Just as a work of art points to the heart of the artist; our bodies point to the heart of God who made us.

Chapter #3Naked Without Shame

Just as a work of art points to the heart of the artist; our bodies point to the heart of God who

made us.

Originally with Adam and Eve there was no shame or embarrassment because there was perfect love, no need to cover themselves because there was no risk of being used; this is what JPII called Original Man

They saw in their naked bodies the call to be a gift to each other.

Original Man

Original solitude; Adam realized he was alone. He was without a woman, without another person. He was different from the animals; he had a Spiritualized Body.

Original man experienced sexual desire in a totally pure way. When Adam saw Eve’s body he didn’t want to use her, he experienced a call to love her. Sexual desire was a desire to love in the image of God.

Original nakedness was peaceful, was filled with an Original Innocence which made it possible to be Naked Without Shame.

Sexual urge was a pure desire.

“This at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” (Gen 2:23)

Original Solitude

Naked Without Shame= Nudity that exists within the context of innocence, purity of heart and freedom.

Sex=a gift to be cherished

Shameless=What our society promotes; flaunting the body without inhibition, leaving sex without its sacredness and mystery.

Sex=recreational activity.

Adam and Eve saw their bodies were made for each other, literally fit together. They don’t make sense apart from the other.

Adam saw in Eve’s body an invitation to love her; making visible the love of God.

God made them as a gift for each other, and by giving themselves to one another they were able to mirror the very life of God.

Uniting in a bodily way not only joins their bodies, but their persons as well. They had Original Unity.

The sexual union is a sign of an even deeper union of persons. There was no separation of body and soul.

Nuptial Meaning of the Body

God designed our bodies and desires.

With chastity, which is the only way to express true love, sexual drive is not eliminated but perfected.

Negative purity involves just looking away.Positive purity is from a transformed heart thatisn’t afraid that we will lust every time we see anattractive person.

Physical traits reflect qualities of what masculinity and femininity mean.

Strength has always been associated with masculinity

This is why superheroes in movies have chiseled muscular physics while villains are often lazy and out of shape; (the opposite is true generally in comedies).

Exterior strength should point to the interior strength of character (courage defines a man more than anything else). It cannot be superficial. The exterior is meant to reflect character; just as a soldier’s value is revealed only under the pressure of battle.

Man’s Body

God put the noble desire to be valiant and give heroic sacrifice in men’s hearts for a reason.

But this protection of women needs to be far more than from physical attack; you need to guard her from your own lust.

“Christ assigns the dignity of every woman as a task of every man” JPII

Men are called to make sacrifices for the good of others. (God, Others, Country)

Christ is your model: “The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28)

Heroic Sacrifice

Compared to women, men’s:◦ Sexual desires are more

intense.◦ Testosterone levels are

about 20X greater.◦ Brain portion dedicated to

sexual drive is 2X larger.

Never be shamed into thinking that having strong sexual desires is bad. God created men that way.

The yearning within your body to unite with feminine beauty is a reminder that your soul longs for the beauty of Heaven.

Purity does not eliminate erotic desire, it perfects it.

Your task as a man is to order these desires according to the demands of authentic love.

Men and Sexual Desire

The anatomy of a man’s body points to the fact that he is the one who initiates the gift of himself to a woman.

This should be true in relationships; he should pursue her, win her trust and affection.

He is more externally directed, not just in the physical but emotional sense as well.

Male Reproductive System

The most beautiful thing in the world is… a woman’s body.

Men are fascinated by a woman’s body because God made men that way.

Woman foreshadow the beauty of Heaven on earth. Woman is the final work of God, the crescendo of creation.

Research has found when a woman is pictured in an advertisement; viewers (male and female) look between 14 and 30% longer.

Women are captivating; men simply don’t have the same appeal.

Woman’s Body

The beauty of a woman’s body is not the only reason she is beautiful, her body is a revelation of her as a person. Her personality and the way she expresses compassion is beautiful, her voice is beautiful, even the smell of women is beautiful (visit male vs. female dorm and compare!)

Nothing in heaven compares to the beauty of God, and nothing on earth approaches the beauty of the woman.

Beauty is often distorted or idolized. We are called to beauty, made for it; all beauty on earth is a taste of heaven “Beauty will save the world” (Dostoyevsky)

Women and Beauty

A woman’s brain has 11% more neurons in the language and hearing centers, and is physically larger in the area that forms emotions and memories.

From the time she is in her mother’s womb a woman’s brain is neurologically more connected than those of men.

She has a superior ability to express her speech, thoughts, and emotion.

Woman 20,000 words/day vs. Men 7,000. This ability of a woman to be open to others in

relationship and emotions is plainly revealed in the woman’s body.

Women’s Gift

The miracle of conception happens within the woman’s body. She is the tabernacle of life.

Intimate organs are hidden from sight: inside her body.

What is hidden usually refers to something deep and mysterious, we hide secrets; we hide what is personal and intimate. ◦ Holy of Holies in OT: Hidden behind a veil. ◦ Ark of the Covenant: plated with pure gold.

Both set apart and hidden from people except the High Priest.God did this to teach the Israelites truths about Himself, HisHoliness, and sacredness.

The Mystery of Woman

Female Reproductive Anatomy

Veiling your body (dressing with modest clothing) is not hiding yourself from men. It’s revealing your dignity to them. Woman’s body reveals truths but does not mean she is unapproachable; she is opened only to the one who is worthy to enter.

Song of Songs (4:9) describes the woman’s body as an enclosed garden.

Sexual imagery in the Bible shows that God is the one who inspired erotic love poetry. Because our sexuality is an invitation to be united in love with Him.

Adam and Eve were called to mirror God’s love which is Free, Total, Faithful and Fruitful.

While the spousal analogy is bold and erotic language, it is the analogy that is the least inadequate in describing God’s love for us.

Negative purity involves just looking away. Positive purity comes from a transformed heart that isn’t afraid that we will lust every time we see an attractive person.

FTFF

God wanted Adam and Eve to enjoy sexual intercourse, which He had given to them as a wonderful gift to give each other.

Through their union, they experienced a deep meaning of life and also came to the relationship that, from their love, a new life was born. This is a dim reflection of the Trinity.

Family of Love

Satan convinced Adam and Eve that God didn’t really want them to be happy, that He was holding out on them. If they did it His way they would live miserable lives. They lacked trust in God. Questioned the gift. They wanted to decide for themselves what was wrong.

(Smeagol and Gollum; is the master trustworthy, cares about him?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLvIFRNbqOs

This original lie is still alive today in us. “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom. 7:15)

  Original Sin lead to Historical Man. Struggling with our tendency to

sin. Darkened intellects, weekend will, disordered appetites. We are all prone to selfishness.

>>>>>>>>The hope is Jesus Christ<<<<<<<<

The Big Lie

Why don’t animals hide their naked bodies? Humans are the only creature on earth that do. It is religious prudishness? Dislike of one’s body? Both options have some merit but does not answer why every culture on the planet experiences shame in one form or another.

Why wouldn’t the models wear the bikini on the runway in 1946?

Michelangelo’s nudes on the Sistine Chapel had prudishly been covered up by Church officials. JPII had the loin cloths removed. The body is not to be looked down upon.

Nakedness

Shameless Marital Love

Some people deal with shame by becoming shameless. They feel no remorse for their desire to use other person or to be used themselves.

They make no effort to overcome their self urges, usually because they have numbed their conscience. (Like the bikini model: she had lost her understanding that the sexual value of her body would distract lustful men from her dignity as a person).

On your wedding night you should be able to stand before your spouse naked without shame.

“Shame is swallowed by love, dissolved in it” -JPII

Sexual intercourse is thus a total gift of self in life giving love. There is no room for shame since there is no room for selfishness.

(Marriage doesn’t guarantee this kind of love, but this love is a prerequisite for marriage)