God's Mercy from Creation to Eternity

A new merciful way of looking at our bodies and souls.

I'm taking a wonderful seminar at CDU (Catholic Distance University) it is entitled, Introduction to Genesis and it is taught by Dr. Robert D. Miller II.  The following quote was in our lecture notes: "Man is in the image of God, not one aspect of man! We aren't souls encased in a body; we are people - body and soul. Man's spiritual life is not something added to his physical life, our very existence is our relationship to God."

This is a novel concept to me because I've always heard that the soul is what was created in the "image of God' so I prayed to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment. My heart was flooded with thoughts. First, I remembered Our Blessed Mother, assumed body and soul into heaven. Why? because she was immaculate, without blemish. When God created Adam and Eve, they too were without blemish until they chose to disobey God. Eve's quest for "knowledge" on her own terms, as opposed to God's wisdom, led to her disobedience and sin entering the world, by way of death. In order to die, there must be a cause for death, hence aging and disease etc. Prior to the fall, there was no aging, no disease, no death. Body and Soul were in a perfect union acting together.  Eve made the choice in her mind to say "No, I will not abstain" from the tree of knowledge and used her body to pick the fruit of temptation. Body and Soul worked together to her demise.

                                  

I believe that life's struggles are actually opportunities to choose virtue or vice, once we make the choice in our mind then we eventually move forward with our bodies. Our Blessed Mother humbled herself in complete obedience to the Father, "Be it done to me according to your will."  She did not have all the knowledge most young girls would have desired about her situation, but she had faith and used her free will to say "Yes" to God. She said yes with her mind and her body when she conceived Christ. Her soul and body were in perfect union with one another, because she was in obedience to God.

We must not separate our intellect and spirituality from the actions of our bodies.

The body is a blessing. It is the body that allows us to touch, to feel, to hear, to see, to taste, to smell, but it can be a curse when we don't use it as God intended. When we say no to God, and sin with our bodies...lust, gluttony, sex outside of marriage, etc. we upset the "order" intended by God in creating us in His image. I think we get too boxed in by the word "image"....we think in terms of an absolute replica...instead, perhaps we need to think of "image" as "strikingly alike" or "in union. with".  For example, when someone says, "Oh she is the "image" of her Mom" they really mean, so much like her, or an uncanny resemblance. Isn't that what God wants of us, to desire to be like him in our nature? Not to be "A God", but to be like God. We must not separate our intellect and spirituality from the actions of our bodies, because God created us to have them work in unison with one another in order for us to fully know Him, love Him and serve Him.

So, what if we've messed up? Is it too late?

Take the Prodigal Son for example. He made bad choices. With his mind he greedily decided to take his inheritance and with his body he used his money to sin. But, his father waited anxiously for his return. When the prodigal son did return, his father seeing him in the distance, went running towards him joyfully rejoicing. This is how it is with Our Heavenly Father, he is waiting with Divine Mercy for us to return to communion with Him. The prodigal son was repentant and only expected to serve his father as a lowly servant when he humbly returned. But, the Father said, bring him fine robes and serve him a feast. The mercy of God is like this, shining in splendor, spread out like a feast before us, awaiting our return. All we have to do is to return to Him with a contrite heart and a soul wanting to be united with the actions of our bodies.

Why not take a class or two at CDU?  CDU Catholic Distance University

Mary Kidd Flemming blogs for The Handmaids of Mercy , The Splendor of Truth and The Compass Rose (Parenting and Family Life Issues). You may also enjoy her husband's website: Crossroads Family Center

Comments

[Cosmos Cat]

Hello Mary,

Thanks for providing the link to this blog in your intro at the Genesis seminar. I'm very interested in St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy; so, this blog sounded most interesting.

Thanks, too, for a thoughtful reflection on this week's lesson. I also thought of the saying "she/he is the image of [blank]. This is, I think, a valuable and helpful analogy.

I'm looking forward to exploring your blog further. See you at the seminar.

Cat