Be Filled

The Language of the Body

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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: 

  1. What spoke to your heart most in this episode? 
  2. When you consider the wedding vows quoted above, how have you lived out these vows in your marriage? 
  3. 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? 
  4. 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. 
  5. Have you considered that your reproductive system “makes no sense” by itself? What does this reality mean? 
  6. 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? 
  7. “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. 
  8. 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. 
  9. 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? 
  10. 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? 
  11. 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? 
  12. In what quiet ways can you make a difference in our world? 
  13. 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! 

    14. 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



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