Gift of Self and Marriage

In a culture today where marriage is thrown around like a term from yesterday, here is a profound example of the marriage covenant, "til death do us part" and an example for all of us, whether we are married, celibate, or single.

Here is the link below to the resignation speech of Robertson McQuilkin, where he resigned as President of Columbia International University. He resigned to care for his wife, Muriel, who had Alzheimer's.

The statement which really stands out for me is his commitment to his wife in marriage, and not only the "good times." He says, "Its not that I have to, it's that I get to." 

When I first heard this story back in the late 1990s on my car radio, I had to pull the car over and cried. I wondered if my own marriage could be that strong. My own father at that time had Alzehimer's and my mother cared for him for over a decade.

In the day where the dignity of the human body is being discarded like trash,  we must behold and hold up the dignity of the human body, whether a young body in the best of health or the suffering of the elderly. 

In our themes of the mind, body, and being human...

Check out website, heysigmund.com, Where the science of Psychology meets the art of being human. I just saw this website today as an article was floating around Facebook. There are quite a few good articles here worthy of a read.

Check out this article in the website, titled "The Rules for Being Human": http://www.heysigmund.com/the-rules-for-being-human/

The author is Karen Young, who is a psychologist and blogs at Huffington Post UK. 

here is a snippet from the article.  I suspect most of us do not love our bodies.

1. "We all have a body. Best learn to love it. "

   "There is only one body like yours on the entire planet – and you own it – so that makes it a pretty precious commodity. Look after it and get to know it well. Above all else, love it. You can’t take care of something you don’t like. Either we can treat it well or we can treat it with delicious bad carbs andluscious lazy days on the couch. I’m all for a bit of both. But note to the universe, when it comes to taking care of this body of mine, if exercise had the side of effect of, you know, making me love exercise or something, things would be a whole lot easier, so you might want to work on that."  Karen Young

New Religon of Food by Jared Zimmerer

This is an interesting article in terms of evangelization using food and exercise, and a dash of TOB!

A few excerpts from his blog article...


"We Christians must learn, once again, to put flesh and experience on our message. Pope Francis’ whole modus operandi is to go out beyond our comfortable limits and bring Christ to the disenfranchised, the lost and the forsaken. While we may not be asking others to adhere to strict dietary law, we can also present a way of life that can change and enhance the practitioner, much more than any diet or exercise routine."

" Your body speaks a language. What language are we speaking as the body of Christ if we live in the cyclical danger of mental preparedness but never physically go out and bring others into our mission? Can those who you bring into your life tangibly see the virtues you profess?"

http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/the-new-religion-of-food/4786/

More Theology of the Body from Bishop-Elect Robet Barron

This video was first published on August 2, 2011 and Fr. Barron discusses Saint Pope John Paul's early works, including Love and Responsibility and how it relates to our culture today, and ties in with the themes of Theology of the Body.

He talks about the physics of the soul. Every moral act produces 2 effects.
1. produces immediate consequence (short term)
2. helps to produce your character and is shaping your soul (long term) and person you are becoming.

Sex, Love, and God from Bishop-Elect Robert Barron

Video was first published on January 7, 2013 from Word on Fire website.

Quotes from the short video...

"Love is an act of will for another, not a feeling"

What is Marriage in light of the Catholic Church?  "That our relationship might become an iconic sign of God's love for the world"

Theology of the Body and mental illness

We tend to hide under the covers when it turns to mental illness and we act so different  when we are dealing with a physical illness of the body versus someone dealing with a mental illness. We are mind and soul together, and we can not discard one without effecting the other. I found a great article by Richard Beck on Incarnational Theology and Mental Illness which I will link below. This all ties in well with Theology of the Body. Mr Beck states that "our theological reflection must attend to embodiment, and this includes mental illness." He continues to state that "my hope is that not only will we become more accepting of the bodies of others, but that we'll expand our understanding of spiritual formation, coming to see how attending to and caring for the body in mental illness; is as spiritual as bible study and prayer."

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2014/08/incarnational-theology-and-mental.html

In some circles some have speculated that we may all be a little "crazy."

In Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth, he states "The normal state of the mind of most human beings contains a strong element of what we might call dysfunction or even madness." Christians would call this original sin.  He goes on to say "our very intelligence is tainted with madness"

So we may need to look deep into ourselves about our own "madness."

Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
In one passage Scripture seems to distinguish “spirit” and “soul”: “May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5:23). But we must make no sharp distinction between the two.
The human soul is “the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image: ‘soul’ signifies the spiritual principal in man” (Catechism, No. 263). The word “spirit” points to the fact that we are created for “a supernatural end” (No. 367). The two terms are complementary.
- See more at: https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/EternalLife/Article/TabId/738/ArtMID/13694/ArticleID/13910/Difference-Between-Soul-and-Spirit.aspx#sthash.Rsl3Jvwp.dpuf

Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
In one passage Scripture seems to distinguish “spirit” and “soul”: “May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5:23). But we must make no sharp distinction between the two.
The human soul is “the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image: ‘soul’ signifies the spiritual principal in man” (Catechism, No. 263). The word “spirit” points to the fact that we are created for “a supernatural end” (No. 367). The two terms are complementary.
- See more at: https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/EternalLife/Article/TabId/738/ArtMID/13694/ArticleID/13910/Difference-Between-Soul-and-Spirit.aspx#sthash.Rsl3Jvwp.dpuf

It is hard to be charitable when...

Last night in a parking lot, I mistakenly had bought 2 parking tickets for the same space. Instead of just pocketing the extra ticket I gave the ticket to the next car which came into the lot. "There, I've done my good deed for the day, right? Apparently the two men had just bought their own ticket, so I mentioned to them to give it to the next car which came into the lot. They in turn sold the ticket for $5 to the next gentleman. This was the same ticket which I had given it to them for free. Arrrgh!!! I went on with my evening not in a giving and charitable mood, but one of anger and frustration. Is this how I expected to be transformed during these days of lent? Apparently, I still have a lot of work to do. How dare my good deed go down the drain as other thoughtless human beings made decisions that trumped my own? Bottom line: I am a better person than them. I tried to be charitable and doing a good deed, and where does it get me? Where does this come from? One word, ego. I let my ego, self centered look on others take control of who I am. Words Of I and me, dot my own conversion with myself. Would Jesus have let this episode cloud his mind with hostility? I think not. He would always be self giving and not concerned how it would affect himself. I am reading a book called "A new Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. He talks about needing to transform our own minds to a higher level. Much of this revolves are letting go of the ego, a very hard thing to do. He says; "you do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you...and allowing that goodness to emerge." Eckhart Tolle, A new Earth.

Lenten reflections

There are two that I am following this Lent. Matthew Kelley and Robert Barron. Here are the links that you can sign up and get daily messages.  Great stuff!

Matthew Kelly's Best Lent Ever!

http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever/blog-overview/


Robert Barron's Lenten Reflections

http://www.lentreflections.com/

Full Circle to the Truth

Full circle to the truth was a phrase uttered in one of the early X-FILES television episodes in finding truth through faith. This phrase has led me on a journey as I discover my own faith and how certain attractions within the Catholic Church have led me back along the circle. The circle of my faith started with the "That Man is You" a Catholic Men's program which led me to the wonderful teachings of Pope John Paul 2's Theology of the Body. This in turn drove my curiosity and fascination with several saints, especially St Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.  Now after a spell of silence for a variety of reasons I have to go back at least and address the blogs from late this summer of "Whose thoughts are they"? 

Could it be a coincidence that almost at that same time, uninvited thoughts were entering the mind of a loved one close to me?

5 months later my outlook on what we may call "intrusive thoughts", mental health and suicide have completely turned around my opinions and views on these topics.  I have been humbled to my knees by taking such a narrow, tunnel visioned view on mental health.

5 months ago I would have convicted and found guilty James Holmes for the murders in the Aurora movie theater.  He claimed insanity, but he knew and planned the whole thing out in advance. How could he be insane with such a detailed plan?  

5 months ago in an earlier blog, I talked about smelling cigarette smoke when there was in fact no smoke around. These are called olfactory hallucinations (phantosmia). Compulsive hair pulling is something I have also done since a child. Who knew this had a name as well; Trichotillomania.  

2 months ago, three suicides from members of the local high school rocked our community.

I had referenced Robin Williams suicide and wondered how could he have done such a thing to himself and the family that loved him? Certainly an eye opening past 5 months in trying to come up to speed with knowledge and insight into mental health disorders. I have been reading everything I can find on the topic and have come across some fascinating pieces which I will address in blogs to come.

The main reason for this initial blog was centered around the themes of Theology of the Body. In the central context the main themes stemmed around our sexuality,  as God created us male and female. To take the whole body in context, body and spirit together and not as separate entities.  From the Catechism of the Catholic Church; " The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to the form of the body:...spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature." (CCC, 365)

In a recent blog last summer by Richard Beck quotes "mental illness requires incarnational theology and reflection. "Theological reflection must attend to embodiment, and this includes mental illness." Despression is about our bodies. But the Gnostic impulses within Christianity often obscure that fact. The brain is an organ of the body as much as our stomachs and livers."

During 2015 I plan to steer this blog and concentrate on mental health and how it relates to Theology of the Body.  Within our culture there is still much scorn and silence on this topic and I feel compelled to further the truth on mental health.