In this eighth chapter of the series “Soul, Body and Grace,” we will discuss the topic of marriage. Sexuality is a modulation of the human person that encompasses both the biological psychological and spiritual dimensions. Male and female sexuality are complementary and have the same dignity. However, these three dimensions may not always be in harmony.
Sometimes, biological sex and gender (psychological sex) do not coincide. For example, a person can be born a woman and feel like a man. Other times, physical or psychological illnesses can prevent healthy sexual relations. In addition, situations such as widowhood or abandonment can disrupt these dimensions. In all these cases, the responsibility falls on the self, in the spiritual dimension, to make decisions and seek moderation.
The History of Sexuality
We can summarize the history of sexuality in three chapters:
- God’s Original Plan: God created man in his image and likeness, as male and female, with a vocation to love and complementarity.
- The Fall and Sin: Sin distorted relationships, taking them from a vocation to love to a struggle for domination and defense. This generated shame and distrust.
- Redemption: With Christ, the union between Christian man and woman becomes an image of Christ’s surrender on the cross. Christian marriage is a strong and lasting love, different because it includes Christ at the center.
Sexuality Governed by the Self
Sexuality must be governed and made responsible by the self. Facing difficulties with love and finding meaning in what happens brings us closer to true happiness. Christ on the cross is an example of suffering with purpose, loving more than he suffers.
Faithfulness and Christian Marriage
The story of Emmanuel Scotti, in his book “Faithfulness,” illustrates how love and the marital vocation can be maintained even in distance and pain. This is not politically correct, but it is a good example of how the spiritual dimension makes responsible decisions.
The Five Love Languages
Gar Chapman’s book, “The Five Love Languages,” is a helpful guide to understanding how to express love to one’s spouse. These languages include: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, gifts, and physical contact. Knowing one’s spouses preferred language and communicating our own language strengthens the relationship.
Praying for Christian Marriages
It is crucial to pray for sexuality to be understood in depth, not just as something biological or psychological, but fundamentally spiritual. The self is responsible for our actions, and we can be happy in all circumstances, always seeking love and meaning in what we live.
Let us pray for Christian couples, that they may reproduce the strong and enduring love of Christ, becoming instruments of evangelization. The deep desire of the human heart is to love and be loved, and Christian couples have the power to show this eternal and true love.
Chapter 01: The Assumption of the Virgin and the Relationship between the Body and Grace
Chapter 02: Corporeality, Body and Grace: The Spirit Incarnated in Concrete Life
Chapter 03: Spiritual History and the Time of Life
Chapter 04: The Care of the Body as a Manifestation of Spiritual Life
Chapter 05: Mortification
Chapter 06: The Living Man and the Virtues
Chapter 07: We are a Substantial Unity of Soul and Body: Love as an Integral Manifestation
