Class will be meeting next Sunday, February 7.
Last time, we completed chapter 7 of Theology of the Body for Teens: "Free, Total, Faithful, Fruitful." Key points:
- God's love for us is FTFF: free, total, faithful, and fruitful.
- Free -- Freely given
- Total -- He gave us all of Himself
- Faithful -- He has only one Bride: the Church
- Fruitful -- He came that we might have Life, and have it abundantly
Spouses are called to have that same kind of love for each other. Christian marriage is an image of the love of Christ for his Bride.
FTFF can be used as a measure to identify and distinguish true love from counterfeits. For example, hookups are not total (and often also not the other three), contraception is neither total nor fruitful, etc.
Teens can start right now to prepare themselves to one day live FTFF in the vocation to which they are called. For example:
- Free -- practice self-control; not forcing or manipulating others
- Total -- when you receive Jesus in Holy Communion, give yourself totally back to Him; practice being a gift to others, e.g. really listen
- Faithful -- practice chastity; be a trustworthy friend
- Fruitful (spiritual) -- fill up with God's love so you can share it with others
Quotes to ponder:
“The Eucharist is a school of freedom and charity in order to fulfill the commandment to love. Jesus speaks to us in the wonderful language of the gift of self and of love to great as to give our own life for it. Is that an easy thing? You know very well that it is not. It is not easy to forget ourselves, but if we do, it draws us away from a possessive and narcissistic love and opens us up to the joy of the love that is self-giving. This Eucharistic school of freedom and charity teaches us to overcome superficial emotions in order to be rooted firmly in what is true and good. It frees us from attachment in order to open ourselves to others. Greater love has no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends.”
– Pope St. John Paul II
At home assignment:
Chapter 7, read "Living it Out: FTFF in the Real World” on p. 107. My challenge to you is to take the four-day challenge, at least in adapted form. For example, you might need to use technology for your school work; if so, try to skip social media for a day instead of all tech.
If you missed missed class or want to review:
Please read the remainder of workbook Chapter 7, pages 100-104. Also, see assignment above.
Future class dates:
February 2016
07 Class
14 Class
21 Class