Our bodies tell us of our inherent value, regardless of our productivity. While sitting around doing nothing can make us feel useless, we have to realize that our worth comes from the fact that God made us in His own image and likeness, not from the work we produce.
In the age of the Internet, we consider it quite fashionable to talk about how much we want to do away with the ever-present distraction of our smartphones. And yet for many of us – myself included – we don’t often get past the talking stage when discussing getting rid of our phones. Some people switch to “dumb” phones, but often times we have to just learn to live with this distraction as a cost of living in a modern world. That begs the question, why do these devices which we hoped would connect us make us feel more distant than ever? You can probably already guess the answer: because the body matters!
Last week we reflected on the Prophet’s candle which represented hope. This past Sunday, we lit the “Bethlehem Candle” at Mass, which represents faith. When lighting this second violet candle, we remember the faith Mary and Joseph had in God’s promises as they headed towards Bethlehem.
Some things simply require a bodily experience to properly understand why we should have a healthy fear of it. God gave us a huge world to explore, and a sense of fear to keep us safe from danger. But even so, that fear should not keep us from legitimately pursuing our goals – the greatest of which is to love God above all else. But when we overcome our fears in pursuit of God, we come to a greater love of Him through the virtue of courage.
Pope John Paul II reflected on solitude, drawing parallels between Adam’s loneliness and his own experiences during Nazi occupation. He emphasized that, while facing despair, turning to God and self-giving leads to deeper companionship and purpose.
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“This theology of the body is the basis of…the most appropriate method of…man’s education…” —TOB 59:3
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