Memorial of Saint
John Paul II, pope
(Romans 6:19-23; Luke 12:49-53)
One of St. John Paul II’s legacies will surely be his Theology of the Body. Presented as a
series of meditations for his Wednesday public audiences, the doctrine explains
human sexuality. Rather than the
betrayal of self with sin that St. Paul writes in the first reading, John Paul
finds sexuality achieving the human purpose.
It demonstrates not only fulfillment of God’s will but also the human
way of imitating God’s loving.
Paul recognizes that humans have misappropriated
sexuality. Rather than using their
bodies as a means of self-giving, humans have allowed them to become
instruments of self-seeking pleasure.
The result has been, as Paul points out, disillusionment ending in
disgrace and ultimately death. But Paul
is not fatalistic. He knows that Christ
has overcome the reign of sin. Because
of this victory of their brother, all humans can live free of carnal
domination.
We must make an effort to overcome the selfish inclination. Christ’s grace has enabled us to use
sexuality rightly. When we do, sexuality
is not devoid of pleasure. Rather the
pleasure is ordered to our true goal in life, a loving union with God.
