Pastor's Column: Homer Glen
A Theology of the Body
by Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA.
September 25, 2009 | 12:44 AM
http://www.homerhorizon.com/Articles-c-2009-09-25-200115.112113_A_Theology_of_the_Body.htmlAs a priest I have occasion to do a fair amount of counseling with people about relationships, marriage and even questions about their gender identity. Many people today are confused, angry, hurt and unfulfilled in the area of relationships and gender identity. But this is because we are not brought up in our culture with a theology of our bodies, which of course is the point of these articles. The theology of our bodies provides us with the "why" behind our being human and in particular our being male and female. In fact, understanding the "why" of gender helps us to understand the "how" of gender and to therefore live life more fully.
Contrary to a lot of commonly held misconceptions in our world today, gender is very purposeful. It is not arbitrary. It is not a choice or a preference. It is not God's practical joke on someone who might have some confusion in this area. Gender actually defines us. Gender is mentioned right at the start in the Bible as part and parcel of the origins of the human person: "Male and female He created them." The more clear we are about the "why" and "how" of gender the more integrated our lives become and consequently the happier we become.
