SJW eNews - August 2009

 

 

Latest on Life, Family and Faith on the Internet highway!
   
   
Web Feature of the Month
 

30th Anniversary (September 1979) on when John Paul II began his talks on the Theology of the Body
  The Theology of the Body is a collection of Wednesday audiences given by JPII on human love and in particular how marriage between a man and woman is a special reflection of Christ's love for His church.  The collection spans from September of 1979 to November of 1984..
  The Theology of the Body comprises 129 individual addresses.  These are divided into six different cycles.  The first three cycles are reflections on the remarks of Christ pertaining to marriage. In the first cycle (nos. 1-23) John Paul discusses Christ’s answer to the Pharisees when they ask him about whether a man can divorce his wife.[2]  The second cycle (nos. 24-63) are a reflection on Christ’s remarks in the Sermon on the Mount about adultery, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”[3] The third cycle (nos. 64-72) discusses the resurrection of the body. In this cycle, John Paul analyzes Christ’s answer to the Sadducees when they come to him and ask him about a woman who had married seven brothers.  They want to know which brother will be the man’s wife in heaven. (The fictional case the Sadducees posed to Christ rested on the so-called Levirate law.  If a husband died without children, his brother was supposed to marry the widow and father a son who would be considered the son of the dead brother.[4] In the case presented by the Sadducees, a particular woman married the first brother and he died before fathering any children. A second brother married the widow and he also died without children. Eventually, the woman married each of the seven brothers and never had any children. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body. They were posing the question in order to “trick” Christ who, they knew, taught the resurrection of the body.)
The second set of three cycles do not rest on particular words of Christ, but are the application of the points previously discussed to celibacy and virginity, marriage, and contraception.  The fourth cycle (nos. 73-86) applies the conclusions of the first three cycles to celibacy and virginity for the sake of the kingdom.  The fifth cycle (nos. 87-113), a particularly vital one, is an extensive analysis of the fifth chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians in light of the conclusions previously reached in the first three cycles of the Theology of the Body.  In this chapter, Paul compares the mystery of the Church to marriage, especially in light of Christ’s elevation of marriage to the level of a sacrament.  The sixth cycle (nos. 114-129) applies the conclusions of the first three cycles to the teaching of the Church regarding contraception. http://www.nfpoutreach.org/Hogan_Theology_%20Body1.htm
George Weigel has said that the Theology of the Body (ToB) is a "kind of theological time bomb set to go off with dramatic consequences, sometime in the third millennium of the Church."  He sees ToB as "one of the boldest reconfigurations of Catholic theology in centuries." Futhermore, Weigel says ToB will "shape the Church's theology, preaching, and religious education" and  "it will compel a dramatic development of thinking about virtually every major theme in the Creed." (Witness to Hope)
In an interview with George Weigel, Fr. Raymond de Souza asks:

In the vast scope of John Paul II’s teaching, what will stand out as his most lasting contribution?

Theologians, philosophers, and indeed every educated Catholic will be wrestling for a long time with what we might call the "anthropological turn," the turn to man, the turn to Christian humanism, in John Paul II’s teaching. I’d include within that the "theology of the body," but also John Paul II’s social doctrine, especially as manifest in Centesimus Annus. The "turn to man" or "personalist turn" is not without its problems; it may not, for example, be the most fruitful entry-point for thinking about issues of war and peace, or international relations more broadly. Still, John Paul II was the first modern pope, in the sense of a pope with a thoroughly modern intellectual formation — and the "personalist turn" was the embodiment of that.
http://web.archive.org/web/20050409085001/http://www.ncregister.com/current/0410lead2.htm
 
 

Saint of the Month: Blessed Teresa of Calcutta - Feast Date: September 5th
  Born 26 August 1910 in Skopje, Albania (modern Macedonia). Daughter of an Albanian businessman who died when Agnes was nine years old. Nun, missionary and teacher in Calcutta, India in 1928. In 1948 she left the convent to work alone with the poor, and became an Indian citizen. She founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. In 1957 the Missionaries of Charity started their work with lepers and in disaster areas. She received the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1972, and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and the Missionaries today work in 30 countries
Died September 5,1997 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India of natural causes. Venerated December 20, 2002 by Pope John Paul II. Beatified October 19, 2003 by Pope John Paul II. Canonized - pending. Is patronage of World Youth Day.
   

Video of the Month: Called by Love

 

The video of the month happens to be available on the Amazon site for the book Called to Love by Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight for the Knights of Columbus, and Jose Granados, assistant professor of theology and philosophy of the body at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.  In the video, Professor Granados speaks about the approach that JP II took in his Theology of the Body. http://www.amazon.com/Called-Love-Approaching-John-Theology/dp/0385527713
   
Book Offer of the Month
 

Freedom: 12 Lives Transformed by Theology of the Body
Our Offer of the Month, is Freedom: 12 Lives Transformed by Theology of the Body, by Matthew Pinto. I would like to give your own FREE copy for your tax-deductible donation of $55 or more to St. Joseph’s Workers.
In Freedom, you will meet people who, through the Theology of the Body, have discovered the meaning of their very existence. They have all realized that the message of the Theology of the Body is the key to understanding their purpose in this life. They have found what we’re all looking for—the authentic path to happiness and freedom.
 
 
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Through twelve real-life stories, you will:

• See how the Theology of the Body gives you a “new lens” through which to see the world with great clarity.
• Learn how this teaching is uniquely capable of healing past spiritual and psychological wounds.
• Discover how the journey to sexual integration, although challenging, will actually liberate all aspects of our lives.
• Learn the extraordinary connections between human sexuality and the entire Catholic sacramental order.
• See why persisting in sin ultimately leads to misery.
• Understand why “love” is the greatest of the three theological virtues.
• Marvel at God’s powerful and healing grace in the lives of ordinary people.
• See that God’s grace can prevail over any challenge in life.

 
  Hurry today, to get your copy of Freedom: 12 Lives Transformed by Theology of the Body from St. Joseph’s Workers, FREE, when you make a donation of $55 or more.
  To receive your copy of Freedom: 12 Lives Transformed by Theology of the Body, kindly visit our web site for details how to receive your copy today by clicking here
   
bullet Upcoming Events
  Proclaiming the Theology of the Body - A Presentation for Priests and Seminarians - Toronto, Ontario, Friday, October 16, 2009: The Teachings of the late Pope John Paul II. Presented by Christopher West. Free for Priests and Seminarians with lunch included. Please register to reserve a seat. For further information and registration, kindly visit web site at: www.godsexandthemeaningoflife.com. Or call 416-481-5465 (Natural Family Planning Association)
  Theology of the Body Conference Discovering the Master Plan for Your Life - Toronto, Ontario, October 16-17, 2009: Key speaker Christopher West, along with Mass celebration by Toronto’s Archbishop Thomas Collins. For further information and registration, kindly visit web site at: www.godsexandthemeaningoflife.com. Or call 416-481-5465 (Natural Family Planning Association).
National Pro-Life Conference 2009 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, October 29, 30, 31 2009. Building Bridges - Making choices for Life. Speakers include: Andrea Mrozek, Rev. Dr. James Lamb, Alex Schadenberg, Rod Bruinooge, Ezra Levant, John Henry Westen, Fr. Louis DiRocco. For more information and registration, check out www.saskprolife.com. Or phone Nicole at 306-683-0829 or email: buildingbridgesconference2009@gmail.com
40 Days for Life - September 23 - November 1: Get ready for the largest, most widespread coordinated pro-life outreach ever! More than 200 cities in 45 American states, 5 Canadian provinces ... plus Denmark ... are poised to launch 40 Days for Life campaigns in their communities. For more information and locations, kindly visit the web site at: http://www.40daysforlife.com/
 
Closing
 

You will notice in our Upcoming Events section, there are some very worthwhile conferences listed, that you may be interested in. St. Joseph’s Workers for Life and Family sometimes attends these or provides materials for them. Take a moment and check if there may be one in your area that you could attend. You will be glad you did!
 

As you may know, we sent out an Emergency Appeal to all our supporters a few weeks ago. A heartfelt “Thank you” to everyone who was able to help us out financially and also, thank you all very much for your prayers.
Please continue helping us out with your prayers and tax-deductible donations. It has been your donations that have kept us going for over 15 years.
 
 
 
Yours in St. Joseph,
 

Eric Vink
Executive Director
St. Joseph’s Workers for Life and Family
 
 

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