Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast! Today we begin our study of the text of Saint Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. If you would like a reading plan click here. This season we will be covering the first chapter entitled, “Christ Appeals to the Beginning.” In this episode we discuss General Audiences 1-4 (pages 131-146 in the text), in which John Paul II sets the stage for what will be the topic of the first chapter. We summarize John Paul II’s teaching and share our reflections.
Scripture References: 
“And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”  (Matthew 19: 3-6) 
TOB and Commentary Quotes: 
 “...man is created on earth together with the visible world…the Creator seems to halt before calling him to existence, as if he entered back into himself to make a decision, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” (TOB 2:3)
“Herein lies the meeting point of the remarkable gift of God with the mystery of human freedom. In the face of grace lost, God presents us with the sheer gift of salvation, but it remains up to us to accept the gift.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West: p.93) 
Resources:
Theology of the Body Reading Plan 
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II
Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II’s Theology of the Body by Christopher West
Bill Donaghy’s Commentary on General Audiences 1-4 
Reflection Questions:
What impacted you most in this episode? 
Are there underlying fears or wounds that impact your views on what Jesus teaches? Bring all of this to prayer and ask God to open your heart to the beauty He wants to reveal to you. 
How do you respond to those who have questions about what Jesus teaches? What can you learn from Christ’s response to the Pharisees? 
 What does being made in the “image of God” mean to you? 
Do your beliefs about yourself correspond to the reality that you are made in God’s image? Ask God to open your heart to see where you may be believing something that is not rooted in the truth. 
Do you believe that Jesus has come to redeem you and will give you all the power you need to live out his plan for your life? What holds you back from believing? Take this to prayer. 
Next episode we will be discussing General Audiences 5-7 on Original Solitude.
If you have any questions or comments for us, we can be reached at [email protected]. We can also be found on Facebook and Instagram for more encouragement between episodes. 
 

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