Theology of the Body

Thursday evening, St. Paul By-the-Sea, presented a segment of  Pope John Paul II's 'Theology' lectures. The adaptation was geared, specifically, for families and care givers of people with disability.

In answer to the idea that we are all souls, trapped in a human body, he says, "The physical human body has a specific meaning and is capable of revealing answers regarding fundamental questions about us and our lives." And again,  “It is typical of rationalism to make a radical contrast in man between spirit and body, between body and spirit. But man is a person in the unity of his body and his spirit. The body can never be reduced to mere matter.":

We think of the people we care for as 'broken', and have a tendency to try to 'fix' them.  After attempting such, a young mother in the audience, tearfully, shared her experience with two autistic children, saying that they were 'perfect' just as they are.  AMEN!