Synod on the Family and the Pope of the Family: Be Informed!

With the Extraordinary Synod on the Family scheduled for this fall, people are already talking about the way bishops from around the world might deal with the serious problems so many families are facing. That makes the next few months an opportunity for Catholics to familiarize themselves with the very positive vision our Church has about married love.

Now's the time to get acquainted with the insights of the man Pope Francis called "the Pope of the Family," Saint John Paul II.

This is the unique pastor who spent decades as the spiritual companion and guide of numerous couples from their courtship through to the grandparenting years (not one of these couples suffered a divorce). He collated their experience with his own understanding of the Bible and the spiritual life,  releasing a groundbreaking book on the philosophy of erotic love, as well as a biblical reading of "human love in the divine plan" (also known as Theology of the Body). (When you're ready, there's a low-cost 6-part online video course overview of the Theology of the Body.)

If you can attend the Theology of the Body Congress in July, the roster of speakers and topics is outstanding (too bad I can't fly in from England for those few days!). And there is also an active Theology of the Body Community on Google+ where you can raise issues and share insights based on Saint John Paul's TOB writings as well as his principle documents on the family: The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, the Letter to Women and the document On the Dignity and Vocation of Women. While reading up on John Paul II, don't miss Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, God Is Love, which is almost his version of Theology of the Body!

TOB Tuesday: Body Image

Sara Hulse is a graduate student in the John Paul II Institute for Studies of Marriage and the Family (in other words, a Vatican-established graduate school devoted entirely to the Theology of the Body). When our sisters went to Washington DC for the launch of the new translation of Love and Responsibility, they interviewed some of the students. (Look for more of these insights on future TOB Tuesdays!)

 

Can you take my place a minute?

Mom's healthcare crisis is preventing me from promoting the Theology of the Body class we will be hosting online starting May 4. I'd be so grateful if you could invite people you know to join us. Here is a flyer you can print out (or share the link to). It is especially good to share with deacons and "ministry people" in general.

With so much confusion in the area of marriage--people who are not just puzzled by Church teachings, but alienated from the Church or scandalized by what seems to be a rigid insistence on old rules, it is vital that practicing Catholics have a clear understanding of where the Church's teachings come from--and of how much beauty they uphold. That is why Pope John Paul spent almost five years offering these lessons.

If you haven't read any of his "TOB" talks, or have only heard references to Theology of the Body, why not join us? (Registration is now open for all 6 sessions.) You can go at your own pace: once a session has been recorded, you can log in later to watch it. Why not sign up for the first one (being recorded May 4) and get a taste?


If you can, I'd be very grateful if you shared the following on Twitter and Facebook:

Register now! Catholic Updating Series on the Bible and the mystery of marriage. Internet webcast starts May 4 www.ustream.tv/channel/TOB-TV Pls RT