You down with TOB? (Yeah you know me!)

Sigh.

How GREAT is our God?

Take just a second to marvel in it for a minute, won'tcha?



OK... got it? Good.


I spent the last week in a little town outside of Philadelphia being immersed, mind and heart, in JPII's Theology of the Body. Let me start with saying that JPII... genius. Pure and utter genius. And also? So incredibally obviously led by the Spirit in his work (and writings). He GETS (got?) human sexuality. Seriously. I know that sounds crazy to say about a Catholic priest, no less, a pope, but it's true.

So, diving in, attending this course has been one of the most life-changing experiences I've ever been a part of. It is fully academic and fully spiritual (get it? kind of like how Jesus is fully human and fully divine!). I can say with certainty that I've never had such a rich and prayer filled week in my life (and I've been on a LOT of retreats, etc). Not only that, but mentally, while I'm still digesting this and wrapping my mind around it, it was challenging. I have to be honest and admit that I went in w/quite a bit of arrogance. "I already HAVE my theology degree, I already AGREE with the Church's teaching on contraceptives, what more do I NEED?" I kind of thought that I'd get there and show up as some sort of Catholic superstar. Boy was I wrong. There was so much that I didn't know, so much I still have left to learn, and so many ways that I realize I was really just going through the motions instead of truly living in God's love.

Which brings me to my next point (or is it my original point?)...
EVERYTHING begins, exists in, and ends in God's love for us. Everything. We don't get anywhere without it, we wouldn't have been created without it, and all that is GOOD in this world exists because of it. I had the opportunity to take some down time for a few afternoons and used it to the best of my advantage to work on some lesson planning for this new adventure that God has brought to my life. I cannot WAIT to start teaching, and this whole "God loves us" thing is going to be my starting off point. Fortunately, I know that my students will have had a little bit of time learning about Theology of the Body, but with the subject of Morality, I realize that it is SO important that we revisit some of the central themes in order to have the right starting point... God loves us. The starting point for morality has got to be God's love (God IS Love). Where we go from there is an understanding that morality is about our decision to live and respond well to God's love.

Many, many, many thanks to my instructor Bill Donaghy, his amazing and selfless family, everyone at the Theology of the Body Institute, my classmates, my family for the gift of this time away (which was difficult, but fruitful), and my office who gave me this opportunity (in exhange for the promise to help with some Marriage Enrichment in the future... gladly!). But, most importantly, many thanks to Our God for this amazing journey you've set before me.

Amen.