Some great TOB reflections for Holy Week: In this article Christopher West describes the Cross as Christ’s “marriage bed” where he consummates His love for His bride the Church: While this imagery might raise some eyebrows, it needn’t be cause for scandal if we properly understand the spousal symbolism of the Bible. As the Catechism observes, “The entire Christian life … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Eighth Grader: “They’re Abusing God’s Gift”
A very proud mother recently passed along to me her son’s topic for his current events assignment at school a few weeks ago. It was on the 3/5 Fox News article “States Move Away from Abstinence-Only Sex Education as Teen Birth Rates Rise“. His summary: Students from Connecticut and California could be learning about a no-abstinence only sex education soon. … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Fasting is Preparation for Feasting
If you’ve ever wondered what the purpose of Catholic fasting is, TOB expert Christopher West offers this beautiful explanation: Fasting allows us to feel our hunger. And feeling our physical hunger can, if we allow it, lead us to feel our spiritual hunger, that is, our hunger for God. Think of the woman at the well: she came there physically … Read More
TOB Tuesday: The Call to Marriage
The spousal language of the body, as explained in John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, is lived out in two specific vocations: Marriage and celibacy for the Kingdom. Here, in part of the Road to Cana DVD series the late and very blessed Fr. Richard Neuhaus beautifully explains the call to Marriage: Strong, healthy, Christ centered marriages are the … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Lent and the Theology of the Body
Fr. Loya of Catholic Exchange has a great article on how Lent can be helpful to our sex lives: Lent is characterized by three things: prayer, fasting and almsgiving (increased charity.) Perhaps the most striking of these three features is fasting. The practice of fasting is found in many of the great Biblical figures the first of whom being Jesus … Read More
TOB Tuesday: TOB and Lent
“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, Feb 20, 1980) Lent is a very “bodily” season … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Theology of the Body and Ephesians Ch. 5
I finally uploaded another video from Christopher West in Rolla, MO last year. Here he explains the ever-so controversial Ephesians Ch. 5 as it’s meant to be understood – he then relates it to why so many women like Titanic and men like Braveheart: Ephesians 5:21-33 (West uses the translation “submission,” the translation I’ve got here (from the NAB) is … Read More
TOB Tuesday: “Understanding My Future Bride”
In a recent article for the Theology of the Body (TOB) Institute, a seminarian shares what he learned during a week-long TOB Head to Heart Immersion Course: I learned that celibacy is so much more than ‘giving up’ something. Instead, it is actually giving my whole self to God and to His Church. The Spousal analogy of Christ as the … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Feminine Receptivity
Last week I talked about the gift of masculinity. Today then I will focus on woman and the gift of femininity – specifically our gift of receptivity. In terms of living according to genuine masculinity and femininity, today’s men and women are further disadvantaged by the rise of radical feminism that does merely encourage the “equality” of the sexes, but … Read More
TOB Tuesday: The “Manhood Project”
Last week I brought up the importance of men and women complimenting each other with their sexual differences by living according to authentic masculinity and femininity. So I was pleased to come across this column at the Catholic Exchange’s TOB Channel on what one man is doing to teach his sons how to grow to be “Godly, Loving Men.” He … Read More