3. You have a body!

News Flash! In case you hadn’t yet discovered it: You have a body!

I know, I know, you could be taller and skinner and you’d rather have a different color hair, fewer freckles and less fat in a few key areas. But how about that face, hmm? You are pretty stunning…. ;)

Actually, what I really want to say is this:
“Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.”
- 1 Corinthians 12: 22-24

We all know what parts what those “less presentable” parts are. Those are the parts that, when exposed, earn movies a higher rating; the parts that we would instinctively cover if someone were to open our shower curtain in the locker room; the biological parts that are defined, and define us, as male or female.

What I want to do right now is honor those parts.

Biologically, you were born male or female. (For those who will contest, I understand that there is 1% or less of the population whose sex is not easily distinguishable at birth for various reasons. However, this is a medical anomaly, so I address what is the common order). And as we have said in previous blogs, your existence is not merely the result of blind chance – of how the stars aligned or how evolution progressed or which sperm got to the egg fastest. Even if your mother did not “plan” to get pregnant with you, YOU are not an accident. No, YOU were created intentionally by a God who loves you. And God doesn’t make mistakes…..or He wouldn’t be God.

This means that your biological sex is not an accident. The parts that distinguish you as a male or a female were not thrown on as an afterthought, just because they look nice there. THEY HAVE MEANING AND PURPOSE. A musician doesn’t put a recurring motif in a piece nor an artist paint the same symbol into several different pieces without noticing. They do it because it means something to them, and to understand that one element helps to understand clearly the greater message they intended to convey. What does the piece become when such an important feature is misunderstood or disregarded as insignificant?

Our human sexuality has meaning and purpose. What is it? Is it merely for the propagation of our species? True, the male and female bodies are complementary, and this makes physical/conjugal union possible. But we are obviously not meant to be united with everyone of the opposite sex in this way. This physical complementary is also mirrored in our social/emotional complementary. In our differences, we need each other, and both sexes bring something unique to the world. Our souls, our very beings, are expressed through our bodies.  Our human sexuality is not an accident, but is an expression of who we are and who we are meant to be at the very core of our being.  It is an image of God's love for us as His people - as He is constantly pursuing us and giving of Himself to us (masculine) and we, as creatures, must receive all as a gift from Him (feminine). It is also a reminder from God of His desire for us to share in His love and life by giving love and life to others. 

Let's face it, men and women are different….and that’s okay. In fact, it’s beautiful.

The world needs women who nurture others, who are not afraid to take others into the “womb” of their hearts; women who are noble, honest, and faithful to the ones they love; women who take pride in their femininity not by immodesty or seductiveness but by seeking be lady-like in their appearance and action, committed to doing their part in making sure the men in their life become virtuous; women who are not demanding and controlling but are willing to humbly allow themselves to be led and to be served by men; women who respect themselves and do not allow themselves to be used; in short, women whose beauty comes from their love of God and practice of virtue.

 

The world also needs men who protect the women in their lives and honor their dignity; men who are willing to sacrifice their own desires for the ones they love; men who are courageous, committed, and willing to take the lead; tender-hearted men who are able to listen, considerate of others, and willing to forgive; men who are confident but not reckless or overconfident; men who are strong, but most of all with moral virtue.

Yes, some men may have more typically "feminine" qualities than others, and vice versa. We are all different. But men are not made to be women, and women are not made to be men. And that’s the way God intended it. In the words of the 2-year-old I babysit: “He did it on purpose.”

 “God created mankind in His image;
in the image of God He created them
male and female He created them….
He looked at everything He had made, and found it very good.”
-Genesis 1: 27, 31

Go look in the mirror and tell yourself that: YOU are very good.

In fact, you’re absolutely stunning.

 

 

 

(If you're interested in some further reading, I recommend: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/sexuality/se0191.htm
and/or http://www.theologyofthebody.net/)