vision?  Pray with this and ask the Lord where He wants to heal your heart.  Have you ever read the Song of Songs? Consider reading the entirety of the book prayerfully. Notice what is brought up for you and ask the LORD what he wants to say to you.  “Adoration” means “mouth to mouth”. How do you feel about the intimacy that our Lord wants with you?  Are there things in your heart that you do not want the Lord to see? Could it be you are afraid exposing your interior thoughts will hurt? Pray with this and ask the Lord to help you be willing to show him everything.  What is your reaction to the idea that we are “sister” and “brother” before we are bride and bridegroom? If you are married, do you see you spouse as though he/she is from a common “hearth”? If you are not married, do you look for someone who feels like a “brother” or “sister”, meaning you feel secure and at peace? In what ways do you treat your spouse truly as a friend? In what ways are you not treating your spouse as your friend?  When you feel irritated by someone, consider pausing and trying to see the person as Jesus sees. Ask the Lord to help you.  Resources:  Anemone Flower Clip What Is the Song of Songs Doing in the Bible?  St. Teresa of Avila in Ecstacy  Picture of Will and Rachelle in 8th Grade The Couple As An Icon Playlist  Music from #Uppbeat License code: TLZRGMLPENMXMSJN * We had technical difficulties and do not have a video for this episode. It will be resolved for the next episode. There is a clip in the resources section with Katie sharing about the beautiful flowers she brought to show us! Enjoy listening! 

Welcome to Season 6 of the Be Filled Podcast! In this episode we begin looking with Saint Pope John Paul II at what it looks like “on the ground” to live out the Sacrament of Marriage as a sign to the world of Christ’s love for the Church. We discuss the importance of our words/vows matching our behavior in relationships. This even applies to our children as we teach them how to have relationships! You won’t want to miss this rich discussion!  This Episode on YouTube!  Quotes:  “I take you as my wife/as my husband, and I promise to be faithful to you always, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, and to love you and honor you all the days of my life.” (TOB 103:1)  “The persons-the man and the woman- become a reciprocal gift for each other. They become this gift in their masculinity and femininity while they discover the spousal meaning of the body…in the dimension of life as a whole.” (TOB 103:5) “Human beings, male or female, bride or bridegroom with the vocation to the communion of persons speak a language with the body.” In order to fully express the “deepest words of the spirit-words of love, gift, and faithfulness…we must “speak” with the body.” (TOB 104)   “...the couple through their conduct and behavior, actions and gestures-are called to become the authors of these meanings of the “language of the body”, from which they then build and continually deepen love, faithfulness, conjugal integrity, and the union that remains indissoluble until death.” (TOB 106:2)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most in this episode?  When you consider the wedding vows quoted above, how have you lived out these vows in your marriage?  Had you considered that the way you live out your vows has a meaning beyond your life and your relationship with your spouse? What do you see as your mission as a couple in your home, community, and the world?  When we sin it is not just breaking a “contract” or the “law” of God. It is actually, as John Paul II describes it, “deeply personal” and “a blow that directly pierces his heart as Father, Bridegroom, and Lord”. Pray with this reality and ask God to show you the ways in which you have broken His heart and possibly areas that you need healing and deeper repentance.  Have you considered that your reproductive system “makes no sense” by itself? What does this reality mean?  As you consider the vows you have made to your spouse, in what ways are you speaking the truth with your body? In what ways might you not be speaking the truth with your body?  “Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body, given up for you.” These are the words of Christ before he offers himself on the cross for his Beloved, the Church. Have you considered that this is reflecting your wedding vows? Pray with this and ask God what He wants you to know about His love.  Have you been practicing NFP without considering the deep theology of what you are saying? Is it just a set of rules? Pray about this and consider how you can deepen your understanding.  Have you ever considered that the angels are present when you and your spouse come together? Is your marriage union speaking a language that is open to God’s love and presence? Or are you acting in a way that is closed off?  In what ways are you becoming a gift in your marriage over time? In what ways are you discovering the spousal meaning of the body through the joys and sorrows of life?  Even if you have made “mistakes”, God allows them so you can really understand His love and what is TRUE through your lived experience. What can you learn even from the ways you have not lived out the truth in your body?  In what quiet ways can you make a difference in our world?  When considering your relationship with your spouse (sexual or otherwise) pray with the question: Am I being selfish in this act or not? Pray for a repentant heart and ask the Lord to show you what you need to do differently. Ask the Holy Spirit for the power to live this out! It is possible with Him!  Resources:  “Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage: A 33-Day Self-Guided Retreat for Catholic Couples by Dan and Amber Dematte Envision: Theology of the Body for Middle School    Audio: Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: AXBA2XF4XCSSEH03

Welcome to another episode of the show! Today we will finish discussing Chapter One of Part 2 (The Sacrament) by looking at the final section on “Sacrament and “Redemption of the Body”. This section begins at Audience 99:4 and concludes with Audience 102.  Episode on our YouTube Channel @befiledpodcast Quotes:  “Christ speaks these words…from the divine depth of the “redemption of the body”.” (TOB 99:4) “a permanent source of hope that the creation will be set free from the slavery of corruption to enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (TOB 99:5)  “...opens marriage to the salvific action of God, to the powers flowing “from the redemption of the body,” which help to overcome the consequences of sin and to build the unity of man and woman according to the Creator’s eternal plan.” (TOB 100:2)   “...assign the dignity of every woman as a task to every man”...and “the dignity of every man to every woman”. (TOB 100:6)  “One can say that marriage is the place of the encounter of eros and ethos and of their reciprocal interpenetration in the “heart” of man and woman…” (TOB 101:3) Marriage “...constitutes the basis of hope for the person, for the man and the woman, for the parents and the children, for the human generations.” (TOB 101:7)  “We find ourselves in the sphere of the great analogy, in which marriage as a sacrament is, on the one hand presupposed and, on the other, rediscovered. It is presupposed as the sacrament of the human “beginning”, united with the mystery of creation. It is rediscovered, by contrast, as the fruit of the spousal love of Christ and the Church, linked with the mystery of redemption.” (TOB 102.1)  Reflection Questions:   What spoke to your heart most from this episode?  How would you answer the questions: Who am I? Why am I here?  Eros is your desire and Ethos is what directs the desire to God (the True, Good, and Beautiful). This is how we experience our Redemption. Do you allow your desires to point you to God?  Do you believe that God will make it possible for you to have a selfless relationship with your spouse? Are you relying on yourself or on the power of the Holy Spirit?  Where can you see the graces of the Sacrament of Marriage flowing in your relationship with your spouse and in your family?  Have you ever considered how every new life brings with it the hope of a new life in Heaven? Pray with this thought that so much more is happening when we have children than what we see in this life.  Have you included God in your spousal union and decisions regarding conceiving children? If this isn’t something you have considered, see the resources below for more.  Reflect on what St. Pope John Paul II had to say about marriage in Familiaris Consortio. What do you feel God is wanting you to know?  Think of a couple you admire. What is it about them that you admire or want to emulate?   Patty mentioned five ways we can emulate Jesus’ love on the cross. Pray with these and ask the Lord to show you each day how you can implement them in your relationships:  Christ freely chose to die on the cross Christ’s choice was based on knowledge. He knew what he was doing for us.  Christ’s choice was a total gift of self Christ’s gift of self was permanent and the effects go one for eternity.  Christ’s sacrifice was life giving.  Resources:  Gold Rush: Panning for Gold Bill Donaghey Commentary  Familiaris consortio (The Role of the Family in the Modern World) Pope John Paul II  Natural Family Planning Information  Good News About Sex and Marriage by Christopher West Couple to Couple League (NFP Courses)    Audio: Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: JUSN3D847UEW9L6Y

Welcome to this episode of the Be Filled Podcast! In this episode we continue our conversation about God’s eternal plan for us by discussing Audiences 96-99 of St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. We look at how marriage was established from the beginning as the "primordial sacrament” that was meant to help us understand and experience love.  Quotes:  “Man is the highest expression in the visible world of the divine gift. He has within himself the “inner dimension of the gift”..marriage is a sign that efficaciously transmits in the visible world the invisible mystery hidden in God from eternity. And this is the mystery of Truth and of Love, the mystery of divine life, in which man really participates.” (TOB 96:1)  “...the primordial gift given to man by God already included within itself the fruit of election..chosen to be holy and immaculate before Him.” (TOB 96:3)  “Before sin…man carried in his soul the fruit of eternal election in Christ, the eternal Son of the Father.” (TOB 96:4)  “Redemption was to become the source of man’s supernatural endowment after sin, and in a certain sense despite sin. This supernatural endowment which took place before original sin, that is, the grace of original justice and innocence…was brought about precisely out of regard for him, that one and only Beloved, while chronologically anticipating his coming in the body.”  (TOB 96:5) “..the heritage of grace was driven out of the human heart when man broke the first covenant with the creator…marriage as the primordial sacrament was deprived of the supernatural efficaciousness it drew at the moment of its institution from the sacrament of creation in its totality…Marriage never ceases to be the figure of the sacrament, about which we read in Ephesians 5:22-33 and which the author does not hesitate to call a “great mystery”.”(TOB 97:1)  “The visibility of the Invisible belongs thus to the order of signs, and the “sign” merely indicates the reality of the mystery, but does not “unveil” it.” (TOB 97:5)  “...as the primordial sacrament, marriage is assumed and inserted into the integral structure of the new sacramental economy, which has arisen from redemption in the form ... .of a “prototype”. (TOB 98:2)  “Christ nourishes the Church with his Body precisely in the Eucharist.” (TOB 99:1)  Reflection Questions:  What was most impactful to you in this episode?  Is your brain exploding?? What is your reaction to this teaching that Adam and Eve were made “holy and immaculate” through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ?  God’s eternal plan of love is not “plan B”. He has always wanted union with you for all eternity. What does this stir in your heart?  What are your favorite action movies? Could you be really drawn to God’s redemptive love?  As you consider the lengths that Christ has gone to be united to you, what is your response?  What if Christ came at the particular time he did just for the criminal on the cross? Do you know that he would come just for YOU? Pray with whatever comes up as you consider this.  If you are married, have you ever pondered that God placed your spouse in your life to help you experience the spousal love He has for you?  If you are not currently experiencing this kind of spousal love, pray about how you can encounter God together. Are you willing to ask him/her to pray with you?  After hearing Christopher West’s description of the Eucharist, what are your reflections?  Resources:  “The Mystery of Original Innocence” (Be Filled Podcast)  “In the Light” Sunday Homily Fr. Mike Schmitz Rachelle’s Mystery Hidden Chart  Bill Donaghy Commentary “Eating the Sunrise” by Christopher West Music from #Uppbeat License code: MUSVPGKLBSJ2WYKY

Welcome to another episode of the Be Filled Podcast! We have been analyzing with JPII the Sacrament of Marriage. This episode we begin a new section entitled “Sacrament and Mystery” which takes us even deeper into the mystery of God’s love. This episode we will examine Audiences 94-95b.  Quotes:  “In him he has chosen us before the foundation of the world to be holy and immaculate in his sight in love…” (Ephesians 1:4)  “But it is the New Adam who definitively reveals the mystery by leaving his Father in Heaven and leaving the home of his mother on earth to “cleave to his wife” (the Church) and become “one flesh” with her.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, pg. 408)  See Scripture for this passage: Isa 54:4–10 “..the true character of the gift that God’s love is for Israel, a gift coming entirely from God’s initiative; in other words, by indicating the dimension of grace, which is contained in this love from the beginning. This is perhaps the strongest “declaration of love” by God, joined with a solemn oath of faithfulness forever.” (TOB 95:3)  “...saving love which consists in his gift of self for the Church, is a spousal love by which he marries the Church and makes her his own Body”. (TOB 95:7) “...the gift given by God to man in Christ…is in some sense “all” that God “could” give of himself to man, considering the limited faculties of man as a creature…in this way the analogy of spousal love indicates the “radical” character of grace: of the whole order of created grace.” (TOB 95b:4)  “...the visible sign of marriage “in the beginning” transposes the eternal plan of love into the “historical” dimension and makes it the foundation of the whole sacramental order.” (TOB 95b:7)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most in this episode of the podcast?  Have you ever deeply considered the odds of your existence? Consider that God has chosen you before the foundation of the world. What stirs in your heart when you think of how God has willed you to be here?  Consider that God has plans and designs for all of eternity. Is there anything going on in your life right now that you are struggling to accept? Pray with this and ask God to help you to see how He might be able to form you through the circumstances. How could He be at work to make you holy and immaculate?  What have you learned about the love of Christ through your marriage? What have you learned about marriage through the love of Christ? How is your marriage a “lab” for better understanding God’s love?  How has God been faithful to you even when you were not faithful to Him?  In what ways has God pursued you in your life? Have you let Him “catch you”?  How does your relationship with God impact your relationship with your spouse?  Could you relate to the letter Katie read? How do you walk through difficult times in life with your spouse?  Do you see your marriage as an eternal covenant? What difference does that make in your marriage?  Are you trying to manage your marriage or are you open to the grace God wants to pour out in and through your marriage?  Resources:  “Night” by Elie Wiesel “He Leadeth Me” by Father Walter Ciszec Audio: Music from #Uppbeat License code: RY08CU821XYO4AEB

Welcome to another episode of the podcast! In this episode we are continuing to examine with John Paul II the text of Ephesians Chapter 5 on the “great mystery” revealed in the Sacrament of Marriage and in the love of Christ and the Church. We will be discussing Audiences 91-93. This is a great conversation and one of the more vulnerable episodes we have had in the podcast! Enjoy! Don’t forget you can watch the podcast on our YouTube Channel! We are also on Facebook and Instagram! Follow us and share with a friend!  Quotes:  “...the author speaks as if in marriage also the husband were “head of his wife” and the wife “body of her husband”, as if spouses also formed an organic union.” (TOB 91:2) “...the Church is so strongly, so essentially herself in virtue of a union with the (mystical) Christ.” (TOB 91:3)  “Christ and his Church thus together make up the “whole Christ” (Christus totus). The Church is one with Christ.” (CCC# 795) St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “Head and members form as it were one and the same mystical person.”  “And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water accompanied by the word, so as to present his Church before himself all glorious, without spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind but holy and immaculate.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)  “The essential goal of the love of Christ for the Church is her sanctification…(Baptism) is the purification through which Christ’s love for the Church gains a spousal character”. (TOB 91:6)  “The one who receives Baptism becomes at the same time-by virtue of the redemptive love of Christ-a participant in his spousal love for the Church.” (TOB 91:7) “Christ, therefore with his redemptive and spousal love brings it about that the Church not only becomes sinless, but remains “eternally young”. (TOB 92:2)  “In the same way, husbands have the duty to love their wives as their own bodies, for the one who loves his wife loves himself. No one, in fact, ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cares for it, as Christ does with the Church, because we are members of his body.” (Ephesians 5:28-30) “...the husband is above all the one who loves and the wife, by contrast, is the one who is loved. One might even venture the idea that the wife’s “submission” to the husband…means above all “the experiencing of love.” (TOB 92:6)  “The expressions referring to care for the body, and above all for its nourishment, to providing food for it, suggest to a number of Scripture scholars a reference to the Eucharist, with which Christ, in his spousal love, “feeds the Church.” (TOB 92:8)  “For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and unite with his wife, and the two will form one flesh. (Genesis 2:24) (Ephesians 5:31) “By quoting the words of Genesis 2:24, the author emphasizes that the bases of this analogy should be sought in the line that writes, in God’s salvific plan, marriage as the most ancient revelation (and “manifestation”) of that plan in the created world with the definitive revelation and “manifestation”, namely, the revelation that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her” endowing his redemptive love with a spousal nature and meaning.” (TOB 93:1)  “This mystery is great, I say this with reference to Christ and the Church.” (Ephesians 5:32)  Reflection Questions: What spoke to your heart most in this episode of the podcast?  Have you ever considered the “organic” unity of Christ with the Church? How does this impact your view of the Church as the Body of Christ?  Contemplate the love of Christ. He wants intimacy with YOU. He suffered for YOU without counting the cost. What stirs in your heart when you think of this truth?  In your family how do you pour yourself out everyday? How could this draw you closer to Christ?  Have you bought into the culture’s message to not be changed by your marriage or sacrifice anything? Have you considered that you will actually find yourself by becoming a sincere gift of self? Pray about this and ask the Lord to show you how you can allow your heart to change through your relationship with your spouse.  You are indispensable to the Church. Have you considered YOUR impact on the Church? How can you build up the body?  How well are you receiving love? From God? From your spouse?  Do you hunger for the Lord? Ask Him for a deeper recognition of His love and His desire to satisfy you with Himself…especially in the Eucharist. “This is my body, given up for you.”  What parts of yourself are you hiding from the Lord? Are you willing to be vulnerable with him and let him love you there? Are you keeping anything from your husband out of fear or shame? Ask the Lord to sit with you there and speak tenderly to you.  “God wants to marry you.” What are your thoughts about this?  Resources:  The Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Luisa Piccarreta Audio: Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: Y7RHEFYCSRNIHCCU

Welcome to the show! This episode we are continuing our study on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. Today we are beginning our conversation on Part Two entitled The Sacrament. The Sacrament, as we will find out, is not ONLY referring to marriage. According to JPII, the one “great sacrament” is both the union of husband and wife and the union of Christ and the Church. This episode we will discuss audiences 87-90. This is the beginning of JPII's analysis of Ephesians 5:21-33.  Quotes:  “Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, he who is the Savior of his body. And as the Church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be subject to their husbands in everything. And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water accompanied by the word, so as to present his Church before himself all glorious, without spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, but holy and immaculate. In the same way, husbands have the duty to love their wives as their own body, for the one who loves his wife loves himself. No one, in fact, ever hates his own flesh, but he nourishes and cares for it, as Christ does with the Church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and unite with his wife, and the two will form one flesh. This mystery is great; I say this in reference to Christ and the Church. Therefore also you, each one on his part, should love his wife as himself, and the woman should have reverence toward her husband.” (Ephesians 5:22-33)  “The reciprocal relations of husband and wife must spring from their common relation with Christ.” (Pope John Paul II, TOB)  “The mystery of Christ must be “spiritually present in the reciprocal relation of the spouses-penetrating their hearts.” (Pope John Paul II, TOB)  Christian marriage only happens when it “mirrors the love that Christ, the Bridegroom, gives to the Church, his Bride AND when the Church seeks to give back to Christ in return. This is the redeeming, saving love, the love with which man has been loved by God from eternity in Christ.” (Pope John Paul II, TOB)  Reflection Questions:  What stuck out to you most in this episode of the podcast? What is your understanding of the passage we read in Ephesians 5? Have you seen this passage as just “old fashioned”?  How did this episode help you in your understanding? What has your experience with your earthly father influenced your image of God the Father? Could there be a connection with how you see men, in general, and how you think husbands are called to treat their wives? Pray with this and ask the Lord to heal any wounds and show you his character. Do you think that you, as a woman, need to “do it all”? Do you allow yourself to be taken care of or do you think that makes you “weak”? Have you ever thought of marriage as a Sacrament meant to purify you and lead to the healing of your wounds? What are your thoughts on this? Take some time to read the Letter to the Ephesians so that you can get a sense of the message of the whole letter. Pray with it and ask the Lord to lead you. We are called to the vocation to love and to holiness. How are you pursuing this vocation? How are you open to what God is calling you to in your everyday life? We “do battle” here on earth by being filled by the Holy Spirit and living as “children of light”. What does this look like in your life? In your family? In your friendships? In your community? What are you really looking for in that “glass of wine”? Pray with that desire and consider going to Adoration to spend time with the Lord. Consider these words: Chosen, Loved, Called. Do you know the truth of your identity in Christ? Pray with these words and ask the Lord to tell you how He sees you and what he desires for your life. Consider letting go of your “to do’s” and make a list of your “I do’s”. What can you do to make a gift of yourself to your spouse and better image God’s love?  Resources:  Pints With Aquinas: What To Do When Marriage Gets Hard (Jason and Crystalina Evert)  Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: VUSKWZEFZEJMLMTR  

Welcome to Season 5 of the Be Filled Podcast! Today the ladies sit down to share their experiences over the break! Katie went to a healing retreat, Rachelle went to the Theology of the Body Institute for a TOB class, and Patty traveled to the Holy Lands! You do not want to miss this fun and encouraging conversation. There is so much hope in the midst of what can seem to be dark times. Enjoy the episode!  Quotes to Ponder:  “Healing is an ongoing encounter with God’s love” (Dr. Bob Schuchts)  “Behind every unholy, disordered desire there is a longing for God.”  “If we look at today’s world, we are struck by many negative factors that can lead to pessimism. But this feeling is unjustified: we have faith in God our Father and Lord and in his mercy…God is preparing a great springtime for Christianity, and we can already see its first signs.” (Pope John Paul II, Encyclical on the Mission of the Redeemer)  Reflection Questions:  What stirred in your heart as you listened to this podcast? How are you participating in this Jubilee Year of Hope? How can you open yourself to receive the grace offered this year? What “big” wounds have you experienced? What are the “paper cuts” you have experienced in your life? Are you open to the healing that God wants to offer you? Do you ever resist praying with your wounds? As you listened to the wounds Katie mentioned, what do you think might be blocking you from God’s love? (The wounds listed were: rejection, abandonment, fear, shame, powerlessness, hopelessness, and confusion) Practice turning to the Lord with curiosity when you are disturbed. Ask Him what He is trying to show you when you feel uncomfortable. What might He be trying to free you from? Do you have any interest in attending a TOB Institute Course? Pray about this and ask the Lord to guide your thinking. Do you feel a sense of “revival” in the world? Be sure to pray for healing in your heart and in the world. How can you be more present to people in your life? Are you attuned to the hearts of others? Pray about taking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. See the link below for more information about the trip Patty discussed. Be sure to keep those in the Holy Land in your prayers. Resources:  Healing the Whole Person Retreat- In Person Online Healing the Whole Person Retreat Be Healed: A Guide to Encountering the Powerful Love of Jesus in Your Life  by Dr. Bob Schuchts Theology of the Body Immersion Course Online: Scholarship Opportunity  Pilgrimage Opportunities Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: BKN7N3V4X5E9TVQX

This is the last of 5 re-released episodes before we launch Season 5! Our first episode of Season 5, we will talk about how God has been working in our lives since Season 4! I hope you will join us! Enjoy this episode!  This episode we continue our study on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. We are discussing General Audience 20-22 on “Knowledge” and Procreation.  We discuss what it means that man and woman “knew” each other through the “one flesh” union. We also discuss what Motherhood and Fatherhood reveal to man and woman about their masculinity and femininity.  Scripture:   “Now Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD. (Genesis 4:1)  Quotes to Ponder: “A word on this “unrepeatability” of the person: a husband and wife who truly “know” each other have arrived at the irreducible core of the person, and each loves this person-not merely spiritual or physical attributes of the person, but the person himself (herself). At this level, they continually recognize and affirm the unrepeatability of the other; he (she) is utterly unique and cannot be repeated or replaced.” (West, Theology of the Body Explained, p.154) “...we should observe that in Genesis 4:1 the mystery of femininity manifests and reveals itself in it’s full depth through motherhood, as the text says, “who conceived and gave birth.” Woman’s motherhood reveals to the man the mystery of his masculinity, “that is, the generative and “paternal” meaning of his body.” (TOB 21:2)  “Despite all the experiences of his own life, despite the sufferings, the disappointments in himself, his sinfulness, and, finally, despite the inevitable prospect of death, man always continues, however, to place “knowledge” at the “beginning” of “generation”; in this way he seems to participate in that first “vision” of God himself: God, the Creator, “saw everything…and indeed, it was good.” And always anew he confirms the truth of these words.” (TOB 22:7)  Resources:  Barbie Movie Opening Scene Christopher West Commentary on the Barbie Movie Bill Donaghy Commentary  

We are 2 weeks away from the launch of Season 5! This is a re-release from Season 3 that will help us prepare for Season 5. This episode we continue our study on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. We are discussing General Audience 16.3-19.6 on the Mystery of Original Innocence. With JPII, we are “zooming in” on the Communion of Persons between man and woman. We discover the source of this Original Innocence and it allows man and woman to become a “disinterested gift of self”.  Quotes to Ponder:  “This innocence belongs to the dimension of grace contained in the mystery of creation, that is, to that mysterious gift made to man’s innermost [being]—to the human heart—that allows both the man and the woman to exist from the “beginning” in the reciprocal relationship of the disinterested gift of self.”  (TOB 16:3)  “The body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it.” (TOB 19:4)  Reflection Questions:  When have you experienced someone making a gift of themself to you not expecting anything in return?  What response did you have? When have you been a free gift to someone else? How did it feel?  “Grace is God’s self-gift to man.” (Christopher West) Are you open to receive the gift that God wants to give you? Is there any resistance to his grace in your heart? Pray with this and ask God to help you open your heart to Him.  How can you become a gift to those in your life? Think about your family, your Church, your friends, and community. Could you do something today to be a gift?  When someone sees you and tells you the goodness they see, how does that impact you? Has anyone ever seen gifts in you that you didn’t recognize?  How do you see God’s love through your relationships? Can you see how God makes His love known in a concrete way through the love of man and woman? Resources:  Commentary  Rachelle’s Visual Aids   

We are continuing our study of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are beginning a new section of the text entitled “Man In The Dimension of Gift”. This is the first of two episodes in this section. Today we are discussing General Audiences 13.2-16.2 on The Spousal Meaning of the Body.  Guiding Quote:  “The dimension of gift is decisive for the essential truth and depth of the meaning of original solitude-unity-nakedness.” (TOB 13:2)  Reflections Questions:  What impacted you most in the podcast?  Spend some time reflecting on your existence. Ask God to help you recognize the gift of life He has given you. How can you be a gift to your Creator today?  Do you stop to notice the beauty of creation? Take some time this week to be outside and notice beauty. Put your “Gift Goggles” on! Praise God for all He has given you in creation.  How can you teach your children, grandchildren, friends, and students to look for gifts everyday?   How can you be a free gift today to those God has placed in your life at home, work, school, and in your community?  Reflect on the miracle of you. You are not an accident. How does it make you feel when you consider that you are willed by God?  Who in your life has made themselves available for you? How did this make you feel? Who in your life can you be completely available for? What might that look like?  Resources:  Double Rainbow Guy A Meditation on Givenness by Pope John Paul II  Wonderfully Made! Babies: A Catholic Perspective on How and Why God Makes Babies (for ages 9 and up) by Ellen Giangiordano Commentary on Audiences 13.2-16:2 Next episode we will be discussing Audiences 16.3-19.6 on The Mystery of Original Innocence. If you have questions or comments, we would love to hear from you. We can reached by email at [email protected].

This week we are re-releasing an episode from Season 2. This is in preparation for the launch of Season 5 on October 1st! Enjoy! We are continuing our study of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are discussing General Audiences 11.1-13.1 on Original Nakedness. We discuss the meaning of “nakedness” and what it meant that the first man and woman did not experience shame.  Scripture:  “And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25)  “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7)  Reflections Questions:  What stood out most for you in this episode?  Try to think back to when you first heard the story of creation. How did you respond to the fact that Adam and Eve were naked? What factors do you think have influenced your view of the body and of nakedness?  Do you practice transparency/vulnerability in your relationships? How could being open with others help you to receive those God has placed in your life?  Recall your first experience of shame. Based on your experience of shame, what do you imagine the first man and woman’s experience of not having shame would be like? Pray with this asking God to heal any wounds you may be carrying related to shame.  Have you experienced brokenness in your relationships due to deep shame and insecurity? How did the understanding of the relationship between the first man and woman impact you? What longings are stirred in your heart? Pray with these longings and invite the Lord to be with you there.  How is your vision of men and women? Is there anything that needs the healing touch of God? Resources:  Commentary on Audiences 11-13.1 For more information on the Ruah Woods Curriculum click here. Next episode we will be discussing Audiences 13.2-16.2 on the “Spousal Meaning of the Body.”     

The first of five "throwback" episodes in preparation for Season 5 on the Sacrament of Marriage. This episode originally aired on February 24, 2024. Scripture:  So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,  “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:21-24) Quotes:  “...one must first recognize that this Genesis torpor (sleep), in which, by the work of Yahweh-God, the man is immersed in preparation for the new creative act…” (TOB 8:3)  “...the torpor into which God lets the man fall underlines the exclusiveness of God’s action in the creation of the woman. Man had no conscious part in it.” (TOB Footnote 12, p. 158) “...man falls into this “torpor” with the desire of finding a being similar to himself…the circle of the human person’s solitude is broken, because the first “man” reawakens from his sleep as “male and female.” (TOB 8:3)  “...man becomes the image of God not only through his own humanity, but also through the communion of persons, which man and woman form from the very beginning….Man becomes an image of God not so much in the moment of solitude as in the moment of communion.” (TOB 9:3)   “...femininity in some way finds itself before masculinity, while masculinity confirms itself through femininity.”(TOB 10:1) “When they unite with each other (in the conjugal act) so closely so as to become “one flesh,” man and woman rediscover every time and in a special way the mystery of creation, thus returning to the union in humanity that allows them to recognize each other reciprocally and to call each other by name, as they did the first time.” (TOB 10:2)  “The fact that they become “one flesh” is a powerful bond established by the Creator through which they discover their own humanity, both in its original unity and in the duality of a mysterious reciprocal attraction.” (TOB 10:2)  Reflections Questions:  Have you ever thought of sleep as a surrender? How do you typically end your day? Are you full of worry?  What are you powerless over in your life right now? Are you willing to surrender it over to God’s care and wait for Him to work?  Imagine yourself in the Garden with Adam and Eve. What do you think it was like for them when they saw each other for the first time? What do you think they discovered about themselves and each other in that moment?  Have you ever thought of the relationship of man and woman as a “communion of persons” and that they mirror the Trinity?  What is your response to this idea?  How do your relationships reflect the love of God?  Are there places you have been wounded in relationships and need healing? Open these places up to the Lord. Do you have people in your life to pray with about these difficult areas? Resources:  Human Love in the Divine Plan Print Commentary on Audiences 8-10     

Special announcement about the launch of Season 5! Special re-releases of past episodes are coming in preparation for this next part of our study of the Theology of the Body. Music from #Uppbeat License code: VCJZF01YXM7JCY4C  

Welcome to the final episode of Season 4! We cover audiences 82-86 which will take us to the end of Part 1 of the text.  We start with a section entitled:  “Paul’s Understanding of the Relation Between Virginity and Marriage” which is an analysis of 1 Corinthians 7. We also wrap up the season, as usual, by sharing what has been most impactful for each of us personally this season and how God has been working in our lives.  Quotes:  “Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my counsel as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.” (1 Corinthians 7:25)  “I say this to you, brothers, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none…those who buy as though that had no possessions, and those who make use of the world as though they made no use of it. For the stage of this world is passing away. I want you to be free from anxieties.” (1 Corinthians 7:29-32)  "The unmarried person is anxious about what is the Lord’s, how to please the Lord." (1 Corinthians 7:32)  “...the one who pleases God cannot close himself in himself…”Pleasing the Lord” has love as its background.” (TOB 83:10; 84:1)  “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain as I am. But if they do not know how to live in continence, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame.” (1 Corinthians 7:8-9)  “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is well for a man not to touch a woman. Still, because of the danger of incontinence, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”(1 Corinthians 7:1-2)  “I wish that all were as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one in one way and another in another." (1 Corinthians 7:7)  “The hope of everyday shows its power in human works and even in the very movements of the human heart, clearing a path in some sense for the great eschatological hope tied to the redemption of the body” (TOB 86)  Reflection Questions:  What did you find most helpful in this episode?  Have you ever been confused by St. Paul’s statements regarding marriage and virginity? What became more clear for you?  What do you find most difficult about married life? In particular, loving as Christ calls us to love.  Whatever your vocation may be, we are all called to seek to please the Lord out of love for him. In what ways are you "anxious to please the Lord”?  As Sister said, celibacy is an invitation and a way to love God. Are you open to whatever God may be inviting you to? In what ways do you strive to remain open?  How do you counsel your children regarding vocation? Challenge: Watch Sound of Music with your “TOB Lenses”. What do you learn from Mother Superior in the way she responds to Maria? How could you apply that to those you come into contact with needing guidance?  Are you able to keep your eyes on Heaven while also loving fully as we are called to love? What does that look like in your life?  How are you sensitive to the Holy Spirit living within you and your spouse or within those you live?  Are there ways in which you could grow in this area?  How do you best learn to love? (“Training Wheels” or “Balance Bike”?)  Resources:  Maria Talks with Mother Superior Climb Every Mountain-Sound of Music  Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts Audio: Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: TA1ABH4Q0T4FT9GW  

Welcome to the Be Filled Podcast! We are honored to have Father Brian Straus join us as we continue our conversation on “Celibacy for the Kingdom of Heaven”. Fr. Brian is a Diocesan Priest in the Diocese of Springfield Cape-Girardeau. He is currently serving as Pastor at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Joplin, MO. He is also the Chaplain for McAuley Catholic High School, the Director of Campus Ministry at Missouri Southern University, and the Regional Vocations Promoter for the region. He is also a co-host of the Mission Catholic Podcast! (Link Below) Father shares so beautifully and honestly about the life of a Priest. You do not want to miss it!!  Quotes:  “In Christ’s words about continence “for the kingdom of heaven,” there is not a hint of “inferiority” of marriage related to the “body” or to the essence of marriage consisting in the fact that man and woman unite with each other in such a way as to become “one flesh”. (TOB 78:1)  “The perfection of Christian life is measured by the measure of love…Such perfection is possible and accessible for every human being, whether in a “religious institute” or in the world.” (TOB 78:3)  “It is a characteristic feature of the human heart to accept even difficult demands in the name of love, for an ideal, and above all in the name of love for a person. And so, in this call to continence for the kingdom of heaven, first the disciples and then the whole living Tradition of the Church quickly discovered the love for Christ himself as the Bridegroom of the Church, Bridegroom of souls, to whom he has given himself to the end in the mystery of his Passover and of the Eucharist.” (TOB 79:9)  “...and therefore acquired the meaning of an act of spousal love, that is, of a spousal gift of self with the end of answering in a particular way the Redeemer’s spousal love; a gift of self understood as renunciation, but realized above all out of love.” (TOB 79:9)  We have the “awareness of the freedom of the gift, which is organically connected with the deep and mature consciousness of the spousal meaning of the body in the structure of man’s and woman’s personal subjectivity as a whole.” (TOB 80:5)  “...man (male and female) is able to choose the personal gift of self to another person in the conjugal covenant, in which they become “one flesh”, and he is also able to renounce freely such a gift of self to another person, in order that by choosing continence “for the kingdom of heaven” he may give himself totally to Christ.” (TOB 80:6)  The choice for celibacy for the kingdom cannot “be made in a free and conscious manner without reference to one’s own masculinity or femininity and to that spousal meaning proper to man…it is made on the basis of the full consciousness of the spousal meaning, which masculinity and femininity contain in themselves.” “In order to be fully aware of what he is choosing (continence for the kingdom), he must also be fully aware of what he is renouncing.” (TOB 80:7)  The renunciation is an affirmation that “flows from the discovery of the “gift”, that is realizing oneself “through a sincere gift of self”. “..this discovery stands in deep inner harmony with the sense of the spousal meaning of the body connected “from the beginning” with the masculinity or femininity of man as a personal subject.” (TOB 81)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most in this episode?  What did you learn from Fr. Brian’s experience about the priesthood?  Have you ever thought that those who choose religious life or the priesthood are running away from marriage and family? Did this episode help you have a deeper understanding?  Both the call to marriage and the call to “celibacy for the kingdom” have a “spousal” character. What is your reaction to this idea?  Have you ever thought that marriage is better than celibacy or vice versa? What do you think about this after listening to the show?  Fr. Brian discussed spiritual fatherhood and motherhood as a call for all of us. What did you find most helpful on this topic? What experience have you had with spiritual motherhood or fatherhood?  What is your response to the idea that someone who says “yes” to the call to celibacy is responding to the love of Christ?  How did you feel when Fr. Brian talked about the desirableness of marriage and raising a family?  Do you ever think the “grass is greener on the other side” regarding vocation? How can you take all your desires to God and let him meet you there?  Pray about how you can show your Pastor your appreciation this week. Consider inviting him over for a meal. Make sure you thank him in whatever way you are able.  Resources:  The Mission Catholic Podcast Leo XIV Inauguration Homily  Audio: Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: SDUWO5VZJKXVOHHI

Welcome to the Be Filled Podcast! We are studying Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are discussing General Audiences 73-76.  We will take the next three episodes to look at how those who are called to celibacy for the Kingdom of God are actually pointing us to the life we are all destined for in Heaven by abstaining from marriage here on earth.  Quotes:  “If this is the condition of man in relation to woman, it is not advantageous to marry. Not all can understand it, but only those to whom it has been granted. For there are eunuchs who were born this way from their mother’s womb; there are some who were made eunuchs by men, and there are others who made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone understand this who can.” (Matthew 19:10-12)  “The question of continence for the kingdom of heaven is not set in opposition to marriage, nor is it based on a negative judgment about the importance of marriage.” (TOB 73:3)  “It is not because “it is not advantageous to marry,” nor because of a supposedly negative value of marriage that continence is observed by those who make such a choice “for the kingdom of heaven” in their lives, but in view of the particular value which is connected with this choice and which one must discover and welcome as one’s own vocation.” (TOB 73:3)  “This way of existing as a human being (male and female) points out the eschatological “virginity of the risen man, in which…the absolute and eternal spousal meaning of the glorified body will be revealed in union with God himself, by seeing him “face to face,” glorified moreover through the union of a perfect intersubjectivity…in the mystery of the communion of saints. Earthly continence “for the kingdom of God” is without doubt a sign that indicates this truth and this reality.” (TOB 75:1)  “Only little by little did it consciously take root that for “the kingdom of heaven” a special significance attaches to man’s spiritual and supernatural fruitfulness-which comes from the Holy Spirit…” (TOB 75:4)  “Mary’s desire to remain a virgin “was not a rejection of any of the values of the married state but a courageous choice which she made in order to consecrate herself totally to the love of God.” (Pope Paul VI)  “Mary’s virginal life was motivated by her “desire for total union with God.” She “wanted to be his faithful bride”. (Pope John Paul II)  “Virginity is really the whole offering of soul and body to be consumed in the fire of love and changed into the flame of its glory. The virginity of Our Lady is the wholeness of Love through which our own humanity has become the bride of the Spirit of Life.” (Caryll Houselander)  “The ultimate nuptial union “is between the Word and the flesh and the bridal chamber of the union is the Virgin’s womb.” (St. Augustine)  “On the background of the words of Christ one can assert not only that marriage helps us to understand continence for the kingdom of heaven, but also that continence itself throws a particular light on marriage viewed in the mystery of creation and redemption.” (TOB 76:6)  Reflection Questions:  What was most powerful to you in this episode? How have you interpreted Jesus’ statement about celibacy for the kingdom? How have you seen those who have chosen to say “yes” to the call? Have you ever asked your Parish Priest to share their vocation story? Consider asking him to share it with you or your parish. In considering God’s call on your life, are you open to what He desires for you? If you are single, have you taken time to listen to what God is drawing you too regarding vocation? How can you make more space for quiet in your life? If you are married, are you listening to God’s voice regarding your marriage and children? How could you teach your children to learn to listen to God’s call for their own life? As you heard Sister share the beauty of living a life of celibacy for the Kingdom, what were your reactions? Did this open your eyes in any way to the beauty of this vocation? How do you feel when you see Religious and Priests? What comes to mind for you? Is it inspiring? Uncomfortable? Have you ever thought about the nature of Mary and Joseph’s marriage? Have you ever heard of Mary being “Ever Virgin”? Was this concept new to you? What are your reactions to this? Think about the religious and priests who have impacted you. What spiritual fruit has been born through them?  Resources:  For Love Alone Video  John Paul II on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary  The Virgin Mary and Theology of the Body by Father Donald Calloway  Theology of the Body and the Marian Mystery Course  Mary Queen of Apostles Music Mary Queen of Apostles Interview  Music from #Uppbeat License code: GMJU65RQIAVMPKXH

Welcome to another episode of the Be Filled Podcast! We are continuing our study of Saint Pope John Paul II”s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are looking at General Audiences 70-72, which is a study of Saint Paul’s writings to the Corinthians regarding Christ’s own resurrection and what that means for us as believers.  Quotes:  “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is in vain and also your faith is in vain…But now Christ has been raised from the dead.” (1 Cor 15:14,20)  The resurrection of Christ is “the final and fullest word of the self-revelation of the living God as “God not of the dead, but of the living.” (Mk 12:27)...the resurrection is the answer given by the God of life to the historical inevitability of death…that was a consequence of sin.”...The resurrection is the beginning of everything returning to the Father so that “God may be all in all”. (1 Cor 15:28)...The resurrection of Christ means that death is vanquished. “The last enemy to be destroyed will be death.” (1 Cor 15:26) (TOB 70:3)  “If we are to live according to the full truth of our bodies-to live according to the image in which we are made-we too must have our own encounter with the risen Christ. Indeed, the road to human happiness begins and ends in this meeting.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Pg. 327-328, Christopher West)  “What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised full of power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus, it is written that the first man, Adam, became a living being, but the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-46) “Redemption is the way to the resurrection. The resurrection constitutes the definitive accomplishment of the redemption of the body.” (TOB 70:8)   “Just as we have borne the image of the man of earth, we will bear the image of the heavenly man.” (1 Cor 15:49)   “...fulfillment and confirmation of what corresponds to the thought and plan of the one who created man from the beginning in his image and likeness.” JPII writes that we carry within ourselves “a particular potentiality (capacity and readiness) for receiving what the “second Adam” became..that is, Christ, and what he became in his resurrection.” (TOB 71:3)  “Brothers and sisters:If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)  Reflection Questions:  What did you find most powerful in this episode? How do you celebrate the season of Easter? Spend time praising God for the reality of Christ’s resurrection and the hope we now have for our own resurrection. How does hope in the resurrection of your body impact the way you live your life? How does hope in the resurrection of your loved ones impact your life? Do you live your life in the truth that the victory of over has already been won? What might that look like? How could those around know that you are on your way to Heaven? Think back on your life. What are the moments of encounter with the risen Lord that changed the direction of your life? Take a moment to praise God for his personal care for you! “Every flower has the potential to bloom.” Do you ever feel tempted to doubt that God will heal you? Do you ever think you are too broken to be put back together? Pray with whatever might be coming up as you consider your wounds. How could your wounds (spiritual, emotional, physical) actually be helping you get to Heaven? How could your wounds be glorified in the resurrection? Is there a way in which the experiences you are most ashamed of or hate about yourself could give God the most glory in Heaven? Open those places up to the Lord’s gaze. Let him sit with you and allow his healing rays of mercy and love enter. What are you captivated by and how could God be drawing you closer to Him through it?   ​​Music from #Uppbeat License code: GBF26IYNWISEMG44

This week we are covering audiences 67-69. We are continuing our conversation about our lives in heaven. In particular, the divinization of our bodies. And let me tell you…this is powerful stuff. You don’t want to miss this!  Quotes:  Divinization is “Participation in the divine nature, participation in the inner life of God himself, penetration and permeation of what is essentially human by what is essentially divine, will reach its peak, so that the life of the human spirit will reach a fullness that was absolutely inaccessible to it before.” (TOB 67:3)  “Eternal life should be understood as the full and perfect experience of the grace of God.” (TOB 67:5)  “By sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.” (CCC #221)  “That perennial meaning of the human body…will then be revealed again and will be revealed at once in such simplicity and splendor that everyone who shares in the “other world” will find in his glorified body the fountain of the freedom of the gift.” (TOB 69:6)  Reflection Questions:  What did you find most powerful in this episode?  As you learned about our “divinization” in Heaven, what came up in your heart?  Have you ever considered our life on earth as a “practice” for Heaven? How could you allow yourself to be “stretched” so you can be completely full in Heaven?  Pray with your imagination. Imagine what it might be like to be in a relationship of reciprocal gift with the Trinity. What comes up for you? Are there ways you can begin preparing your heart for this relationship even now?  How much “eyeball time” do you have with your family and friends? Ask God to open your eyes to how this will be a preparation for all eternity. What are your thoughts?  As you listened to Patty discuss the levels of prayer, what stuck out most to you?  Are there times you avoid the gaze of God? When? What fears do you have about allowing God to look upon you?  Have you ever considered that Jesus’ heart burns/longs/aches for you? He wants to pour out his love on you. Are you open?  What are some ways that you struggle with seeing your body as a gift? What would it be like to be able to clearly see and understand the meaning of your body?  Resources:  Matthew Leonard Study on Prayer  Surrender Novena Audio: Music from #Uppbeat License code: 62I1DAEIBNO50CO8

This episode we are beginning a new chapter of the text entitled “Christ Appeals to the Resurrection”. We get to spend the rest of this season, so 6 episodes on this topic. We will be discussing Audiences 64-66 under the heading “The Synoptics: “He is Not God of the Dead But of the Living”.  Quotes:  “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they take neither wife nor husband, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the  God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” (Mark 12:24-27)  “...mere literal knowledge of Scripture is not enough. Scripture is in fact and above all a means for knowing the power of the living God, who reveals himself in it.” (TOB 65:3)  “When they rise from the dead, they take neither wife nor husband.” (Mark 12:24) “In the future resurrection human beings, having regained their bodies in the fullness of the perfection proper to the image and likeness of God-having regained them in their masculinity and femininity-will take neither wife nor husband.” (TOB 66:1)  “The sons of this age take wife and take husband; but those who are considered worthy of the other world and the resurrection from the dead take neither wife nor husband.” (Luke 20:34-35)  “In the resurrection, the body will return to perfect unity and harmony with the spirit: man will no longer experience the opposition between what is spiritual and what is bodily in him. “Spiritualization” signifies not only that the spirit will master the body, but, I would say, that it will also fully permeate the body and the powers of the spirit will permeate the energies of the body.” (TOB 67:1)  “Resurrection means restoration to the true life of human bodiliness, which was subjected to death in its temporal phase.” (TOB 66:5)  “All that is essentially human in the original experiences of solitude-unity-nakedness will be brought to ultimate fulfillment. Heaven, therefore, will be the experience of a great multitude of solitudes living in perfect unity without any fear of being seen and known by each and by all.” (Christopher West, “Theology of the Body Explained”, pg. 305) “...man’s ultimate beatitude “must be understood as the definitively and perfectly ‘integrated’ state of man brought about by such a (perfect) union of the soul with the body.” (TOB 66:6)  Reflection Questions:  What impacted you most in this episode of the podcast?  Have you ever considered that the Sacraments (including marriage) are signs of what is to come in Heaven? How do you feel about this prospect?  What do you think about those who have gone on to Heaven continuing to be ALIVE and active members of the Body of Christ?  Have you ever limited God through your interpretation of Scripture? Did this idea challenge you in any way?  How has God pursued you in your life?  Have you ever considered what our bodies will be like in Heaven?  What reactions do you have to JPII’s description of the “spiritualization” of the resurrected body?  What is your vision of Heaven? Imagine how your relationship with self, others, and God will be made whole. Spend time praising God for His goodness and ask him to help you walk ever closer to Him today.  How could more contemplation on your death and heaven change how you live your life?  Resources:  Eternal Rest: The Art of Dying Well “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven but didn’t know to ask” Peter Kreeft Music from #Uppbeat License code: 3F5Z4PHDLZMMGA8V

This episode we are discussing audiences 60-63 entitled “The Ethos of the Body in Art and Media”. JPII explores the ethical dimension of both artists who reproduce or depict the human body in art/media as well as those who look at the human body in art and media. He asks the question: is it possible to portray the human body in art and media while also upholding the dignity of the person?  Quotes:  “Artistic objectification of the human body in its male and female nakedness…is always a certain transfer outside of this configuration of interpersonal gift that belongs originally and specifically to the body….the human body loses that deeply subjective meaning of the gift and becomes an object destined for the knowledge of many…” (TOB 61:1)  “...that of the gift oriented toward the very depths of the personal subject or toward the other person, especially in the man-woman relation according to the perennial order of reciprocal self-giving. (TOB 61:2) “Herein lies the challenge for artists. If they are to portray the visible structure of the person (i.e., the human body), they must do so in a way that does not obscure but brings to light the interior structure of the person.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, pg. 285)  “...that “element of the gift” is, so to speak suspended in the dimension of an unknown reception and of an unforeseen response, and thereby it is in some way “threatened” in the intentional order in the sense that it can become an anonymous object of “appropriation,” an object of abuse.” (TOB 62:3)  “Michelangelo’s nudes are not pornographic because he intended to reveal the spousal meaning of the body as a revelation of the trinitarian mystery. It is quite clear, however, that this is not the intention of pornographers, who portray the naked body with the explicit intention of rousing lust and profiting from concupiscence. By doing so, they explicitly violate “the intimate and constant order of the gift and of reciprocal self-giving” inscribed in the human being” (TOB 62:1)” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, p.288)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to you most in this episode?  Have you ever considered how looking at nakedness could be a violation of the person?  Have you ever considered the impact of “taking possession” of a person and not being in a relationship with them? How could this be harmful to you?  Are there shows or movies you watch that may not be in line with the goodness of the dignity of the person? Would you invite Jesus to sit with you and watch? If not, consider taking this to prayer and examining your reasons for watching what you do.  Have you ever seen a work of art portraying the human body that inspired you and drew you closer to God?  When watching a show that portrays the human body, ask yourself: Does this bring to light the interior structure of the person? Or does this obscure or distort the person? When you look at art or other forms of entertainment, where do you see the true, good, and beautiful? Begin to ask the Lord to open your eyes to all He wants you to see. Be sure you pay attention to the movements of your heart as you are entertained. Are you ignoring the prompting of your hearts or being sensitive to God’s voice? Are you desensitized to sexual content? Ask the Lord to show you His will for you in this area and if there are any changes you need to make. Take time to contemplate the image of St. Teresa of Avila in Ecstasy. What are your reactions? Do you desire to be this close to our Lord?  Resources:  St. Teresa of Avila’s Ecstasy  Magdala Ministries (Resource for women)  Exodus 90 (Resource for men) Audio: Music from #Uppbeat License code: 6VR6ZHFSYZHKHINL

Welcome to the show! We are continuing our study of St. Pope John Paul II”s teaching on the Theology of the Body. Today we discuss audiences 58 and 59 which is a review of what we have discussed so far in the text. We talk about some of the practical applications of what we have learned to our marriages and everyday lives. You won’t want to miss it!  Quotes:  “When you decide to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden on you: it will be a crown of triumph.” (Saint Josemaria Escriva)   “The inner man must open himself to life according to the Spirit, in order to share in evangelical purity of heart: in order to find again and realize the value of the body, freed by redemption from the bonds of concupiscence.” (TOB 58:5) “This is the body’s great dignity: it incarnates God’s mystery, which is love. Man’s vocation is to love as God loves, and it is revealed through the spousal meaning of his body.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, p. 278)  “It is the purity of the “man of concupiscence”, who is nevertheless inspired by the word of the Gospel and open to “life according to the Spirit”, that is the purity of the man of concupiscence who is completely enveloped by the “redemption of the body” achieved by Christ. (TOB 58:5)  “The satisfaction of the passions is, in fact, one thing, quite another is the JOY a person finds in possessing himself more fully, since in this way he can also become more fully a true gift for another person.” (TOB 58:7) “It is also to be feared that the man, growing used to the use of contraceptive practices, may finally lose reverence for women and…may come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion.” (Pope Paul VI, Humane Vitae 17)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most this episode?  Do you see chastity or “purity of heart” as a burden?  Do you believe that “you can do hard things”? Do you believe “purity of heart” is possible?  Do you have others in your life who you can walk with to pursue the Lord and “purity of heart”?  Pray about your marriage and the way you “make love”. Are you truly loving the whole person or are there ways in which you are using each other? Ask God to show you what His vision is for your marriage.  Have you allowed yourself to be “completely enveloped by the redemption of the body achieved by Christ”?  Have you experienced the joy in “possessing” yourself more fully and to “become more fully a true gift for another person”?  How is your heart after hearing about the Catholic Church’s teaching on contraception? Pray with whatever comes up and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.  Resources:  Humanae Vitae (Pope Paul VI)  Good News About Sex and Marriage, Christopher West   Music from #Uppbeat License code: QFSWGTVIVG193AOY

This episode we continue our conversation about purity of heart. We discuss Audiences 52.4-57. We talk about true freedom that comes when we completely offer ourselves to the Lord out of love and as a response to his love for us. We will look at what gives us both power and motivation to live our lives in accordance with God's plan.  Quotes:  “...if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:12-13)  “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity; that each one of you knows how to keep his own body with holiness and reverence, not as the object of lustful passions, like the Gentiles who do not know God…For God did not call us to impurity but to sanctification. Therefore whoever rejects these norms rejects not a human being but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”  (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)  …“ceases to be capable of this freedom for which ‘Christ has set us free’; he also ceases to be suitable for the true gift of self, which is the fruit and expression of such freedom. He further ceases to be capable of the gift organically linked with the spousal meaning of the human body” (TOB 53:3)  “The task of purity is not only a turning away from unchastity…but is also a turning toward the holiness of the body, a holiness that calls for our reverence, admiration, and respect.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, p.267)  “God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he willed…the members of the body that seem weaker are more necessary, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater reverence, and our unpresentable members are treated with greater modesty; whereas our more presentable members do not need this. But God so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the member that lacked it, so that there may be no disunion within the body, but the members may have care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:18; 22-25)  “...from shame is born “reverence” for one’s own body, a reverence that Paul asks us to keep. Precisely this keeping of the body “with holiness and reverence” is to be considered essential for the virtue of purity.” (TOB 55:5)  “When a mother and father are concerned about the way their teenage daughter dresses, rather than focusing only on the clothes, they would do better to instill in her a sense of awe and wonder for the divine dignity of her body and the gift of her sexuality.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, p.271)  “Flee from prostitution! Any sin that a man commits is outside of his body;but the one who gives himself to fornication sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you do not belong to yourselves?” (1 Corinthians 6:18-19) “...has the effect of a new supernatural elevation in every human being, which every Christian must take into account in his behavior toward “his own” body and obviously toward another’s body: man toward woman and woman toward man.” (TOB 56:4)  “In this Gift, which makes every human being holy, the Christian receives himself anew as a gift from God.” (TOB 56:4)  The Holy Spirit dwelling within us works and develops the gift of “piety” which, JPII writes, makes “the human subject sensitive to the dignity that belongs to the human body in the mystery of creation and redemption.” (TOB 57:2)  “This anthropology grows from roots that plunge down into the reality of the redemption of the body achieved by Christ, a redemption whose final expression is the resurrection.” (TOB 57:5)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most in this episode?  Do you find yourself vacillating between either self-reliance and self-indulgence? Pray and ask the Lord to help you learn to trust Him and to open up to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.  What is your understanding of “sanctifying grace”? Have you heard of infused supernatural virtues? What is your response to this? Pray for openness to all the grace that God wants to pour out on you. (see the link below for Fr. Ripperger’s talk)  What does true freedom look like for you? Is it doing whatever you want or being able to do what is truly good?  How do you see the relationship between your “effort” and God’s work in your heart?  How can you apply this as you teach your children about modesty?  How do you view your body? Ask the Lord to show you the wounds you carry in regard to your body. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to your goodness and holiness.  How has the view of your body impacted your behavior? When have you kept your body in holiness and reverence? When have you not kept your body in holiness and reverence? Take all of this to prayer and ask the Lord for mercy and healing.  What are your thoughts about Katie’s reflections on photosynthesis as an analogy for life in the spirit? How does God speak to you through creation?  Resources:  The Spiritual Life with Fr. Ripperger Music from #Uppbeat License code: 0NJDTKJELXNYSQBE

Welcome to Season 4!! We are continuing our study of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are taking a look at Audiences 50-52.3 where JPII analyzes St. Paul’s view of purity, how it corresponds to Christ's call to purity of heart, and what is meant by “life according to the Spirit”.  Quotes:  “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”  (Matthew 15:18-20)  “In this manner Christ directs an appeal to the human heart: he invites it, he does not accuse it…” (TOB 50.1)  “I say to you, live by the Spirit and do not satisfy the desires of the flesh; for the flesh has desires contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires contrary to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Galation 5:15-16)  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit on things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5)  “The desires of the flesh lead to death while the desires of the Spirit lead to life and peace. In fact, the desires of the flesh are in revolt against God because they do not submit to God’s law, nor are they able to. Those who live according to the flesh cannot please God. But you are not under the dominion of the flesh but of the Spirit from the moment that the Spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. And if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of justification. The one who raised Jesus from the dead will give life also to your mortal bodies by his Spirit which dwells in you.” (Romans 8:6-11)  “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these….The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-mastery.” (Galatians 5:19-23)  “The “fruit” grows in them as the gift of a life whose only Author is God; man can, at the most, provide for favorable circumstances that the fruit may grown and mature.” (Man and Woman He Created Them, pg. 334, Footnote 62) Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart most in this episode? What has been your experience of the relationship between outward action and interior spiritual growth? What do you tend to focus on most? Ask the Lord to reveal any way in which you are too focused on exterior actions and not on the condition of your heart. What are ways you might be avoiding what is in your heart? Are you “stuffing” things away? Pray with this and ask the Lord for grace to let Him see those places you want to hide. What is your understanding of what it means to live “life according to the Spirit”? How do you stay open to the Holy Spirit? When desires come up, do you ask the Spirit for guidance? Think back on your life. When have you been living your life “according to the flesh”? When have you lived your “life according to the Spirit”? How can you recognize this difference within yourself?  Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/chase-the-sun License code: K10D2IXJ9A4K92ES

This episode we discuss Audience 49 of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body entitled “The Ethos of the Redemption of the Body”.  JPII explains how what Christ is proposing to us is a “new” way of living. We discuss how Christ’s words are always through the lens of the Redemption and true power to free us from sin and change our hearts. We end the episode talking about this season as a whole and how God has been working in our lives.  Quotes:  “...the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning with labor pains together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:21-23)  “…we can never forget that in the teaching of Christ the fundamental reference to the question of marriage and the problem of the relations between man and woman appeals to the beginning. Such an appeal can only be justified by the reality of the redemption.”  (TOB 49:3)  “As St. Paul says, a man engrossed in sin does not know what sin is without the law. Such a man will avoid lust only begrudgingly at first, out of obedience to the law. If he perseveres, however, lust itself becomes more and more distasteful to him. His subjective desires come more and more in tune with the true, the good, and the beautiful. In this way, the negative and prohibitive ethic of Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount become a positive and liberating ethos.” (Christopher West, The Theology of the Body Explained, p. 251)  “Purity is a requirement of love. It is the dimension of the inner truth of love in man’s “heart”.” (TOB 49:7)  “In this behavior, the human heart remains bound to the value, from which it would otherwise distance itself through its desire…“The value in question is that of the body’s spousal meaning, the value of a transparent sign by which the Creator…has written into the heart of both the gift of communion, that is, the mysterious reality of his image and likeness.” (TOB 49:5)  When tempted to devalue someone:  “I affirm that this is a person made in the image and likeness of God. He or she is loved into existence by Him and deserves to be loved and not used. Lord, thank you for this person you have made. Please open my eyes to the gift this person is and how I can be a gift to him/her.”  Reflection Questions:  What stuck out to you most from this episode? What do you think the Lord is saying to you? Spend some time meditating on Romans 8:21-23. Here is a guide for Lectio Divina. Reflect on your current spiritual condition. Are you growing in your faith and hope? What are some barriers to your growth right now? What are some “labor pains” you are experiencing right now? Are you able to sit in them in the hopes that God is working for your good? Are there ways in which you are avoiding the pain? As Katie said, “Throw yourself on the floor.” What fruit might God be trying to bear through them? How could Our Blessed Mother walk with you through difficulty? Consider consecrating yourself to Jesus through Mary. Here is the resource Patty mentioned in the show. What are your thoughts regarding temperance and self-mastery? Have you seen the Christian life as just “white-knuckling” or a real transformation of your desires? Thank you so much for listening or watching the show! Be sure to connect with us through our e-mail: [email protected] or through our YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook pages.   Music from #Uppbeat License code: TZXKQAUWOQWWVM2R

In this episode we discuss Audiences 44-48 of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. Is Jesus merely accusing the human “heart” of concupiscence or is he calling our “hearts” to something higher?  Quotes “The body in its masculinity and femininity has been called “from the beginning” to become the manifestation of the spirit.” (TOB 45:2) “To gain a true victory over lust, John Paul says that purity must mature from the “negative” turning away to the more “positive” recognition and assertion of the real beauty, dignity, and value of the body and of sex.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, p. 234)  “Man must feel himself called to rediscover, or even better, to realize, the spousal meaning of the body and to express in this way the interior freedom of the gift, that is, the freedom of that spiritual state and power that derive from mastery over the concupiscence of the flesh.” (TOB 46:4)  “The inheritance of the beginning, the inheritance of his heart, which is deeper than the sinfulness inherited, deeper than the threefold concupiscence. Christ’s words, set in the whole reality of creation and redemption, re-activate that deepest inheritance and give it real power in human life.” (TOB 46:6)  “Redemption is a truth, a reality, in the name of which man must feel himself called, and “called with effectiveness” (TOB 46:4)  “According to Plato, “eros” represents the inner power that draws man toward all that is good, true, and beautiful.” (TOB 47:2)  “People often maintain that ethos takes away spontaneity from what is erotic in human life and behavior…Yet this opinion is mistaken and, at any rate, superficial. If we accept it and obstinately maintain it, we will never reach the full dimensions of eros.” (TOB 48.2)  “Christ’s words are demanding ... .they demand that man has full and deep consciousness of his/her own acts, and above all his interior acts, and that he is conscious of the inner impulses of his own “heart” so that he can identify and evaluate them in a mature way.” (TOB 48:3)  “When eros and ethos meet, they bear fruit in purity. Purity leads us in truth. Those with a mature purity of heart simply do not “look with lust”. Even if concupiscence still tugs at them, the pure of heart can recognize it, resist it, and allow grace to “untwist” it.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, page 244)  Reflection Questions How do you view your body? Do you believe that your body is good or only the “spiritual” part of you? Is there anything that keeps you from being at peace with your body? In what ways do you “devalue” your body? Pray with this and ask the Lord for healing in this area. Thank you Lord for my body, Help me to care for my body out of a desire to love others well, so that I become a self-gift and learn to love as you love. Heal any false views of what I need to be and help me to embrace your vision of me as a whole person, body and soul. What is your experience with Natural Family Planning? Is this new to you? We encourage you to seek to learn more. A link for more information can be found below! Do you believe that Christ has “real power” to set you free from sin? If you really believe it, how would that impact your relationship with him and the way you live? You are called to “this supreme value, which is love.” Sit with this thought. You are called to love and be loved. Ask the Lord to help you see how it is you can love others and allow yourself to become more receptive to being loved. “The inheritance of the beginning, the inheritance of his heart, which is deeper than the sinfulness inherited, deeper than the threefold concupiscence. Christ’s words, set in the whole reality of creation and redemption, re-activate that deepest inheritance and give it real power in human life.” Do you believe this? The power you have access to through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is more powerful than the inheritance of Original Sin! What does that mean for your life today? Are you claiming this truth? What are the “knots” in your life that you feel are impossible to “undo”? Consider praying the “Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena”. Link below! Imagine that your life is part of a masterpiece. Are you playing the part God is asking you to play? Ask the Lord to help you make beautiful music with him. What has your definition of “eros” been up to now? How was your definition challenged by what JPII wrote? We must “burn but not be consumed”. Take this to prayer. Get in touch with your passions. What makes you feel alive? Where are you in awe? What (or to whom) are they actually pointing you to? What is it you really want?  Resources:  Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena  TOB Institute Recommended Therapists  More Therapists!  https://centerforhealingkc.com/  Jana Burns https://inviacounseling.life/jana Jackie Stone https://www.mendpsychotherapy.com/our-team Karley Daniels https://www.newdaycounseling.co  

We continue our discussion on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. This episode we discuss Audiences 42 and 43 in which Saint Pope John Paul II analyzes the words of Christ found in Matthew 5:27-28: “...has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  Quotes:  “The concupiscence that arises as an interior act on this foundation changes the very intentionality of the woman’s existence “for” the man by reducing the wealth of the perennial call to the communion of persons, the wealth of the deep attraction of masculinity and femininity, to the mere satisfaction of the body’s sexual “urge”.” (TOB 43:3)  “...the knowledge about man that allows us-as we emphasized elsewhere-to unite the awareness of human sinfulness with the perspective of the redemption of the body.” (TOB 42:7)  “Christ makes the moral evaluation of “desire” depend above all on the personal dignity of the man and the woman; and this is important both in the case of unmarried persons and-perhaps even more so in the case of spouses, husband and wife.” (TOB 43:1) “Adultery in the heart” is not committed only because the man “looks” in this way at a woman who is not his wife, but precisely because he looks in this way at a woman. Even if he were to look in this way at the woman who is his wife, he would commit the same adultery “in the heart”.” (TOB 43:2)  "...A man can commit such “adultery in the heart” even with his own wife if he treats her only as an object for the satisfaction of drives.” (TOB 43:3)  “...the grace of marriage offers a healing of concupiscent desire. Through the healing power of the redemption of the body, men and women can progressively (re)experience sexual desire as God created it to be-the desire to love as he loves in the sincere gift of self.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, pg. 225)  “...man must rediscover the lost fullness of his humanity and want to regain it.” (TOB 43:7)  “Human life is by its nature “co-educational” and its dignity as well as its balance depend at every moment of history and in every place of geographic longitude and latitude on “who” she shall be for him and he for her.” (TOB 43:7)  “Should we fear the severity of these words or rather have confidence in their salvific content, in their power?” (TOB 43:7)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke to your heart in this episode? How in tune are you with your heart? What attitudes do you have that keep you from living out the commandments from the heart?  If you are not living from your heart, do you have a desire to grow and go deeper? If not, ask the Lord to meet you where you are and give you the grace you need. In what ways are you living out the “perennial call” to the communion of persons-to be a gift to another? What areas do you feel you need to grow? If you are married, how do you see your spouse? Are you treating him/her with dignity or as an object to satisfy the sexual urge? Are you acting selfishly or not? If you are not married, how do you view marriage? Is it an outlet for lust or the remedy for concupiscence? Have you ever thought of marriage as healing? What are your thoughts about this? Reflect on Katie’s experience of NFP and how it has led to deeper intimacy with her husband. What feelings are stirred? Pray with this and continue to ask the Lord to reveal how He wants to love you through your marriage Music from #Uppbeat License code: IMIPCX8SWAJ04SZF Resource: Rachelle wrote this article describing the Theology of the Body Summer Program we need for kids. It contains a link to a document with the list of movies we used.     

This is our second episode discussing John Paul II’s analysis of Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:27-28. This episode we will be looking with JPII at the words, “Whoever looks to desire” found in Audiences 38-41. Music from #Uppbeat License code: DFEXTNDDO03CUS81 Quotes: “Christ did not die on a cross and rise from the dead merely to give us coping mechanisms for sin (we already had plenty of those without a savior). Christ died and rose again to set us free from sin…The more we gaze with faith upon Christ, the more “his gaze purifies our heart.” In turn, the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in light of his truth.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, pgs.213-214)  “Desire, blazing like a furnace, will not die down until it has been satisfied; the man who is shameless in his body will not stop until the fire devours him; to the impure man, all bread is sweet, he will not grow tired until he dies. The man who is unfaithful to his own marriage bed says to himself, “Who can see me? There is darkness all round me, the walls hide me; no one can see me, why should I be afraid? The Most High will not remember my sins.” What he fears are human eyes; he does not realize that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun; they see all the acts of men and penetrate into the most secret corners…Likewise the woman who abandons her husband, who provides him with heirs received from a stranger. (Sir 23:16-22)”  “...the comparison between concupiscence of the flesh and fire: flaring up in the man, it invades his senses, arouses his body, draws the feelings along with itself, and in some way takes possession of the “heart”. Such passion, springing from carnal concupiscence, suffocates the sense of responsibility before God…It is true that, when passion is set into the whole of the spirit’s deepest energies, it can also become a creative force; in this case, however, it must undergo a radical transformation.” (TOB 39:2)  “Once the inner man has been reduced to silence and passion has, as it were, gained freedom of action, passion manifests itself as an insistent tendency toward satisfying the senses and the body…This satisfaction…ought to extinguish the fire; but, on the contrary, it does not reach the sources of inner peace…the man whose will is occupied with satisfying the senses does not find rest nor does he find himself, but on the contrary “consumes himself.” (TOB 39:2)  “If we allow our passions to “undergo a radical transformation,” they can become, once again, the desire to love as God loves.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained, pg.216)  Reflection Questions:  What spoke most to your heart in this episode?  Has lust been an issue in your life? Do you believe that Christ came to set you free?  “Christ did not die on a cross and rise from the dead merely to give us coping mechanisms for sin (we already had plenty of those without a savior).” What are your thoughts on this?  Do you want the freedom Christ came to give you? What would it look like to be set free from lust?  Could you see your own experience in JPII’s description of how the “fire” of lust grows from a flame to consuming the person?  Were you surprised at JPII’s understanding of lust? Why or why not?  Can you relate to Charlie Brown trying to kick the football when it comes to temptation to give in to lustful desire?  “If we allow our passions to “undergo a radical transformation,” they can become, once again, the desire to love as God loves.” Pray with this. How is God speaking to you? 

This is the first of three episodes covering a new section of Saint John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body entitled “Commandment and Ethos”. We discuss the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, “It was said, “Do not commit adultery” in audiences 34-37.  Quotes:  “...the human being of every time and of every place feels himself called in a manner that is adequate, concrete, and unrepeatable, because Christ appeals precisely to the human ”heart”...With the category of “heart,” everyone is identified in a singular manner, even more than by name; he is reached in that which determines him in a unique and unrepeatable way; he is defined in his humanity from within.” (TOB 35:4) “The discernment of good and evil inscribed in the human conscience can turn out to be deeper and more correct than the content of a legal norm.” (TOB 35:5)  “One can say that this law, while combating sin, at the same time contained in itself the “social structures of sin”; in fact, it protected and legalized them.” (TOB 36:1)  “...the less the heart conforms to truth, the more the need arises for laws that must corral the people into maintaining some semblance of order.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West, pg. 208)  “In the revelations of the prophets...the God of the covenant, Yahweh, is often represented as Bridegroom, and the love with which he joined himself to Israel can and should be equated with the spousal love of a couple.”(TOB 36:5)  “Out of love, God-Yahweh makes the covenant with Israel; for Israel he becomes a Bridegroom and Husband who is most affectionate, attentive, and generous toward his Bride.” (TOB 37:3)  “Adultery is a sin because it is the breaking of the personal covenant between the man and the woman.” (TOB 37:4)  “...in order to determine what is good, we only need to ask a simple question: Does this sexual attitude, thought, or action truly image God’s free, total, faithful, and fruitful love?” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West, pg. 211)  Reflection Questions:  Do you prefer a list of rules over really listening to your heart? Pray with this and ask God to show you what fears may be getting in the way for you.  Spend some time with the Lord and ask yourself: Am I interpreting Church teaching or Jesus’ words in a way to justify sin in my life? Are there Church teachings I avoid learning about because I don’t want to change?  Spend some time with the photos of the woman caught in adultery and Jesus (link in the resources section) Imagine the way that Jesus looks at you. Let him gaze upon you in love. Allow him to love you wherever you may find yourself on this spiritual journey.  What are your thoughts about the Church not changing our teaching to conform to the culture? Are you frustrated by this? Do you find it comforting?  What is keeping you from prayer? What consumes your thoughts? Ask the Lord to show you what might be keeping you from growing in your relationship with God.   Do you believe that God is in love with YOU? What is your response to this?  Resources:  “Male, Female, Other?: A Catholic Guide to Understanding Gender by Jason Evert Navigating Gender with Charity and Clarity: A New Course by Jason Evert Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery Bill Donaghy Commentary Audiences 34-37 Music from #Uppbeat License code: 6EIKI2XHRCQSL0AT

Welcome to another episode of the Be Filled Podcast! We are continuing to discover the beauty of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. We have spent the last two episodes discussing the “Man of Concupiscence”. This episode we are discussing Audiences 31.5-33 which is entitled “The Corruption of the Spousal Meaning of the Body”.  Quotes:  “Historical man has this lifelong task: to give voice to the deepest aspirations of his heart by accepting the grace of ongoing conversion.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained) “That “meaning” does not modify the reality in itself, that is, that which the human body is and does not cease to be in the sexuality that belongs to it, independently of the states of our consciousness and our experiences.” (TOB 31.5) “The human body in its masculinity and femininity has almost lost the power of expressing this love in which the human person becomes a gift…The “heart” has become a battlefield between love and concupiscence.” (TOB 32:3)  “From John Paul’s analysis we learn that if men and women are to “belong” to each other in the full expression of the communion of persons, they must first belong to Christ. They must first be in communion with him. The road to restored communion between the sexes passes by way of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And there is no detour.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained)  Reflection Questions:  When you think about your body, what comes to mind? Do you seek to glorify yourself through your body or glorify God (or a little of both)? Pray with this and ask God to reveal any ways in which you idolize your body. What are the deepest aspirations/desires of your heart? How could you find moments of silence throughout your day to listen to God? This week, try to slow down and pray with God’s word. See below for a guide to Lectio Divina. What meaning do you give to your body? How does that impact the way you live? What do you feel God calling you to do to help your children understand the meaning of their bodies? Please reach out if you need support or a list of good therapists to work with. What has your experience been with fighting concupiscence in your relationships? Pray with this and ask God to show you areas in your relationship that need His grace in order to grow. What did you think about the “Crazy Cycle”? Could you think of any examples of this in your relationships? If you are a man, how do you see your role with your woman and how can you encourage her to live a holy life? If you are a woman, how do you see your role and how can you encourage your man to live a holier life? “Let your man be Jesus.” Whatever your vocation, Jesus is your protector and guardian. What are your reactions to this? Pray with whatever comes up. What does it mean to you to belong to another? Do you see this in a positive sense or negative? Resources: Lectio Divina Guide Love is a Battlefield  Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs Holy Family School of Faith Rosary Podcast: The Mission of Marriage  Bill Donaghy Commentary  Meditation on Givenness by Pope John Paul II  Music from #Uppbeat License code: U39BBBCUO2WFBTPE    

This episode we discuss Audiences 29-31.1 in the text of Man and Woman He Created Them by Saint Pope John Paul II. We look at how man and woman’s new experience of shame and the subsequent covering of their bodies (in particular the parts that make them male and female) impact the communion of persons between them.  Quotes:  “Above all...that shame-which...makes the man and the woman hide their own bodies before each other, and especially their sexual differentiation-confirms that the original power of communicating themselves to each other....has been shattered.” (TOB 29:2) “Since after original sin, man had lost the sense, so to speak, of the image of God in himself, that loss manifested itself by shame.” (TOB 29:3) “This is the tragedy of concupiscence: It exchanges a self-seeking gratification for the sincere gift of self; it uses the other as an object made for my sake, rather than loving the other as a subject made for his or her own sake.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West)  “Because of sin, woman now experiences a particular “reduction” in comparison with man. Her special giftedness as woman-the fact that she embodies receptivity in relation to God, the man, and the gift of new life...” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West, pg. 194-195) “...we reject our posture of receptivity  as “feminine-bride” in favor of being our own “masculine” lords. We want to be “like God” but without God.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West, pg. 195) “...shame…reveals the moment of concupiscence, at the same time it can provide weapons ahead of time against the consequences of the threefold component of concupiscence.” (TOB 31:1) Reflection Questions: How can man and woman complete the image of God in the visible world? Is this something you have ever considered?  When have you experienced being “used” rather than loved by another? Take these wounds to prayer. Ask God to meet you in those places.  Prayerfully consider how shame kept you from being vulnerable when you needed to be in a relationship? Are there parts of you that you feel are not loveable? How could you invite the Lord into those places in your heart? Have you experienced a dissatisfying relationship? What do you think contributed? Again, take the Lord with you into all these wounds and experiences.  We often see our femininity as a burden. Pray with your feelings around your fertility. Ask the Lord to heal wounds and to restore your receptivity to life.  How do you see Mary? Ask her to help you image her perfect receptivity to God so that new life may be born in you. Spend some time with this prayer from St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. Read it slowly and prayerfully. Notice your feelings and what the Lord may be saying to you. “Let yourself be vulnerable.  Let your walls down, your carefully constructed fortresses breached, your fiercely guarded heart laid bare.  Let your wounds be touched, your fears revealed, your deepest desires, damaged dreams, and most daring hopes unveiled before the Bridegroom who has the power to redeem, restore, and resurrect them. Drop your independence and the idea—which you clutch so tightly—that you can do anything to protect and save yourself.  And let Him love you.” Think about your relationships. Is there anyone you can be intentionally vulnerable with in your life? Who can you talk to to bring to light what might be in the dark. If you are married, are you able to share openly about your weaknesses? If not, begin asking the Lord to break down any barriers within yourself and your spouse.  Resources: Bill Donaghy Commentary Audio: Music from #Uppbeat License code: MONXUDER2NECLIK7

We are continuing our journey through the text “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” by Saint Pope John Paul II. In this episode we are discussing General Audiences 26-28. John Paul II’s analysis will help us to understand what happened in the heart of man at the Fall which led us to be prone to sin. We also discuss how shame impacts the man and woman in the following areas: relationship with self, relationships with creation, relationship with the Creator, and relationship with each other.  Quotes:  “All that is in the world, the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:16)  “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:4-6) “By casting doubt in his heart on the deepest meaning of the gift, that is, on love as the specific motive of creation and the original covenant, man turns his back on God-Love, on the “Father”. He in some sense casts him from his heart.” (TOB 26:4)  “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:7-10) “Shame touches in that moment the deepest level and seems to shake the very foundations of their existence.” (TOB 27:1)  “In reality, what shows itself through “nakedness” is man deprived of participation in the Gift, man alienated from the Love that was the source of the original gift, the source of the fullness of good intended for the creature.” (TOB 27.2)  Reflection Questions:  What was most powerful to you in this episode?  Do you believe that God’s plan for you is bigger and better than you can imagine?  Reflecting on your life, have there been times you grasped for what you wanted rather than waiting for God’s timing?  When have you doubted God’s love for you? Has this doubt led you to turn away from the Father? Pray with any doubt you may have in your heart about his goodness and love. Ask the Lord to show you his presence and to increase your trust in Him.  Consider the areas of weakness or sin in your life. What do you think you are really wanting? How could you redirect your desire (or “rocket engines”) to God? Pray with whatever comes up as you consider this question. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you.  When you are tempted, where do you turn your gaze? How can you pray with temptation and grow in intimacy with the Lord?  What struck you as you learned about the way shame/sin fractured man and woman’s relationship with self, creation, God, and one another?  Where are you, in your heart? Pray with what comes up for you and invite the LORD to be with you right there.  Have you ever thought of shame in a positive way? How has the feeling of “shame” helped you to know what is right and wrong?  How do you imagine God sees you when you fall? Pray with this. Ask the Lord to reveal His heart to you.  Resources:  Bill Donaghy Commentary on Audiences 26-28 Man of Original Innocence/Original Concupiscence Comparison Chart  Music from #Uppbeat License code: IGL8VPUOYJ6LUWLN

Welcome to Season 3 of the Be Filled Podcast! This episode we begin a new chapter in the text “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” by Saint Pope John Paul II. We are beginning to look at Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount regarding “looking to desire” and what it means to commit “adultery in the heart”. We are now on YouTube! If you would like to watch the show please follow us here Quotes:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’. But I say to you: whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)  “Moral value is connected with the dynamic process of man’s innermost (being). To reach it, it is not enough to stop “on the surface” of human actions, but one must penetrate precisely the interior.” (TOB 24:3)  “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)  “”Adultery in the heart”, committed by a man when he “looks at a woman to desire her,” signifies a clearly defined interior act.” (TOB 25:3)  “Through the “heart”, man “is defined in his humanity ‘from within’” (TOB 34:4). Emotions, thoughts, and affections originate in the heart. The heart, then, is where we know and experience the true meaning of the body, or, because of the hardness of our hearts, fail to do so.” (Christopher West, Theology of the Body Explained)  Reflection Questions:  1. What comes up for you when you hear Jesus’ words, “Whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”? Does this bring up old wounds in your life? Does it leave you feeling discouraged about the state of your heart? Notice what emotions/thoughts come up and pray with them. Ask the Lord to meet you there and to gently show you what He wants you to know. How could your personal experience help you connect with this teaching?  2. Ponder this question: If God is dwelling in your heart, who is He living with? Who are His roommates? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and ask him to make known to you anything dwelling in your heart that needs to be purified.  3. How do you view the word “desire”? What are the deepest desires of your heart? What is it that you really want? How could all of your desires point you to God?  4. What “nutrients” are you putting into your heart? How does what you put in your heart impact your thoughts, feelings, and behavior? Is there anything you may need to let go of in order to be free to hear God’s voice in your life?  5. Do you believe that Jesus has the power to really change your heart and life?  Resources:  Bill Donaghy Commentary 

Hello!! Season 3 will begin September 4, 2024! Listen for some exciting news about a new way to enjoy the show!  Here are the links mentioned: Season 3 Reading Schedule  YouTube Channel  Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode!!   

This is the final episode of Season 2! This episode we discuss Audience 23 in the text of Saint Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. We also talk about how God has worked in our lives and how the podcast experience has been so far. We share briefly what you can expect for Season 3 and then share resources for more study.  Reflection Questions: What are you hearing in the culture that shocks you? When you heard that Jesus is not “surprised” by what we encounter, how did you feel?  Where do you go for answers to the concerns you have about our world? Where is your hope found?  How are you able to share this message with those you encounter? Pray for those who are struggling to find their true identity.  What have you found most helpful in this study of Theology of the Body so far?  What are your hopes for the next season? What questions do you need to pray with and seek out answers?  Resources:  Theology of the Body Institute has many resources to learn more!  The Institute also offers “TOB Patron” for individuals and “TOB Parish” for Churches. Both of these resources have multiple programs for adults, teens, and middle school students. They also have virtual retreats, talks, and e-books.  “Dignitas Infinita”  is a new document on the Church’s teaching regarding the dignity of the human person and how it is applied to multiple modern day issues.  Forever: A Catholic Devotional For Your Marriage by Jackie Angel and Bobby Angel Catholic Women’s Conference Registration  Called To Be More: Theology of the Body for High School  Scripture Study: Daily Readings and Bible In a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz 

This episode we continue our study on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. We are discussing General Audience 20-22 on “Knowledge” and Procreation.  We discuss what it means that man and woman “knew” each other through the “one flesh” union. We also discuss what Motherhood and Fatherhood reveal to man and woman about their masculinity and femininity.  Scripture:   “Now Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD. (Genesis 4:1)  Quotes to Ponder: “A word on this “unrepeatability” of the person: a husband and wife who truly “know” each other have arrived at the irreducible core of the person, and each loves this person-not merely spiritual or physical attributes of the person, but the person himself (herself). At this level, they continually recognize and affirm the unrepeatability of the other; he (she) is utterly unique and cannot be repeated or replaced.” (West, Theology of the Body Explained, p.154) “...we should observe that in Genesis 4:1 the mystery of femininity manifests and reveals itself in it’s full depth through motherhood, as the text says, “who conceived and gave birth.” Woman’s motherhood reveals to the man the mystery of his masculinity, “that is, the generative and “paternal” meaning of his body.” (TOB 21:2)  “Despite all the experiences of his own life, despite the sufferings, the disappointments in himself, his sinfulness, and, finally, despite the inevitable prospect of death, man always continues, however, to place “knowledge” at the “beginning” of “generation”; in this way he seems to participate in that first “vision” of God himself: God, the Creator, “saw everything…and indeed, it was good.” And always anew he confirms the truth of these words.” (TOB 22:7)  Resources:  Barbie Movie Opening Scene Christopher West Commentary on the Barbie Movie Bill Donaghy Commentary

This episode we continue our study on Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body. We are discussing General Audience 16.3-19.6 on the Mystery of Original Innocence. With JPII, we are “zooming in” on the Communion of Persons between man and woman. We discover the source of this Original Innocence and it allows man and woman to become a “disinterested gift of self”.  Quotes to Ponder:  “This innocence belongs to the dimension of grace contained in the mystery of creation, that is, to that mysterious gift made to man’s innermost [being]—to the human heart—that allows both the man and the woman to exist from the “beginning” in the reciprocal relationship of the disinterested gift of self.”  (TOB 16:3)  “The body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it.” (TOB 19:4)  Reflection Questions:  When have you experienced someone making a gift of themself to you not expecting anything in return?  What response did you have? When have you been a free gift to someone else? How did it feel?  “Grace is God’s self-gift to man.” (Christopher West) Are you open to receive the gift that God wants to give you? Is there any resistance to his grace in your heart? Pray with this and ask God to help you open your heart to Him.  How can you become a gift to those in your life? Think about your family, your Church, your friends, and community. Could you do something today to be a gift?  When someone sees you and tells you the goodness they see, how does that impact you? Has anyone ever seen gifts in you that you didn’t recognize?  How do you see God’s love through your relationships? Can you see how God makes His love known in a concrete way through the love of man and woman? Resources:  Commentary  Rachelle’s Visual Aids 

WARNING: This episode includes references that are not suitable for children. Parental discretion advised.  In this bonus episode, Rachelle interviews Abbey Foard who is an Associate Director of Desert Stream Ministries based in Kansas City. Abbey shares her journey from brokenness to integration and healing. She also shares about Desert Stream Ministries. Desert Stream Ministries mission: Based on Jesus' mercy and the dignity of men and women made in God's image, they equip Christians to gather in pursuit of radical wholeness. You can find more information about this ministry and how you can be involved here.   Resources:  Abbey Foard Email  Desert Streaming Podcast Living Waters Leadership Training  Living Waters Workbook DSM Care Opportunities  If you have any questions or comments for us, we would love to hear from you. We can be reached by email at [email protected]. 

We are continuing our study of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are beginning a new section of the text entitled “Man In The Dimension of Gift”. This is the first of two episodes in this section. Today we are discussing General Audiences 13.2-16.2 on The Spousal Meaning of the Body.  Guiding Quote:  “The dimension of gift is decisive for the essential truth and depth of the meaning of original solitude-unity-nakedness.” (TOB 13:2)  Reflections Questions:  What impacted you most in the podcast?  Spend some time reflecting on your existence. Ask God to help you recognize the gift of life He has given you. How can you be a gift to your Creator today?  Do you stop to notice the beauty of creation? Take some time this week to be outside and notice beauty. Put your “Gift Goggles” on! Praise God for all He has given you in creation.  How can you teach your children, grandchildren, friends, and students to look for gifts everyday?   How can you be a free gift today to those God has placed in your life at home, work, school, and in your community?  Reflect on the miracle of you. You are not an accident. How does it make you feel when you consider that you are willed by God?  Who in your life has made themselves available for you? How did this make you feel? Who in your life can you be completely available for? What might that look like?  Resources:  Double Rainbow Guy A Meditation on Givenness by Pope John Paul II  Wonderfully Made! Babies: A Catholic Perspective on How and Why God Makes Babies (for ages 9 and up) by Ellen Giangiordano Commentary on Audiences 13.2-16:2 Next episode we will be discussing Audiences 16.3-19.6 on The Mystery of Original Innocence. If you have questions or comments, we would love to hear from you. We can reached by email at [email protected].

We are continuing our study of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are discussing General Audiences 11.1-13.1 on Original Nakedness. We discuss the meaning of “nakedness” and what it meant that the first man and woman did not experience shame.  Scripture:  “And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25)  “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7)  Reflections Questions:  What stood out most for you in this episode?  Try to think back to when you first heard the story of creation. How did you respond to the fact that Adam and Eve were naked? What factors do you think have influenced your view of the body and of nakedness?  Do you practice transparency/vulnerability in your relationships? How could being open with others help you to receive those God has placed in your life?  Recall your first experience of shame. Based on your experience of shame, what do you imagine the first man and woman’s experience of not having shame would be like? Pray with this asking God to heal any wounds you may be carrying related to shame.  Have you experienced brokenness in your relationships due to deep shame and insecurity? How did the understanding of the relationship between the first man and woman impact you? What longings are stirred in your heart? Pray with these longings and invite the Lord to be with you there.  How is your vision of men and women? Is there anything that needs the healing touch of God? Resources:  Commentary on Audiences 11-13.1 For more information on the Ruah Woods Curriculum click here. Next episode we will be discussing Audiences 13.2-16.2 on the “Spousal Meaning of the Body.”  We want to thank Leslie at The Mirror, our diocesan newspaper, for publishing a beautiful article about the podcast! We are so grateful for your support. You can read the article here.

We are continuing our study of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are discussing General Audiences 8-10 on Original Unity. We discover two meanings of Original Unity. We explore the meaning of Adam’s sleep, the meaning of “the rib”, communion of persons, Adam’s response to Eve when she is created, and what is happening on a spiritual deeper level when man and woman become one flesh.  Scripture:  So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,  “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:21-24) Quotes:  “...one must first recognize that this Genesis torpor (sleep), in which, by the work of Yahweh-God, the man is immersed in preparation for the new creative act…” (TOB 8:3)  “...the torpor into which God lets the man fall underlines the exclusiveness of God’s action in the creation of the woman. Man had no conscious part in it.” (TOB Footnote 12, p. 158) “...man falls into this “torpor” with the desire of finding a being similar to himself…the circle of the human person’s solitude is broken, because the first “man” reawakens from his sleep as “male and female.” (TOB 8:3)  “...man becomes the image of God not only through his own humanity, but also through the communion of persons, which man and woman form from the very beginning….Man becomes an image of God not so much in the moment of solitude as in the moment of communion.” (TOB 9:3)   “...femininity in some way finds itself before masculinity, while masculinity confirms itself through femininity.”(TOB 10:1) “When they unite with each other (in the conjugal act) so closely so as to become “one flesh,” man and woman rediscover every time and in a special way the mystery of creation, thus returning to the union in humanity that allows them to recognize each other reciprocally and to call each other by name, as they did the first time.” (TOB 10:2)  “The fact that they become “one flesh” is a powerful bond established by the Creator through which they discover their own humanity, both in its original unity and in the duality of a mysterious reciprocal attraction.” (TOB 10:2)  Reflections Questions:  Have you ever thought of sleep as a surrender? How do you typically end your day? Are you full of worry?  What are you powerless over in your life right now? Are you willing to surrender it over to God’s care and wait for Him to work?  Imagine yourself in the Garden with Adam and Eve. What do you think it was like for them when they saw each other for the first time? What do you think they discovered about themselves and each other in that moment?  Have you ever thought of the relationship of man and woman as a “communion of persons” and that they mirror the Trinity?  What is your response to this idea?  How do your relationships reflect the love of God?  Are there places you have been wounded in relationships and need healing? Open these places up to the Lord. Do you have people in your life to pray with about these difficult areas? Resources:  Human Love in the Divine Plan Print Commentary on Audiences 8-10  Next episode we will be discussing Audiences 11.1-13.1 on Original Nakedness.   

In this episode, we continue our discussion on the text of Saint Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Today we are covering Audiences 5-7 on the meaning of “Original Solitude”. We explore what the first man discovered about what it means to be a person in the process of naming all the animals. We share our personal reflections on the passage and talk about how solitude is still important in our lives today.  Quotes:  “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18-20) “...the created man finds himself from the first moment of his existence before God in search of his own being, as it were; one could say, in search of his own definition; today one would say, in search of his own “identity”. (TOB 5:5)  “..then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) “Man is “alone”: this is to say that through his own humanity, through what he is, he is at the same time set into a unique, exclusive, and unrepeatable relationship with God himself.” (TOB 6:2) “We cannot understand who man is apart from his supreme call to a covenant of love with his Creator. Of course, this call to communion is not man’s due. It is a sheer, gratuitous gift, but a gift that reveals man’s greatness. “The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. Our call to receive this gift explains who man is and why he aspired to “something more”. (Christopher West)  Reflection Questions:  What impacted you most in this episode?  Try to place yourself in the garden with Adam. What do you notice as God brings the animals to him? How do you imagine Adam responding to the animals? What kind of dialogue might there have been between Adam and his Creator during this process?  Do you take time for solitude with the Lord? What might be getting in the way for you?  As you consider how the human person is unique in all of creation, what is your response?  You are unique and unrepeatable and your relationship with God is unique and unrepeatable. What is your response to this thought? Jesus intentionally took time to pray away from others. Why do you think he did this? What do you think he gained from taking this time away?  Take 5-10 minutes each day to be still and quiet. Begin with this prayer, “Ever present God, here with me now, help me to be here with you.”  How can you choose to love God today with your freedom?  Resources:  Bill Donaghy’s Commentary on Audiences 5-7 Jungle Book Clip: You Wouldn’t Marry a Panther The Mindful Catholic: Finding God One Moment at a Time  The Integrated App The Being Human Podcast 

 Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast! Today we begin our study of the text of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. If you would like a reading plan click here. This season we will be covering the first chapter entitled, “Christ Appeals to the Beginning.” In this episode we discuss General Audiences 1-4 (pages 131-146 in the text), in which John Paul II sets the stage for what will be the topic of the first chapter. We summarize John Paul II’s teaching and share our reflections. Scripture References:  “And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”  (Matthew 19: 3-6)  TOB and Commentary Quotes:   “...man is created on earth together with the visible world…the Creator seems to halt before calling him to existence, as if he entered back into himself to make a decision, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” (TOB 2:3) “Herein lies the meeting point of the remarkable gift of God with the mystery of human freedom. In the face of grace lost, God presents us with the sheer gift of salvation, but it remains up to us to accept the gift.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West: p.93)  Resources: Theology of the Body Reading Plan  Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II’s Theology of the Body by Christopher West Bill Donaghy’s Commentary on General Audiences 1-4  Reflection Questions: What impacted you most in this episode?  Are there underlying fears or wounds that impact your views on what Jesus teaches? Bring all of this to prayer and ask God to open your heart to the beauty He wants to reveal to you.  How do you respond to those who have questions about what Jesus teaches? What can you learn from Christ’s response to the Pharisees?   What does being made in the “image of God” mean to you?  Do your beliefs about yourself correspond to the reality that you are made in God’s image? Ask God to open your heart to see where you may be believing something that is not rooted in the truth.  Do you believe that Jesus has come to redeem you and will give you all the power you need to live out his plan for your life? What holds you back from believing? Take this to prayer.  Next episode we will be discussing General Audiences 5-7 on Original Solitude. If you have any questions or comments for us, we can be reached at [email protected]. We can also be found on Facebook and Instagram for more encouragement between episodes.   

On this bonus episode of the show, I sit down with my good friend Liana Straus. Liana shares some of her story and her experience with Theology of the Body. Her love for people who are searching is so evident and she has much to share with us about how to bring people closer to the Lord. Liana was an intern at the Theology of the Body Institute and has so much wisdom to share! I hope you enjoy this episode!  Season 2 will launch on January 17, 2024! Are you ready? We are so excited to get started with the Saint John Paul II's text of Theology of the Body!!  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us by email at [email protected]. You can also follow us on social media! We are on Instagram and Facebook. 

This episode we recap Season 1 and share about what you can expect next season. We also share how we explain Theology of the Body to others. Season 2 will begin on January 17, 2024!  Quote:  “The body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. The body has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery of God’s love hidden from eternity, and thus to be a sign of it” (Theology of the Body, 19:4). Resources:  Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II  Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II’s Man and Woman He Created Them  

On this episode, Father Allen Kirchner joins the show to introduce the text of Saint Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Fr. Allen Kirchner, a theology teacher and Chaplain at Springfield Catholic Highschool, shares what theology of the body is, why Saint Pope John Paul II wrote it, and the basic outline of the teaching. I hope you enjoy the conversation!  If you have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you! We can be reached by email at [email protected]. We are also on social media! You can find us on Facebook and Instagram.  Special thanks to Will Parker and Landon Schuldies for providing new equipment to improve the quality of our show! We are so grateful! 

This episode we continue our conversation on human freedom. Today we look at the Church’s definition of freedom found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We share our own personal experience and discuss John Paul II’s view of freedom.  Quotes:  God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. “God willed that man should be ‘left in the hand of his own counsel,’ so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him.”  Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts. (CCC #1730) Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude. (CCC #1731)  “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32)  Reflection Questions:  1. What impacted you most in this episode?  2. Have you ever considered your relationship to God as analogous to the relationship between spouses? What are your thoughts about this idea?  3. Would you say that you are freely and without reservation “cleaving” to your Creator? What might that look like for you?  4. What kind of person do you want to be? Do your actions coincide with the vision you have for yourself? Ask God for the grace to see who He wants you to be and ask him, boldly, for the grace to live that vision out.  5. Reflect on the definition of freedom found in the Catechism. What are your thoughts? How is this definition different from what we see in the secular world?  6. What are some barriers to your freedom? Have you had experiences that have wounded your ability to freely choose the good? Sit with these wounds and ask the Lord for deeper healing.  7. When have you felt the most free in your life? 8. Our ability to notice our feelings and invite God into difficult moments is something that sets us apart from other creatures. Could you relate to the experiences shared in the podcast?  9. How has the gospel been presented to you? Has it been coercive or persuasive?  10. Are there any “pebbles” in your shoe? Where do you sense the Lord calling you to be open to change? Pray with whatever feelings are coming up and ask God to meet you there.  If you have any questions or comments for us, we can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. We are also on Instagram and Facebook! We would love to hear from you! 

We continue to prepare to read and reflect on Saint Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body by exploring the meaning of freedom. Today we will discuss one common definition of freedom that emphasizes the ability to choose without searching for what is good and true. We discuss how we have defined “freedom” in our lives and begin to look to Saint Pope John Paul II’s view of freedom. Quotes: “I ceased to be the captain of my soul.” (Oscar Wilde) “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…. I can will what is right but I cannot do it.” (Romans 7: 15) “…they see the truth about good as a threat to their freedom. They fear that a higher law, not of their own making, can only interfere with their acting through themselves and hence interfere with them as persons. They claim that they would lose their individuality if they were to submit to a law that is the same for all persons. And so, they think that to save themselves as persons they have to become subjectivists about good, that is people who think that each person creates his or her own conception of good and the moral life.” (“The Personalism of John Paul II”, John Crosby) “Obedience is a beautiful loss of control. So just obey and lose control.” (Christopher West) Resources: “The Personalism of John Paul II” by John Crosby Reflection Questions: (1) What did you relate to most in the podcast? (2) How do you define freedom? How has your view of freedom changed in your life? (3) Have there been times in your life you have not felt truly free? When have you felt most free in your life? (4) Are there areas of your life you feel unwilling to trust God with? What fears do you have about coming to a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Church? (5) Do you believe that God is FOR you? What do you think true freedom would look like in your life? (6) What do you think would happen if you surrendered your will and life to the care of God?