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Sexual wisdom and spirituality based on ‘Theology of the body’ |27 October 2017

As part of its activities for the awareness campaign on Sexual Health and Rights in September, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with various other sectors held a one-day multi-sectorial forum with the overall aim of increasing awareness, promoting sexual reproductive health and gathering inputs/recommendations in order to develop new strategies.

Lorna Lepathy, a member of the ‘Chemin Neuf Communaute’, a new Roman Catholic community, was invited to the forum to talk about sexual wisdom and spirituality based on ‘Theology of the body’ which explores the reason we were created man and woman. This enabled those present to look at sexual health from a spiritual angle.

‘Theology of the Body’ is a series of 129 talks delivered by Pope John Paul ll from 1979 to 1984 during his weekly Wednesday General Audiences in Rome. In 2006, it was compiled into a book entitled “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body”.

Mrs Lepathy came into contact with the Pope’s teaching “Theology of the Body”, together with her husband in 2010 and since then, they have been involved with the teaching of it, particularly in the evangelisation of couples.

At the forum, Mrs Lepathy said that the topic of sexual wisdom leads us to reflect on why God created male and female and the issue of sex, sexuality, the body and love. What does it mean that I am created male or female? Why do I have a body and why is the male body different from the female body? She added that “the way we understand the meaning of these words, determines the very meaning of our existence as persons. In order to truly get a response, we should not be afraid to open the Bible. We get our response from God, who is love. The Creator of all things”.

She then explained that in the account of ‘Adam and Eve’ in the book of Genesis, God created them ‘Male and Female’ (Gn1, v27), adding that our sexual difference has been commanded by God, and it is good and in creating them different, God has inscribed in each person the desire to love and to be loved. After the creation of the world, although Adam was surrounded by all the animals that he could interact with, he was still lonely. None proved suitable for him, because there was nobody to love. After Adam had named all the animals, all he discovered was ‘what he was not’ and so God’s solution was Eve. Adam never spoke while among the animals and his first joyful words were when he saw woman: This at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh (Genesis 2:23); it was only then that he found happiness.

Adam was not only in need of a body but also a soul with the ability to love, showing that sexuality does not only include our bodies. This goes further to show us that sexual acts between man and woman is sacred. Animals mate according to seasons but for men and women, intercourse is a means of communication.

Mrs Lepathy added that our differences therefore allow us to enter into a relationship based on love and we are able to complement each other, to offer each other what the other does not have, to become a gift and to bring out the best in each other through the act of giving and receiving. Moreover, God wanted us to help him procreate so he gave us the power to continue by blessing man and woman as father and mother.

As she continued her teaching in the forum, Mrs Lepathy went on to explain that in the beginning, the difference and complementarity between man/woman, created that experience of unity. “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”                                                (Genesis 2:24). This is called ‘to live a communion’ (become gifts to each other, entering communication) through your own liberty. The only way to understand the communion that exists in God is to live this communion.

“Sexual wisdom is not based on seeing each other as objects, but coming together for the whole nature of the other person. This is the call for us to live communion as it is. We become the image of God through love and not through our physical nature. Love starts with attraction but men and women need to go beyond what is comfortable and beyond their own capacity in order to live together forever,” said Mrs Lepathy. When we equal sexuality to sex, we cause sexual wounds/hurt. Sexuality is sacred and was not created only for pleasure. It involves the whole being, including the way we think, talk, interact and walk as well as the shapes of our bodies.

She added it is important to remember that sexuality does not equal sexology. Sexology is the science and art of sex; to perform well and give pleasure. Sexuality is based on our ability to be wise about our purpose and about what God has in place in our lives as sexual beings. Sexual wisdom and maturity is when I do not say to the other “I long for you as a good” but when I can say to the other “I long for your good”. It is developed in prayer, discipline, joy, communication and freedom. For God created man/woman in their bodies for their sexuality and not for sexology.

For the ending note, Mrs Lepathy said that “It should not be painful to live our sexuality but rather, it should be joyful. In creating us man and woman, our purpose is to celebrate our sexuality, our whole being and not our ability to perform”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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