theology of the body Archives

Spend a Weekend with Christopher West

One highly anticipated speaker at the “Families, become what you are!” conference this summer is Christopher West, best known for producing one of the first layman’s “translations” of Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB) and hosting countless classes and seminars on the subject since then. West will be present the entire…

Cincinnati Invests in New TOB Curriculum

This is an extended version of the original article in our May/June 2018 edition of our magazine, Family Foundations. You can subscribe or order individual issues here. When Emily Macke was approached to write an 8-semester Theology of the Body curriculum for high schoolers, she wasn’t overwhelmed as one would expect. “My first reaction was excitement…

Aquila’s “The Splendor of Love” Worth a Read

Early last month on the Feast of the Presentation, Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila released an incredible pastoral letter that, although written for his Colorado flock, speaks to Catholics everywhere. The 50-paragraph document entitled, “The Splendor of Love” is essentially a theological pep talk on the mind-blowing beauty of human sexuality, as expressed in Blessed…

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Well, we missed it, but apparently September 26th was World Contraception Day. Gotta say, #sorrynotsorry. Pardon me if I seem a little aggravated here. It’s just difficult to watch YourLife — the youth-oriented, contraceptive-promoting Bayer website that invented the campaign — put out information that does everything but directly ask you to buy Bayer’s products…

NFP Uncensored: Surprise!

NFP Uncensored is a series of candid accounts of the way NFP informs every aspect of life. You can follow the posts by searching for “NFP Uncensored” here in the Living the Love blog (use the search bar on the righthand side of this page), or by searching #NFPUncensored on social media. Natural Family Planning…

A Call for Modern-day Warriors

From the Family Foundations archives **** OK, I admit it: Part of me thinks it would be fun to be Attila the Hun. I would pull on my helmet and leap upon my warhorse. As the battle horn sounded, I would brandish my javelin and howl, urging my fierce steed into the front of the attack. Let…

Embrace the Cross

From the Family Foundations archives **** “Embrace the cross” is a phrase that will never find its way onto the cover of Cosmopolitan as a means of improving your sex life. And yet, I’ve found it is the one way that really works. Some couples are dissatisfied with their sexual intimacy; this is evident in the many magazine…

Humanae Vitae: The Sword and the Stone

Humanae Vitae Giving Day * * * by Michael Gagnon It has now been 49 years since Humanae Vitae dropped out of heaven through His Holiness Pope Paul VI and the shockwaves continue to resound throughout the world. Since its release, this blessed document has not failed or slowed in its mission to clearly call…

Zombie Apocalypse: Spirituality, Sex and the Lay Vocation

Humanae Vitae Giving Day * * * by Dr. Greg Popcak On this 49th Anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae, one point that continues to be overlooked is that sexuality stands at the center of the lay vocation. Attempting to practice a lay spirituality while ignoring sex is like living a zombie spirituality that divorces…

“I Am Legend” and Pope Paul VI

Humanae Vitae Giving Day * * * by Christopher West In the apocalyptic movie I Am Legend, the “once hailed miracle cure for cancer” turns out to be a virus that very quickly wipes out 90 percent of mankind. Only 1 percent is immune. The other 9 percent morphs into the so-called “dark seekers” –…