This summer I have seen many marriages and relationships fall apart, children being bounced between mom and dad, and couples not able to “work it out”. There is also my own son who broke up with his long time girlfriend.
Although my husband and I are available to sit and talk to our children, I found that living by example is one of the best role models for them. We freely discuss with them the challenges of relationships, the importance of shared values, commitment, and a belief system.
When I started to read Pope John Paul II Theology Of The Body, it was an eye opener. Never has this been discussed when I was a young teen growing up in the 70s. I was happy to come across the writings of John Paul II in a course I was taking on Theology of the Body.
This helped my husband and I discuss with them basic values as well as God’s will in our lives – in our relationships, friendships, and marriage, as well as all the gender issues that has permeated our social sphere.
Based on his Wednesday audiences at the Vatican, Theology of the Body provided the theological framework from which we can look at man and woman as created not only in God’s images, but it what it means to be a true gift to one another. A very dense reading as it is Pope John Paul II’s tour de force.
For my own children I purchased a more age appropriate version by Jason Evert. He also has videos on YouTube which I shared with many young teens and adults since they are more likely willing to watch a video as opposed to my talking about it. Unfortunately that is a reality of our wired world. So I’ll send them the link, or book, and discuss what they thought of it.
Other books I highly recommend are either books or YouTube videos by Edward Sri. His insights into John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility is in the book listed below. He has also written extensively on Theology of the Body.
To understand the craziness of our time and how we got here, Abigail Fatale’s book, The Genesis of Gender is a must read as it not only echos back to Genesis and the creation of man and woman, it also looks specifically at a Christian theory of the body. It also discusses how this sacramental world view has been covered up and abandoned by modernism – and all “ism”.
These Beautiful Bones by Emily Stimpson looks at how we can live the theology of the body in our everyday. Theology of the body is not just about sex, male and femaleness, marriage and relationships, it is about living it every moment in our lives as we walk with Christ in holiness.
The paperback version cost me $50 plus – not a choice since I underline and mark up my books. There is the kindle version which is affordable.
These books have been pivotal in guiding me to be a stronger me in my own walk with Jesus. They also help me address and see the damage/chaos within our secular world as it embraces “me-ism”.
They also provide a good base by which to talk about “Imago Dei” to our youth and young adults fascinated with “me-ism”.
God Bless 💕🙏
Be Inspired! 