In light of the feast of St. Nicholas and the gift-giving associated with this saint, this article will add a twist to the idea and focus on the gift of self.
The main idea of the theology of the body is to make our bodies a gift to others so that we can love and be loved as God loves, thus fulfilling our highest destiny. But what exactly does this mean? First of all, we must recognize that the body is an integral part of the human person, so it is good. Creation, especially our bodies, is good. Second, human beings are fulfilled only in communion with others. We are not created to be alone; we are created to find our fulfillment in relationships with others. This is why God created Eve for Adam. Without an 'other', it would be impossible to make our bodies a gift. By making our bodies a gift to each other, we reflect the life and love of the Trinity.
Now the sexual differentiation between Adam and Eve allows men and women to be a special gift to each other. If a man and a woman are called to the vocation of marriage, then they, on a natural level, fully express the nuptial meaning of the body. The love between spouses can actually make a third person, just like the Holy Spirit spirates from the love between the Father and the Son. Yet one does not have to be married to be able to make his body a gift to another. Single and consecrated celibate people live out their gift of self in different ways. Celibate people make themselves a total gift to God by renouncing marriage and making themselves completely available for spiritual fatherhood or spiritual motherhood. They are a powerful sign of the life to which we're all called to live in eternity: a life united with Christ where none marry or are given in marriage.
Ultimately, the purpose of the theology of the body, as with all Church teaching on sexuality, is to build a culture of life. Life is a gift. It can only be given or taken away by God, the author of life. To build a culture of life, the Church and her teachings protect marriage and the family, which are the fundamental human institutions that nurture life. To attack these institutions is to attack civilization and humanity itself. Though Christ has won the war and conquered death, we are currently engaged in battle with those who promote a culture of death. The defenders of this mentality apply a cost-benefit analysis to life and make death an acceptable solution to human problems such as suffering, unwanted pregnancies, and issues regarding population. As Catholics called to build a culture of life we must oppose this mentality and defend the defenseless, no matter how "useless" they might seem to be in society's eyes. With the good news of salvation we must transform ourselves, live the Gospel, and make it penetrate every part of society until every institution recognizes and upholds the immeasurable gift of human life.
Have a prayerful Advent and God bless,
Daniel
The Theology of the Body has also helped me to understand how the vocations of marriage and celibacy complement one another. For years, I saw the two as opposed and the vocation of marriage as the 2nd best lifestyle for the 2nd class Catholics who weren't good enough for celibacy.
When the celibate state is described as "more perfect" it means it better expresses the Jesus' message that "the kingdom of God is near". But marriage best answers his question "what is the kingdom of heaven like, to what shall I compare it". (to be sure there, are many other good analogies but the Bible prefers the analogy of marriage and uses it the most)
Celibacy therefore tells us that there is more to life than the things of this world, namely the kingdom of God. Marriage uses the language of the body and this world to give us a foretaste and sign of what the kingdom of heaven is like.
Celibates keep us confusing the sign (marriage) with the more important reality that it points to (the wedding feast of the Lamb). Married people (including erotic love and the intense attraction between the men and women) help us to understand dimly the beauty of the intercommunion of persons which permeates the Holy Trinity and the Kingdom of Heaven.