Commentary on the Introduction to the Theology of the body by Chris West, Ascension Press, slides presented by Fr. Joseph LoJacono, IVE

1. The Language of Sexual Love
by Father Joseph LoJacono IVE
Questions to Ponder
1. What does sexual union look like when it corresponds to
the wedding vows?
2. What is the anthropological (human nature) difference
between contraception and natural family planning?
3. What is the language of the body that Bl. John Paul II
spoke about?
4. How can one “lie” with the body during sexual relations?
5. How would you communicate the concepts of the Theology
of the Body to others?

2. The vision of sexual union that
corresponds to the wedding vows
John and Mary, have you come here freely
and without reservation to give yourselves to
each other in marriage?
This says love should be:
Will you love and honor each other as man
and wife for the rest of your lives?
Will you accept children lovingly from God
and bring them up according to the law of
► Free
Christ and his Church?
► Total
Groom: I, John, take you, Mary, for my lawful
wife, to have and to hold, from this day
forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for
poorer, in sickness and in health, until death ► Faithful
do us part.
Bride: I, Mary, take you, John, for my lawful
husband, to have and to hold, from this day
► Fruitful
forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for
poorer, in sickness and in health, until death
do us part.

3. The Church is saying listen to what is
going on in your heart and don’t settle
for anything less?

4. Are these acts free, total, faithful
and fruitful?
► Divorce
► Masturbation
► Pre-marital sex
► Homosexual acts
► Intentional sterilized sex (contraception)
 Contraception is the choice to engage in act of
intercourse but deliberately to deprive the act of
its procreative potential.
What do these acts say about the nature of
marriage?

5. What is the difference in the
language of the body?
► The hookup culture Total self-gift
Groom: I, John, take you, Mary,
Will you give for my lawful wife, to have and
yourself to to hold, from this day forward,
me tonight? for better, for worse, for richer,
for poorer, in sickness and in
health, until death do us part.
Bride: I, Mary, take you, John,
for my lawful husband, to have
and to hold, from this day
forward, for better, for worse, for
richer, for poorer, in sickness and
in health, until death do us part.

6. Contraception is a
lie with the body

7. What is the Anthropologic difference between
NFP and contraception?
► Through determined times of abstinence you
choose not to speak the language of the body
 You live the virtues of chastity, self control
 You learn to communicate about the most
intimate details
 You learn to trust in the providence of God
► In Contraception you say “no” to having a child
with the other person in the language of the body
 This opens up to sex-on-demand
 This says I do not want to have your child
 This says I want to manipulate God’s creation

8. Does contraception foster
communication about that which is
most intimate?
Where is the husband in this
decision?

9. Communication is at the heart of
Natural Family Planning

10. Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by mutual consent
for a time, to be free for prayer, but then return to one
another, so that Satan may not tempt you through your lack
of self-control. (1 Cor. 7:5)
When you give up
chocolate during Lent how
much better is it during
Easter? Natural
Family
Planning
opens up to
the freedom
of self-control

11. Is natural Family Planning
fruitful?
► NFP couples have about 1 to 2% rate of
divorce.
► Thedivorce rate is about 50% for all
marriage in the United States
► Which one is more fruitful?

12. How to communicate the concepts in
the Theology of the body
Contraception is a lie with the body
The man and woman
Pre-marital sex says I want were created to give
to give myself totally with themselves to each other.
my body but I do not mean Homosexual acts cannot
it. image this.
Homosexual unions are not
In the beginning total, faithful and fruitful.
there was no Therefore they change the
divorce. Do you nature of marriage and do not
want to follow the image the Triune God.
plan of God?

13. Recommended
biography for further
studies on the thought
of John Paul II
- Introduction to Male and Female He
Created Them by Michael Waldstein
Love and Responsibility by Karol
Wojtyla (The future John Paul II)
- At the Center of the Human Drama by
Kenneth Schmitz

14. Totus Tuus Maria
Bl. John Paul II pray for us