Sacred Body

What do we mean when we say something is sacred? If something is sacred then it is holy and deserving of respect or veneration because it has a special connection to God.

Did you know that your body is sacred. Our bodies have higher meaning or deeper meaning than the rest of creation. When I speak of creation here, I am excluding the angels.  It is critically important for us to regain this understanding  of sacredness and God makes this clear in the first creation narrative in Genesis 1. Notice first, human beings were created in God’s image and likeness. “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Secondly, God declared all to be very good with the arrival of mankind.  Before that creation was simply good. So something is inherently more special about man.  After his creation man was charged with dominion of the earth and told to subdue or manage as a caretaker.  No other creation was given this mandate. Obviously, man is different.

Now, let’s think about the incarnation. God chose not to let mankind perish after the fall of

Adam and Eve but to save humanity.  God could have chosen to save man in any way that He wanted.  Astoundingly, He chose the path of becoming man, suffering as man suffers and even more so, dying as man dies and overcoming death and the evil one through His life giving resurrection.  Thus, Jesus heals and restores our souls and the practical sacredness of our bodies.

Finally, think about the implications of this admonition of Saint Paul. In 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 19 the great apostle challenges us:  “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?” Where God dwells there is holiness and sacredness.  Our bodies are not just a tent for God, a hotel for God.  No, our bodies are likened to the great temple of God where He is worshiped and sacrifices are offered.  Paul even says that our bodies are not our possession.  Your body is a gift from God yet he retains ownership.

Let’s not forget about our souls.  To be clear, our bodies and our souls are intimately intertwined. We are not simply a soul with a body or a body with a soul. We are both body and soul. Our soul is special compared to the rest of creation. Our living soul is enlivened by God and is rational and together with the body we are able to relate to people and God in ways that are like God and impossible for the rest of creation to do.

Why am I trying to convince you of the specialness, uniqueness, and sacredness of your body?  Our culture says that you have a right to do whatever you desire with your body.  I say to you that as a Christian, and especially as a baptized and confirmed Catholic, you do not have ruling autonomy over your body.  You gave that away to the Father. Even the non-Christian does not have autonomous rule of their body. Because God gives all of mankind their very existence and continued being. 

Consequently, you and I are called to offer our whole selves to God, to live by the power of the Holy Spirit as He says to live, and to treat our bodies as sacred.  It is then that we embody the image and likeness of God on this earth. It is then that we have life and have it to the full.  It is then that the peace giving rule of His kingdom is manifested on the earth which is our mission.