Theology of the Body 6

Here is the summary of the final cycle! I ended up getting an A- in the class. No surprise as I consistantly earned A-s throughout, except on one summary.

The final cycle can be grouped into two sections. Starting with Humanae Vitae, John Paul II asserts the inseparability of procreative and unitive aspects of the conjugal act as the moral norm. He indicates that all previous analyses in this catechesis, which establish the anthropology and ethos of the redemption of the body, allow for the right understanding of Humanae Vitae. The teachings in the encyclical are pastoral and practically applicable, but are only possible to carry out by grace. John Paul II cites Humanae Vitae’s definition of responsible parenthood: knowledge and reverence for biology, dominion of passions, and prudence according to economic and social factors. By this definition, one can conclude that natural methods of regulating birth are morally licit, whereas artificial means of contraception are not. John Paul II then explains the essential evil of contraception, in that it objectivizes the persons, no longer master of themselves, preventing total and mutual self-gift, and despite a bodily union that still takes place. The natural methods promote right behavior and an ethical character. These natural methods, also referred to as periodic continence, foster the virtue of chastity (self-mastery). John Paul II states, “it is above all important to have a deep grasp of the ethical dimension, in whose area the method, as a ‘natural’ method, acquires its meaning as an honorable or ‘morally right’ method.” (TOB 125:5) Also, by citing Humanae Vitae 21, John Paul II stresses that responsible parenthood is not only about conception, but also the raising of children.

The second section outlines conjugal spirituality. He begins with a reflection on the spirituality of the married couple, as the teaching of Humanae Vitae is not limited to the biology of the conjugal act. That spirituality is to be authentically Christian, as it ought include prayer and the sacraments, especially those of Eucharist and Penance (cf TOB 126:5) in order to foster authentic love. The power of this love, whose difficult task is overcoming concupiscence, when united with chastity (continence), protects the two meanings of the conjugal act: unity and procreation. This difficulty, which remains a difficulty and not a contradiction in Church teaching, can be treated by engaging in other manifestations of affection that express personal communion, if the couple has right reason to avoid children. In order to speak to the possibility of continence in marriage, John Paul II positively defines continence as the ability to orient both arousal and emotion, though distinct, as to their content and as to their character (cf .TOB 129:5), which are unity and procreation. Continence, with regard to mutual self-gift, maintains equilibrium between arousal and emotion, never separating them. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, specifically reverence for God’s creation, i.e. the human person, are absolutely essential to live conjugal chastity as reverence promotes profound respect for the human body.

In John Paul II’s conclusion, he summarizes the entire catechesis and exhorts that a deeper theological and ethical anthropology guide us all in confronting issue of marriage in procreation.

Theology of the Body 4

And here's cycle four's summary. I changed my method and am happy to tell you that even though my summary for cycle 3 earned me a B+, this one earned an A-. Enjoy

John Paul II begins the fourth cycle of audiences by introducing Ephesians 5:21-33 as a frame for understanding the theology of the body. The cycle can be divided subsequently into three sections.

First, he analyzes in depth Eph 5:21-33 by providing the literary context of the letter. From this, John Paul II teaches that spousal love is reciprocal and communitarian love, analogous to Christ and the Church. This analogy is bi-directional. In other words, not only does marriage of husband and wife give insight into the great mystery of Christ and the Church, but also the reverse is true. John Paul II proposes “redeeming love transforms itself [...] into spousal love” (TOB 90:6). He further explains the supplemental analogy of head and body as it indicates bi-subjectivity (one-flesh unity) for the purpose of sanctification using baptismal and eschatological imagery. His development continues, “This is the moral unity conditioned and constituted by love. Love not only unites two subjects, but allows them to interpenetrate each other, belonging spiritually to one another” (TOB 92:7), eventually culminating in the Eucharist. John Paul II thus draws the connections between the sacramentality of marriage and that of the Church.

 

Second, John Paul II builds upon the tradition of the Old Testament to connect sacrament and mystery. He affirms that at the center of mystery is Christ. Looking to Isaiah, in relation to Ephesians, John Paul II highlights the Son as the husband-Redeemer of the Church: “the gift of self for the Church is equivalent to the fulfillment of the work of redemption.” (TOB 95:6). He develops further the notion of sacrament as the “visibility of the Invisible”, applying it to both marriage and Christ with the Church. John Paul II then recalls the discussion of marriage as the primordial sacrament, from first cycle, as “it expresses the Creator’s salvific initiative” (TOB 96.7) According to John Paul II, “On the basis of Christ’s spousal love for the Church, the sacrament of redemption—fruit of Christ’s redeeming love—becomes a permanent dimension of the life of the Church herself, a fundamental and life-giving dimension” (TOB 97.4) Thus all sacraments (more inclusive than simply the seven Sacraments proper) of the New Covenant find their prototype in marriage as the primordial sacrament. Also, the Church herself is the “great sacrament”.

 

Third, John Paul II connects the concept of sacrament with redemption of the body. He returns to the reflections Mt 19 and the indissolubility of marriage in order to link it to Eph 5. Bringing those reflections to light anew, John Paul II teaches that the primordial sacrament, marriage, the sacrament of redemption, is given as grace, yet carries an ethical character: “marriage is also an exhortation to gain mastery over concupiscence” (TOB 101.1). The last point John Paul II makes before concluding the cycle is that, “Through marriage as a sacrament, both of these dimensions of love, the spousal and the redemptive, penetrate together with the grace of the sacrament into the life of the spouses.” (TOB 102.4)

Theology of the Body 3

Here is the third cycle's summary. Apologies for the delay, but with Spring Break and Easter all in there the past several weeks have been crazy hectic. I'm alive. I'll also be posting cycle 4 and cycle 5 will be up soon, as I'm going to turn it in today in class.



In the third cycle of John Paul II’s catechesis on the theology of the body, he looks to Christ’s appeal to eschatological man, or rather, humanity’s destiny at the resurrection. This cycle is broken into two sections, which are each then further divided in two. In both sections, John Paul II discusses Christ’s words first, and then Paul’s teachings that echo what the Lord taught.

The first part of the first section deals with Jesus’ interaction with the Sadducees, which is recorded in all three synoptic Gospels. The key verses that emphasize the theology of the body are Mk 12:25, Mt 22:30, and Lk 20:35-36. The teaching seems straightforward enough there is no marriage in heaven, as it is an institution for “this world”. Additionally, the human person is destined for resurrection not only in his soul but in his body as well. Having already well-established that human subjectivity is shown in and by the body, it makes perfect sense that the grave is not the final state in which the body resides.

The second part, as indicated above, deals with St. Paul’s treatment. In addition to what was stated, St. Paul explores this idea of the destiny of the body by using Christ as the example of what glorified and resurrected human bodies will be like, drawing on the typology of Jesus Christ as the “new Adam”.

The first part of the second section, then, highlights the vocation of “celibacy for the kingdom” as Christ expressed in Mt 19:10-12. It’s important to stress two ideas on Christ’s words. According the John Paul II in line with the Church’s tradition, the call to “celibacy for the kingdom” is seen as a counsel, rather than a precept, meaning that only some are called to this vocation (all are called to follow precepts, e.g. chastity). John Paul II also addresses the notion that “celibacy for the kingdom” is ‘superior’ than the call to married life, in a certain way. It’s precisely because celibacy is chosen for the sake “of the kingdom” that it is ‘superior’.

St. Paul’s writings, in the second part of the second section, also take up this idea that celibacy, or continence, for the kingdom is ‘superior’, however, neither St. Paul’s nor Christ’s words indicate a certain inferiority of marriage. In fact, St. Paul says that marriage is good, yet continence for the kingdom is better, as it lets the person focus on the things of the Lord. John Paul II also clearly explains that celibacy for the kingdom is to be a voluntary choice by (i.e. not to be forced upon) the person called to it.

John Paul II concludes the third cycle with one audience, in an effort to inspire hope in the redemption of the body.

Theology of the Body 5

Here's the summary for the fifth cycle of reflections in JP2's theology of the body. I apologize for the loong delay in posting these last two summaries. It did take a while for my professor to return the graded summaries, and then the semester ended, summer ensued and I forgot all about this. I'd moved back home for three weeks, which was not good for my spiritual life, but then returning to the town where i go to school was so much better! regardless, finally, here is summary 5 and summary 6 will be posted shortly.

This fifth cycle can be divided into three clear sections, based on the subjects of reflection. In the first section, John Paul II does not begin with a specific Scripture passage as he did in previous cycles, but with the words of the wedding vows. By this, he introduces the concept of the “language of the body”. He states, “the key for understanding marriage remains the reality of the sign with which marriage is constituted on the basis of man’s covenant with God in Christ and in the Church” (TOB 103:7). Then John Paul II refers to the Old Testament prophets in order to express an analogy. “In the texts of the prophets, who see in marriage the analogy of Yahweh’s covenant with Israel, the body tells the truth through faithfulness and conjugal love, and, when it commits ‘adultery’ it tells a lie, it commits falsehood.” (TOB 104.8) The husband and wife administer the sacrament to each other, and thus they speak the language of the body. When the language of the body is reread in truth, it corresponds to the ethos of redemption. When it is reread against truth, in falsehood, it corresponds to concupiscence. This brings to mind all that was said in previous cycles, especially the fact that historical man is called and not merely accused.

In the second section, John Paul II reflects on the Song of Songs and links it to language of the body, suggesting that Song of Songs could be considered Adam and Eve’s words upon first seeing each other, yet more fully developed. For the spouses in Song of Songs, the notion “my sister, by bride” overcomes libido. This fraternal closeness opens up to eros. The bride is said to be master of her own mystery, which allows reciprocal possession, indicated by the phrase “seal on their whole life”. Here, John Paul II discusses human eros: it searches but never finds, limited by death, though fulfilled by agape. He calls to mind Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, comparing their agape with Song of Song’s eros.

In the third and final section, the reflections are on the book of Tobit. Here, the love between the spouses (spoken of in Song of Songs), is put to the test between life and death. It is a test for both spouses. The example of Tobias and Sarah, united in prayer, facing death, becomes model of the liturgy. Thus the language of body becomes language of the liturgy by being anchored in the mystery of the beginning. “The language of the body, reread both in the subjective dimension of the truth of human hearts and in the objective dimension of the truth of living in communion, becomes the language of the liturgy.” (TOB116:4) They model their conjugal life/communion of persons through the covenant and grace that the liturgy proclaims and realizes in the sacrament. Returning to Ephesians, John Paul II summarizes his entire catechesis in terms of the language of the body.

Too funny not to share

Kresta In The Afternoon: Cartoon of the Day

I don't usually put stuff like this on my blog, or at least not this one, but since I currently have not much other outlet, well, just enjoy!

ps, cycle 3's summary will be posted soon.

a slight pause

as opposed to JP2's "long pause"... no i haven't been shot. it's spring break! however, i was just told in class today that we'll be getting our summaries of cycle 3 of TOB back the friday after spring break, which is when the summaries for cycle 4 are due. that's probably around the time i'll go back and edit the original and post it here.

until then, i'll share with you all this video from fr. barron. i enjoyed it because i'm actually studying works from the people he mentions in it, like deLubac.

Enjoy!

Watch ""Why Priests?" by Garry Wills: A commentary by Fr. Barron" on YouTube

Theology of the Body 2

Below is the summary for the second cycle of John Paul II's catechesis on the theology of the body. With minor editing, it came out to be 460 words. I earned an A-, however my professor told me to enhance the section on concupiscence, which I have done below, even more so than I had during my revisions before submitting the summary for grading. Now that we've discussed this cycle in class, I imagine the summary that follows would be top notch.

John Paul II looks to Christ's words in the Sermon on the Mount in order to execute the second cycle of audiences. He hones in on the specific verses, "You have heard it said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you: Whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:27-28). These words, for John Paul II, yet again call us back to "the beginning" as we saw in the first cycle. Once again, he exegizes the text of Genesis to set forth God's original plan for man's sexuality, marriage, and family.

Yet, John Paul II explains that, because of original sin, we now must speak of historical man, who is precisely not only Christ's immediate audience at the Sermon on the Mount, but also every single person to walk the earth since the Fall. John Paul II continues the second section of audiences describing in theological detail the effects of original sin on historical man. These effects are contained in the notion 'concupiscence', which is threefold--that of the flesh, that of the eye, and the pride of life--according to 1 John 2:16. As John Paul II elucidates, concupiscence is always to be considered a lack of something that was originally there in man. In other words, concupiscence is not a positive problem, added to the human heart, and thus man loves his wife too much, but a negative one, in the sense that the human heart lost something that should be there, and that man loves too little, evident in the translator's phrase "[in a reductive way]" when citing Christ's words from Mt. 5:27-28.

John Paul II moves onto the third section of this cycle acutely analyzing Mt 5:27-28, dividing the verses into three parts and articulating their role in forming a proper ethos. He concludes that Christ's words demand a "purity of heart", yet without accusing the human heart, as he is very careful to explore in the fourth section of the cycle. Section five is only one audience, yet establishes the ethos of the redemption of the body.

In the final exegetical section in this cycle, section 6, John Paul II uses Pauline theology to explore and define "purity of heart", which has two main characteristics: avoiding unchaste behavior and preserving the body in holiness and reverence. Additionally, purity flows from the virtue of temperance and, as one grows in self-mastery, it empowers the person to better experience purity through the hermeneutics of the gift, as was developed in the first cycle.

John Paul II proceeds to the seventh section by synthesizing all that has been discussed in his meditations into his pedagogy of the body, by which he also sets the course for future reflections.

At the end of the cycle, John Paul II pauses to consider historical man's relation to culture, especially applying the aforementioned meditations to works of art and culture products. He emphasizes repeatedly that creating art and other culture products has both an artistic aspect and an ethical aspect. Considering both aspects with respect to the dignity of the human person will help in building "a climate favorable to education in chastity", a phrase John Paul II borrows from Humanae Vitae.

Theology of the Body 1

A word first. This is my first draft of the summary. It's more than 500 words, and may contain some grammatical mistakes. This was before editing it down, and the summary I handed it earned an A-. The summary for part 2 is a bit better (which I've already submitted, but has not yet been graded). Without further adieu...

John Paul II begins his catechesis on the "theology of the body", a phrase used continually throughout his Wednesday audiences, by calling attention to a scene that takes place in both the Gospels according to Matthew and Mark, between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees question Jesus on the nature of marriage, and specifically the issue of divorce. In order to combat the Pharisees' questions, Jesus, according to John Paul II, shifts the focus to "the beginning", citing for them crucial verses from Creation accounts contained in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. This leads the late Holy Father to continue his catechesis by drawing out several key concepts by way of reflection on the early chapters of Genesis. From Genesis 1, John Paul II emphasizes the objective reality that humanity, or more simply man (used as such in order to remain true the pope's terminology), is made "in the image and likeness of God". In other words, man, being both male and female, reflects God. Continuing onto Genesis 2, the pope explores three realities, which are drawn out through the lens of the first man's subjective experience of them. These three concepts are original solitude, original unity, and original nakedness.

In order to discuss original solitude, John Paul II focuses on the Creator's statement that it is not good for man to be alone. He reflects on the fact that first man has already named every other living creature and has not been able to adequately to experience the fullness and depth of his humanity, that is until God casts him into a deep sleep and creates for him woman. Thus, the pope draws the conclusion that only in light of each other can the two sexes, male and female, begin to understand their own humanity.

John Paul II takes this a step further in discussing original unity. Since woman was created for man and man for woman, it only makes sense that, in agreement with Gen 2:24 "and the two shall become one flesh". The pope says this unity, "is without a doubt the unity that is expressed and realized in the conjugal act." and continues to explain that it's the very fact that man is made male and female that allows them to engage in said act and thus bring new life into the world. (TOB 10:2)

The pope then moves on to discuss original nakedness, specifically the fact that the man and his wife were naked and felt no shame. John Paul II is very deliberate in stressing that "without shame" is very different from shamelessness. For the pope, "without shame" means that there is no limit to the experience that man can have of his wife and vice versa. Thus, quite effortlessly, the late Holy Father is able to explore the idea that man and woman are meant for mutual self gift. Before moving onto said point however, the pope attempts to offer a reconstruction of this original nakedness without shame.
Building off of this idea that man and woman are meant for mutual self gift of their entire persons, i.e. everything they each respectively are is to be given to the other for the other, while at the same time mutually accepting and welcoming their gifts (cf TOB 17:4), the pope elevates this notion to the level of the sacrament of marriage and its indissoluble character. Thus, John Paul II explores the spousal meaning of the body, of the sexes as masculine and feminine and finishes his entire reflection, concluding, "...masculinity contains in a hidden way the meaning of fatherhood and femininity that of motherhood." (TOB 22:6).

At the end of this cycle, the late Holy Father contends that not only is this reflection, prompted by the Pharisees' question of the Lord, applicable to their question, but also to those asking similar questions in our day on matters relating to marriage and sex. He also provides a preview of what is to come in future reflections, as there is more to the story than the "beginning" and its implications.

Theology of the Body primers

Hello all of you intrepid readers...all two of you...

As you may or may not know, I am currently taking a graduate course on Theology of the Body this semester. I'm very excited to take on such a challenge, given my wonderful experiences with the late Holy Father's work as presented through amazing individuals and groups of varying fame, or lack thereof. At any rate, our class is charged with tackling John Paul II's text directly, Man and Woman He Created Them, or what is more commonly known as Theology of the Body (hereafter TOB). I've finished my first week of grad classes and, as set forth by the syllabus, we'll be assigned to read each of the cycles of JP2's catechesis and then submit a 300-500 word summary. I know that I've mentioned on here in the past that perhaps I would post my papers for your reading pleasure, but seeing as I have not done so, I figured I'd make good on that offer now by posting, at the very least, the summaries that I write for this class.

I just finished reading the first cycle and am about to begin to summarize it. After I finish, I'll post it here. I'll probably post it some time early next week, as it's not due in class until Monday. Until then, you'll just have to wait!

Pax et bonum.

UPDATE!
I have been graded on my first summary. Below will be the links for all the summaries as I complete them. Enjoy!

TOB 1
TOB 2
TOB 3
TOB 4
TOB 5
TOB 6

2 0 1 2 in Review

Dec. 31st. 1:30 am
so, as i sit here in my good friends' apt with a couple other good friends (note that none of us present are the lessees of this apartment; they are all home) in BG, it occurred to me that I won't have much time to write a post about how this year went tomorrow. since I've the time now, here we go.

in the past, I've gone month by month, or kind of highlighted major events, but this time, i can clearly divide 2012 into 3 major sections: January to May, the Summer months, and then August to December.

January through May, or, we could say, the beginning of the end. Of course, i'm thinking in terms of employment. For those of you who don't know, I served the last two academic years as a campus missionary at a university parish. I was hired on after I graduated and loved every minute of it. Going into the post, I knew that it would only last two years maximum. So, when January 2012 rolled around, I set myself to the arduous task that would really challenge me on many levels. Not many opportunities were readily available right away, but as the next few month rolled by, I had applied for several really great jobs. the "Search" kept me hopeful as I read each new job description, imagining myself fulfilling the various roles each one set forth. After a few phone interviews and a couple of "you're really close", I began to realize that finding a job, continuing on in campus ministry full time, was going to be a lot more difficult than simply applying, interviewing, and accepting an (assumed) offer. these few months were certainly humbling, to say the least. Still, I was not discouraged from continuing to do my best as a missionary and end the school year with a success! By the time May came around, the kids went home and I took the last couple weeks of employment easy.

Enter the Summer months, or, unfortunately considerable, the season of unemployment. I moved back to Cincinnati for the summer and, even though i continued to apply for various jobs, both full time ministry and part time for the summer and beyond, I was still not hired anywhere. My dad suggested that I start collecting unemployment, assuming I qualified. My older brother, who had just been let go from a certain burrito joint, was also collecting, so one can see why my dad might make that suggestion for me as well. Part of the way it works is that the unemployed person making claims must apply for at least two jobs each week. After each passing week of either no communication from potential employers or, even worse, outright rejection, depression settled in. Just thinking about it brings back the angst...
In addition to depression, I can say now with clarity that I was also regressing to a certain extent, as I was spending money I shouldn't have on childish things, like videogames and Legos. mind you, I've always tried to hold onto a childlike innocence and faith, and sometimes the aforementioned activities for me can be a healthy diversion. However, I'm not sure if that was the case. Fortunately, not all hope was lost, as seemingly from out of nowhere, I began a new chapter in my life.

On August 6th, I applied for graduate school at probably one of the most Catholic institutions in the country. Over the next couple of weeks, I worked with an amazing admissions director and was accepted, moving in on the 23rd. So began the last stage of 2012: the new beginning. Of course, i do see it as a logical step, as I did and still do desire to return to the college campus ministry field after earning my masters degree in theology. I assume that the main reason why I wasn't offered the positions for which I applied was want of a masters. What was I to do but go back to school?
My time so far at this fine university has been interesting to say the least. I continued to apply for jobs, part time, on and around campus, but to no avail. I simply stopped making unemployment claims in October, as by then, I'd say that I tapped the job market dry. There was literally no practical job for which I could apply. This didn't bother me too much, and I survived financially (though I'm going to be paying for it later...), but this allowed me to devote more time to school work... HA! I barely was able to say that without laughing. Really though, I put forth an adequate amount of effort this semester...and I earned straight As! I have a 4.0 GPA for the first time in my life!!!
While that's great news, I wish I could that other aspects of my life this past semester were as successful. At the start, I honestly decided not to get involved in any kind of active ministry. This was a mistake, and I see that now. I'm glad I had the break from it, but it's quite clear to me, and others with whom I've discussed this, that active ministry is simply a part of who I am and if I'm not doing it, I'm the one who suffers. Given that, I'm hopeful for next semester.

I'm not so much setting out resolutions this year, but here are a few things I'd like to change for next semester, somewhat in order of  significance:

Spiritual direction. I had made arrangements with one of the friars earlier last semester for him to be a regular confessor when I needed it, but that's not quite what I need at this point. I know almost everyone at my school thinks they need a spiritual director, but i'd say that some of them probably don't....and I'm not among those who don't. I know exactly which friar I'd like to direct me, and I've already met with him a few times for specific reasons. He taught one of my classes last semester, so we've developed enough of a rapport that would make such an arrangement possible. Oh yeah, he lives right by me.

Counseling. Right away, understand that spiritual direction is NOT counseling. Spiritual direction is submitting myself under the guidance of one much wiser and hopefully holier than I in order to better understand how the Lord is speaking to me and what in fact He is saying. Counseling, on the other hand, deals with...I suppose everything else. Yet, since I'd be undertaking the counseling services that the school offers, it most certainly will be from a Catholic perspective. I can see how there could be some overlap, but I hope and trust that both of these two very important steps will help me become the best and fullest person I can be.

TANGENT! I'm not sure how much I've written about my personal struggles on this blog, though some of you reading who know me better might know of what I speak. I'll take this moment to try to make some sense of what the past year had brought in that regard, yet without divulging too much information to those of you reading who need not know. If this sparks an interest in you, a desire to help me become the man I'm made to be, feel free to message me privately or otherwise contact me discreetly.
At any rate, I admit that one of my major vices is not quite yet under control. In fact, some might say that it has gotten worse. What I can say is that I am currently in unexplored territory, personally, and I'm just not sure what all is in store for me. However, I believe that I'm proceeding with caution and that bottom line, I simply want to live in right relationship with the Lord and His Church, while at the same time being a positive example for some of the people that need Him the most in this world, in a way that is meaningful for them...

(okay back from tangent) Active ministry. I mentioned this before, but to be honest, I'm not sure what this practically looks like. After experiencing the campus and what it has to offer for a semester, which certainly doesn't exhaust its ministry opportunities, I'm surprisingly content with not involving myself in the liturgical ministry. Don't get me wrong, it's not because the school's liturgy is ripe with ignorances and misuses as there haven't been many, that I can see, anyway. It just seems to me that the current liturgical ministry is doing fine without me and, as much as I'd enjoy it, perhaps the Lord wants me to step out of my comfort zone and do homeless outreach or abortion outreach. regardless, if there is a ministry fair at the beginning of this semester like there was one last semester, I'll certainly be there.

On campus job. Honestly, this is a lower priority, though certainly still important. yet, related to the previous item, if there's another campus job fair in the first week or so of the semester, I'll be applying, with very low standards.

Households. This is a big one. I know I haven't given out many proper details in regards to my previous work experience, or where I currently attend school, but I will say that my school does have households, and they work a little bit differently than the way other campus ministries run them. just think of them like Catholic fraternities and sororities. Some do seem to be a bit more like that, while others seem more devout. To be completely honest, I was completely turned off to the idea right away. Yet, as the semester progressed, I felt the pain of loneliness due to a lack of authentic brotherhood, which was so richly present to me during my time as a missionary. I've looked into a few households and not many of them seemed too appealing. However, when one of my roommates told me that he was going to a founding member of a new household that has a very specific theme, I began to take the idea more seriously. When the semester starts up again, so will this new household. I hope to attend their events and commitments.

alright... well it's pretty late. this was a good first draft. If i have time tomorrow, I'll revise and post this bad boy, hopefully before the new year!

Jan 1, 2013. 5:30 pm.
i'm lazy. no editing! POST!

GIVEAWAY: Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives Facebook SHARE Giveaway

GIVEAWAY: Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives Facebook SHARE Giveaway

Blogging for Books

have I sold out? maybe.

the other day, i signed up for a program in which I get free books so long as i write an honest review about them. there isn't a very wide selection of books and it's an inter-denominational site. they do have some solid Catholic books, like Archbishop Chaput's most recent title (which i may have already in ebook form... i'll have to double check)... i guess this is just an obligatory post to say, don't be surprised by a non-sequitor of a review here or there.

that is all.

A "vested interested", you say?

So, we all know how passionate I am about issues involving sexuality, right? Side note, if you want to know why, please ask me privately and personally.

Even if I weren't so interested in ameliorating this issues on different levels... if I could care less, we all know that everyone is talking about Chic fil A, aka, "American's best chicken joint and oh yeah go eat there to stand up for tradish marriage" (patent pending!). As I skimmed through my blogs, I actually stopped to read one entitled "Is gay marriage about granting 'rights'?" (Spoiler: no, it's not. the rights in question can be achieved by other means). What struck me, though, was this line, as quoted in the post itself:

Neither the state nor the church invented marriage, though both have vested interested in it, and therefore neither can change its nature. [sic]

I hope both institutions' "vested interest" are apparent, but I'll explain shortly anyway... there is a point to this post.

I got to thinking... which institution has MORE of a said "vested interest"?

As a Catholic, man of faith, my first instinct would be to clearly pick the Church. More babies born (that's the natural ends of marriage, remember?) means more souls won for Christ and more of us happy in Heaven. YAY!

However, IF IF IF IF IF we aren't necessarily looking at the issue with our eyes of faith, perhaps the STATE has more of an interest. We can agree that more babies born and raised have the potential to become happy, healthy, productive members of society, chocked full of innovation and ingenuity... meaning $$$, money that the state can then tax the crap out of and then spend like... well like they currently already are, but that's not the point.

IF we're not looking at the eternal reward of Heaven and perfect communion with the God of the freaking universe, I would like to think that the Church's interest is much less in keeping marriage between one man and one woman. I mean, more babies born means more souls that we have to try to reach, more kids that we have to teach about the faith, more fallen away Catholics that we have to pray for, etc... you get the idea, right? I could take this example to far, but it sure would be a lot less work if there were less people.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT take my words out of context. The Church LOVES to do this work. The Sacraments are AWESOME! Souls are beautiful. People, human beings are the crown of God's creation and should never be treated as just a number. Christ calls us to mission and our response out to be a happy FIAT, despite how hard the work can be at times.

Of course, we know that it's flipped around. The Kingdom is worth everything, so why not fight for it by protecting traditional values, upholding our religious liberty, the freedom to do not whatever the heck we want recklessly, but to do what we know is right. Thanks JP2.

I guess my point in this post is a wake up call to the govment. WTF??? Why aren't you joining us in protecting traditional marriage, when you only stand to loose from trying to change it? Or are you just being a passive parent bending to the whims of the capricious, crying infant? That's not what a good parent would do...

update!!

so, as i've made clear in other posts, i'm studying jp2's theology of the body in one of my grad classes. i just finished reading the third cycle (summary forthcoming). it occurred to me that both Christ and St. Paul (in agreement with the Lord) seem to grant a certain superiority, as it were to celibacy, yet in no way do they disrespect the institution of marriage as it is between one man and one woman. again, don't take what i say here the wrong way. the Church totally supports traditional marriage (it's the primordial sacrament). however, if Jesus Himself and the Great Apostle both are trying to teach us by calling to mind humanity's eschatological destiny, then it only gives more weight to my argument that any civil authority in "this world" should be in favor of keeping marriage between one man and one woman.

yeah. just thought i'd add this. though i'm sure no one reads my blog anyway...

Affirmation and the beatific vision

NOTE, I meant to post this a while ago, but never got to it, because well, the rest of the series never got written. Got it? Now ya do.

This post is the first in a series. I may have explained some of what I want to say in previous posts, either here or on other websites. This and subsequent posts will attempt to explain how the late Holy Father, John Paul II's, wonderful teaching called the Theology of the Body (TOB) relates and is applied to homosexuality.

I've been reading Christopher West's latest book, called <a href="http://www.christopherwest.com/at-the-heart-of-the-gospel-2/" target="_blank">At the Heart of the Gospel</a>. Even though I'm quite familiar with his work of teaching TOB over the past several years, believe or not, I've never actually read any of the books until now. I had the privilege to hear Christopher speak just a few weeks ago at a seminary. Admittedly, I went there not only because I'm a fan and I want to learn more, but I'd heard about how Christopher interacts with men who have unwanted same-sex attraction (ussa)...and I wanted to experience it first hand. Say what you will about me, but you know how some people will always say "I'll be the first to admit that I'm not perfect" or what have you... well I'm putting that out there right now. I'm broken! Yes, I heard that Christopher affirms us men in our search and struggle for masculinity... and I wonder, am I much different from those who merely wanted to touch the tassels of Jesus' garments in hopes of being healed and made whole. I don't believe my actions were selfish, but when I asked Christopher to signed my book, I simply told him, "I'm involved with a group called ____" (a ministry that helps those with ussa live according to God's will), and he know exactly want I was trying to say. Almost immediately Christopher sprang to his feet and wrapped his arms around me so tightly. Then he looked me square in the eye and encouraged me to keep fighting this battle, because it's the exact same battle that he and every other man on the face of this planet are called to fight. I think I cried a little.

As I reflect on that moment, I don't think it's because Christopher believed that I had daddy issues or that I wasn't hugged. He wasn't attempted to be a surrogate father figure. I think that Christopher genuinely tries to live his life by offering every single person he meets as much authentic love as he possibly can. He does his best, by the grace of God, to live his own life as Jesus did. Many times when I'm in deep prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament, an image of God I'll have is simply Christ looking back at me as intensely with love as Christoper did, if not more so. This isn't just me making this stuff up just because I saw a guy who knows his theology once and attempted to get some of what he has. The scriptures clearly coincide with this vision of what heaven will be like: "for now we see dimly, as if in a mirror, but then face to face" (1 Cor 13:12) and even "blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God". (Mt 5:8) Christopher, in my opinion, lives heaven on earth, but not for himself. Far too often, when we think about heaven, we imagine how great it will be, yet for our own sake. I think that's a mistake. While we all hope to "go to heaven" when we die, I believe that it's precisely that attitude that prevents us from living it out now, and possibly hinders us from ever reaching it after death. Of course, that second part is just my speculation.

Heaven is NOT about me... because LOVE isn't about me. Heaven isn't just 'the greatest thing we could ever imagine, but better'. John Paul II, in Fides et ratio,&nbsp; claims that man is 'capax dei', the capacity of God. Setting the philosophy of the work aside (only because I haven't actually read the encyclical and some thoughts were confounding as I try to explain them to myself), I take that phrase to imply a certain power and thus responsibility we have to each other. My mom would always say "you can live hell on earth and your heaven on earth". She's right... but heaven is not about what makes us happy, at least not primarily. Because we has human beings can bring about heaven in the way that we treat each other and because heaven is our ultimate good, we have the responsibility to do so. At the same time, I do not write this in order to guilt you into the Christian vocation.

We should be Christians, authentic Catholics because we love, or rather, because Christ first loved us. When we act out of that love, we fulfill our responsibility without even trying, really... we fulfill the law that's been written on our hearts from the very beginning. When I think about how Christopher loved me and so many others in the midst of our brokenness, regardless of what the brokenness was, I have no doubt of his intentions. Christopher is a true Christ-bearer, just as his name suggests.

Okay, so I know that this post didn't get much into the specifics of homosexuality or the academics and pragmatics of TOB in relation to it, but I hope this serves as a starting point for discussion. My goal really is to apply this amazing teachings to one of the most controversial topics of our current generation and to see lives changed, including my own, because of it. I don't think there's been enough work done this specifically on it. Yes, Christopher West wrote a book and Janet Smith gave a talk (and I'm sure there's more, and by no means do I wish to belittle their work), but I'm discovering even right now a specific vocation... calling me deeper into prayer...

Pax Christi

Pornography is violent

I still haven't decided if I should go into detail to prove my title or if I should let you mull it over on your own and reach the same conclusion. While at Mass this morning, Fr's homily was a reflection of sorts written by a German priest during WWII times who was arrested for anti-Nazi sentiments. At the tale end of the reflection, I caught the word "violent". Fr's homilies from today and yesterday were what I needed to hear, especially yesterday's, as it seemed like Fr. just spoke freely, with his jokes and a rough outline written out beforehand. Yesterday, Fr talked about resolutions and how a certain writer of faith would focus on certain words that she believed the Spirit was using to guide her contemplation. Fr. recommended that we not set such lofty resolutions but instead be open to how God can perhaps do the same thing as He did with the author and exhorted us to find a word, and ultimately we ought to find the Word...

Anyway, as I was preparing for confession, the word "violent" struck me. It seemed like I spent the rest of Mass meditating more on how violent my sins were and less on the actually mystery... sorry, but it's still a grace to be inspired with the horror of sin, so as to lead to repentance. I thought about how, specifically with pornography, we take one of the most precious gifts God has given us, and completely destroy it. By it's very nature, porn is violent. Sure, we might be lead to believe that it's good and, if between consenting adults who supposedly love each other, well anything goes (...and what's worse is when some teach that certain sexual acts are totally okay because the Bible doesn't say either way...but that's another post's topic)... and yes we might even be able to see some hints of beauty in the body of the other. However, I still stand by my titular assertion. If you need illustrative examples of this point, message me. I don't want to lead anyone into sin and will thus avoid explicit descriptions.

One of the things I love about the Catholic Church is that while the rest of the world and even other churches threw out all the decorations and boxed up Christmas on December 26th (heck I even heard that one dad unplugged the tree one last time as soon as all the gifts were unwrapped Christmas morning!), we're STILL CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS!! The Yuletide technically ends with the Feast of the Epiphany, if I'm not mistaken. I'm a bit hazy on the details about the Octave of Christmas, but I'm sure someone out there is more knowledgeable than I and can correct me. During the Advent and Christmas season, we hear much about the coming of Christ as foretold by the prophets. Today, the last of the Great Prophets, John the Baptist, the Prophet of the Most High, gives his witness to the One who comes after Him. After confession, I continued to meditate on JtB's preaching and how doom and gloom it is. Often we have the tendency to stop there. It sucks because that's not really good news, ya kno? Repent or go to hell! What good does it do if we call our fellow human beings, 'a brood of vipers'? Other prophets speak of God's wrath...scary stuff... but is that really the God we want others to see? I totally understand that we must recognize the sinfulness of our actions and how much that offends God...which is my point... yet, this message does no good without hope...

Yet I watched a parishioner walk up to the manger scene displayed in the sanctuary and I thought, what does all this scary, negative stuff have to do with the Baby Jesus? I mean, 'sinners in the hands of an angry god' just is not compatible with 'an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger'. My meditation drew me deeper into the depth of the winter mystery. Jesus totally flips everything on it's head. While we're expecting something from the movies this year, we could totally miss the fact that He came like a winter snow...



So, to sum up, you've probably done some nasty things in 2011. You might even be caught in some pretty rough cycles of addiction. Despite these things, don't let this Christmastide pass without contemplating why the God of the universe decide to share in the human experiment. Heck, stop by the nearest Catholic church; there should still be a Nativity scene set up. Put aside your fears about worshipping a statue and focus on the meaning behind the image.

On a side note, I'm going to try to develop better habits, like blogging more, to kick my worse ones, like...well you can imagine. Given that, I want to be intentional with my blogs. Hopefully that's evident by all the links and tags I've included.

2011 in Review

So here is my post about how the year 2011 went. Given that facebook is becoming this timeline thing, i can see its use. however, i am NOT supportive of the format to be a permanent feature. i agree with one of my friends that it should be optional. anyway, as i write this, i try to think back on the year... i can really only go back as far as the summer, contiguously, that is. so, i was thinking that i'll use facebook and the fotos i posted there to help jog my memory.

so, here we go, with a simple month by month review. we'll see where we go from there

january
the highlight of january was my first ever march for life. i love the Church. that trip showed me just how alive the Church is in fact and how unified we really are, even if it seems otherwise on a myopic scale. plus, it was a great time to connect with the students who also went on the trip. i am really excited for this year's trip, which is just a few weeks away.

february
obviously, my birth month. i remember everyone singing to me at spaghetti dinner and a few students made me an awesome cake. i hope this year, when i turn 25, i will be absolutely SURPRISED by what friends do for me. never had one of those... hm...

march
a lot happened in march. the first week in march was the mission trip to luisa, ky. i really enjoyed it, tho it reminded me a lot of the trips to harlan with high school youth group. good times, good works.
another highlight from march was our parish mission, featuring fr. nathan cromly. little did i know that getting to know that good old priest monk would change the rest of my life...well, at least that i would see him quite often over the year... and i hope it's a friendship that will continue in the future. anyway, fr nathan is a religious priest with the community of st. john. he's involved with many apostolates, a few of which he started...more on that later. anyway, he did an amazing job preaching the mission. i attended every session i could with him, and even had the privilege of sharing breakfast with him and 2 of my coworkers.
also in march, another university parish help their first ever retreat, which we helped them put on. i was asked to give the same witness i gave on our retreat. a few of their students attended that retreat in order to get it started at their parish. it was such and honor and a blessing to serve them, yet furthermore build relationships with others among the universal Church.

april
there wasn't much exciting about april, so i'll take a moment to discuss some of the activities and such that i was overall involved in at my job, my ministry. first, as i mentioned before, spaghetti dinners. i organize the volunteers and help make and serve the food. i also lead a bible study, tho attendance dropped second semester due to schedule conflicts. additionally, i was put in charge of the adoration schedule. most importantly, meeting with students and just forming bonds with them in daily life. that kind of thing is hard to measure. okay... i'm not sure where i'm going with this paragraph so onto may

may
on may 5, our staff and some students went to see the minor league baseball team game. another great time. we all were given sombreros! ole!
the semester ended and the students went home... mostly. there were a few students who stayed. it was during the may to june period that i took to videogames once again. one of the students let me borrow his wii. that was an enjoyable time, as some of the guys who were still around in the summer joined me in rounds of super smash bros and links crossbow training.

june
see may

july
so one of the main reasons i, admittedly, took it easy early summer was that i and one of the students were sent to a program called ecclesia. run by none other than fr. nathan cromly, ecclesia is a month of solid formation that centers around the new evangelization. it was yet another amazing time of growth for me as well as networking with other Catholics from round the country, making lasting friendships.

august
as soon as ecclesia ended, i was off to the courage conference. such a joyous time, especially compared to the year prior's conference. last year's wasn't bad, but it just seemed like there was an atmosphere of redemptive suffering and penance. this year's spirit was much lighter and everyone seemed so happy to see friends again...friends they only get to see once a year at these conferences. this year, ironically, was the first conference since fr. harvey passed away. it was much more like we celebrated his life and the amazing work he did for the Church as opposed to mourning the loss. fr harvey is still praying for those near to his heart and the fruits of those prayers were evident at the conference.
not only was courage great, but a few days after that, i went on world youth day. holy moley! talk about the universal Church! it was such a blessed time...despite the fact that i caught a parasite that gave me the runs for days on end...

september
coming back to reality was hard... not sure if i'm fully recovered, honestly... or at the very least, i didn't prepare myself well for what was to come in the past four months... at this point, i'll simply say that it's been a struggle almost every week... yet i will not give up, no matter how often i fall...

the semester started back up. with new staff members an a renewed apostolic zeal from the summer, i was really ready to meet new students and take on the campus... i think we did a decent job, but we can always do better.
one thing that was added to my responsibilities this year was out sunday night catechetical program where students are encouraged and challenged to explore the richness of the Catholic faith by 'Going Deeper'...hm, i wonder what it's called. anyway, it's been a great way see the students grow, and such a privilege to direct their walks in such a real way.
oh yeah the audrey assad concert happened in september. that was a wonderful and fun night.

october
a highlight from early october was the switchfoot and anberlin concert. i enjoyed audrey assad, and am trying to organize something for the spring... but if it's even fair to compare concerts, switchfoot/anberlin was much more entertaining. yet, i digress that it would not be fair to compare the shows, so i'll stop there.
we had some fun parties at the parish in october, including a homecoming formal and a halloween party. both were a blast and a half.

november
a VERY busy month. i attended part of the retreat put on by the other university parish (that's kind how the retreat goes, but i don't want to spoil anything for anyone), their second one. on the way back, my car broke down. it'd been having problems...since i got it actually. there'd been times i'd go several weeks without being able to drive because it needed a fix i couldn't afford. so finally, when the fix was just too expensive, i sold it... for way less than what i paid... live and learn, detached. the next weekend was our parish's turn to hold the retreat. it was really great to see the fruit of the work we'd been charged with all semester come to fruition on that retreat.
just before thanksgiving break, i treated myself to the new zelda game. it's so epic...yet it was challenging. i gotta admit that i was frustrated multiple times. turns out that the random wii shut offs helped me from playing too much on any given day.
thanksgiving was good to see family, but didn't need it to be as long as it was.

december
the last month. ballroom mass was great, despite the rainy weather. more people would have easily attended if not for the inclement conditions.
one of the last men's nights we did was dodgeball. it caught on better than the monster mash, so much so that we played it on a weekly basis as the semester came to a close. they were just fun nights of guys having manly time of brotherhood.
and speaking of brothers, i made yet another retreat with.... you guessed it, the brothers of st john. it was really awesome to see fr. nathan again. this retreat, tho, was to discern my vocation. i didn't get to talk to fr much because he's not directly responsible for promoting their community and inciting vocation with them, nor does he oversee the novices. other priests in his order locally do that.
and of course christmas. again, great time to see family. i didn't receive any huge presents, but what i did get was very intentional and meant a lot. what i gave was good too. my mom loved her 'main' gift: a picture of me and my younger brother, recreated. we then put both fotos in a 2 foto frame. everyone else who received a gift from me liked it and was thankful. given that i didn't need much time to see my family over thanksgiving, i decided not to take off any extra time and just go home for the friday before and come back the monday after.


so... all in all, i'd say that this year was full of joy, and some struggles to still overcome, new friendships, even some from across the country and around the world. as i look into 2012, i'm hopeful... there are many new relationships to foster, and some to renew, including my own with Christ, through His Mother's intercession. may the blessings keep flowing.

Time to update my reading list

To all my adoring fans, super sorry that I haven't been posting that much. Life is crazy. Plus, I haven't been inspired (like I'm that specially that the Lord would speak canonically through me....poke. No, it's just that the Spirit closed the Canon around 425 AD) to write much lately. I just decided a moment ago to update you all with an update list of books with which I would like to update myself, so that I can be uh...up to date... Without further a due (is that the right word?), I give you my new and improved, updated, reading list!

1. Theology of the Body for Beginners
I know it's hard to believe that I still haven't read this one. I probably know a lot of what is already written in here, but it's good to have read it so that when I recommend it to students or whomever else, I can say confidently that it will help them better understand themselves and God's will for their lives and how that's written into our very bodies. I'm looking at the copy I'm borrowing from the student group as we speak... All those people look so happy... smells fresh too!

2. The Love That Satisfies
 Again, another one I should have read by now. It's in Q&A format, a structure of which I'm getting a bit tired. Yet, I'll push through it and hopefully learn something. FOR THE STUDENTS AND FUTURE CHURCH!

3. Love & Responsibility
 Ah yes, some meaty theology, straight from the horse's mouth...or rather our former beloved Holy Father's mouth. Christopher West is a great teacher, but I think I'm more than ready to take on this work, filter-free... or nearly so because I just realized that I can't read Polish.

4. The Church and New Media
 I've read about half of this book already. It has some really good insights about how to use new technology to evangelize...yet some of the contributors, upon close examination, might contradict each other. Shea says to just blog about how you experience God and His Church whilst Marshall aims to simply transmit what the Church has always taught by citing the writings of the Saints and Church Fathers. Both men are still in accordance with the Church in how She transmits the gospel. It's just that Marshall makes it clear that what he blogs about is not just his own thoughts and experiences. I'm probably not doing either contributor justice, mind you...and I hope I didn't spoil anything. Fr. Barron's chapter alone is well worth buying the book!

5. Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would
 My friend and author of this book sent me a copy. I would comment on the *ahem* religious differences, but the Lord is working in Chad's life for sure. I watched a DVD I had of his. Chad, if you're reading this, here's my public commitment to reading your book....eventually.

Okay... I have a few more, but perhaps they are all books that I own and either started and never finished, or I just haven't gotten around to reading them. Someday I'd like to get through all the books on my shelf... That's going to be tough because I have to make myself read. Never did like doing that as a child... Oh yeah and there's still Scripture and Catechism in a year. I'm definitely still a month and half behind on that.

St. Therese Novena

St. Therese Novena 2011! I am joining over 2900 Catholics to pray the St. Therese Novena! I’m pretty excited to pray this with so many faithful Catholics around the world and I thought you’d like to join too! There are thousands of people praying through this novena website and there will be millions praying around the world. + Sign up for handy email reminders to get the the novena prayers here: St. Therese Novena + If you have a website, post about it there! + Email your friends and family and get them praying too! Let’s get all the Catholics we know to pray this novena together to St. Therese!

Making it viral

What I've been up to

This post is featured on my other blog.

Jesus established ONE Church (cf. Matthew 16:18, John 10:16). heck, history is enough to show that the different denominations shouldn't exist. for 1000 or years, there was only ONE Christian Church: the CATHOLIC Church. the word 'Catholic' even means universal in that it applies to EVERYONE. around 1054, it's true that the Eastern and Western 'lungs' of the Church separated, but many Eastern Orthodox Churches have since reunited, forming different Rites of the Catholic Church. so, not only is there the Latin )or Roman) Rite (which is the most popular rite and everyone just assumes is the Catholic Church), but there are many other Catholic Rites, like the Byzantine, Maronite, Chaldean, and even some of those rites are further sub-categorized. Despite these labels, ALL RITES of the CATHOLIC CHURCH believe the same UNIFYING DOCTRINES... because the doctrines themselves were establish by Christ and are firmly rooted in the teachings (or tradition, from Greek 'paradosis') which He charged to His Apostles.

Later, around 1512, Martin Luther, influenced by several competing philosophies (so it wasn't entirely his fault), after seeing the fallen, human corruption among some Church leaders (wow big surprise that Church leaders can sin, huh?), he decided to start his own church. Did he have the authority to do that? NO! Yet, he opened the door for other influential 'reformers' like Calvin, Zwingli, and many others, and thus today we find 44,000+ denominations (because let's be honest, non-denominational is still a denomination) of Protestant Christianity in the US alone.

instead of rejecting something just because it's causing problems, we should do what St Paul exhorts us: "Test all things. Hold fast to what is good." (1 Thess 5:21). we agree that denominationalism is bad, and even unbiblical. yet, the Protestant answer is "let's just call ourselves NON-denominational"... but that doesn't fix the problem. in fact, it only makes it worse because it's only creating more denominations and more division.

while my explanation is a gross over simplification, here's the simple answer to the obvious problem of denomination: JOIN THE CHURCH THAT JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF ESTABLISHED: THE ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH!!


i don't say this to be right or out of anger... i say all of this because zeal for my Father's House (His Church) has consumed me! again, the solution is not to run away, but to push in further. test EVERYTHING. test your evangelical churches... they won't last. that happened to me. i used to go to an evangelical church. i tested it and it wasn't long before i was being force fed lies and the pastor was attacking the Catholic Church. it reminds me of Jesus' apparition to St. Paul. Jesus didn't say, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting my people' or 'my church' or 'my followers'. fact is Jesus said "Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting me? ... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:4-5). Is it becoming clearer that Christ's Church, the one He established, isn't just a group of people who happen to believe the same thing... His Church is more than that; His Church is His Very Body. St. Paul explains in his letters multiple times that Christ is the Head of His Body, the Church. Since there was only one Church at the time, the Catholic Church (btw, the term Catholic was used among the first Christians as early as 80s AD; the term Christian was actually used by non-Christians, non-believers, those outside the Church), St. Paul has to be talking about the Catholic Church.
bottom line, the only True Church to be without denomination is the Catholic Church.
the providential thing about joining the Catholic Church is that it takes humility... and it takes a deep and profound change of heart. i should know, i've experienced it first hand. so i know i'm not going to convince anyone by my words here... but i hope someone takes something from what i've said and actually tests it out... and who knows where it will lead them.
does all that make sense? does anyone have any questions? feel free to message me in private.

...good. that solves that problem forever. lol