BODY AND SOUL

It makes me sad that all one ever hears about in the media with regard to Catholicism is but a small portion of the social manifestations of an incredibly loving, deeply meaningful and positive model gifted to us by a loving Creator who, in love, has tied his own hands, so to speak, so that, with free will, we may choose to follow his prescription that purifies us, aligns us with His will, and allows us to return to him and dwell with Him forever in a beatific vision.

I have asked myself, if God made each one of us and knew our name before our birth, and if the whole of Christianity is purposed so we would return to Him at the end of our lives, why didn't he just create us and then keep us in heaven where we are intended to be for all eternity?  Why bother making this detour to earth?  Why?

Obviously, there is something valuable that happens here on earth, something that cannot be duplicated in heaven or in a strictly spiritual persona.  We need these bodies and these earthly experiences for some type of development and/or learning process.  On judgment day, He will resurrect us with our glorified bodies, and we will go to heaven, which is a place and not just some abstract 'spiritual' realm.  We will commune with Lord, as glorified body and soul, in the exquisitely beautiful realm of heaven.

We are body and soul.  We are not a soul trapped in a body.  (That was a very early heresy that is being repeated now by New Agey types of people whose views are similar to the gnostics that existed before Jesus was born and who tried to change His message to jive with their own.)

This is why it is tremendously important to harmonize our body's activities with the will of Our Father Who Art In Heaven.  We are called to "be perfect" as our "Father in Heaven is Perfect."  Many people do not understand that the sins that one does with one's body have a profound affect on one's entire being.  It is difficult for many people to understand how the sexual sins can be harmful, for instance, when it feels so great and there is no appearance of harm.  It is doubly difficult to comprehend the damage when other people join you in your assertions that "no harm is done."  When the government approves it, such as the legalization of abortion and the weddings of same-sex couples, it is harder still to see clearly, especially since the nature of what is being done is being hidden in deliberately obscuring language.

Abortion, which is murder of an unborn human being, is characterized as "pro-choice."  Same-sex marriage is enshrined in the Constitution, of all things, and is labeled as an issue of "human rights."

Because the general public is mostly ignorant of Christian faith, they are easily inculcated with the misleading language and phony labels generated by people who are committed to certain types of sins.  Without bothering to study the faith before making their decision, they opt for the thing that is easiest and feels the best.  Sex feels great.  Reading books and studying is too much trouble.  Let's just have the sexual sin and forget about studying both sides of an issue before we make a decision! Let's just discount the Christian faith by repeating the sound-bite cliches we have heard from other people.

I will sheepishly raise my hand at this point when the question is asked if I have ever behaved like that?  You betcha.  When I was young, I repeated what other people said about Jesus and His Church and kept sinning, secure in the knowledge that it was OK.  Everyone said so, after all.  I am grateful for the forgiveness of God.  He doesn't want to punish us.  He just wants us to get it right.  "Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more," Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery.

Sins accomplished with the body are important, not because I think so but because Jesus said so.  "Go and sin no more." In addition to sexual sins, gluttony is also a physical sin, as is alcoholism and abusing drugs.  We are told that the body is the temple of the spirit.  Something important is being accomplished there.  We do not need to know every reason why it is important.  God doesn't owe us that.  He is accomplishing His work in us as He sees fit.

If we didn't need our bodies for some special purpose, they would not have been created.  We wouldn't have them.  There is a divine purpose to humans possessing body and soul.  I don't pretend to know the whole story behind this, just that I need to be more cognizant of what I am doing with my body. I have my issue, which is food.  Other people will struggle with other crosses in regard to what they allow within the temple of their soul.  We must remember that it is important and not discount it, though.

What we should not do is pretend that bodily sins do not hurt us and others.  We should aim for the highest, instead of legislating the lowest.

Silver "Rose" Parnell
(c) 2015