body

id	My Body: quick ideas about the human body. Can I do whatever I want with my body? Is it convenient to give my body everything it asks for?
	cuerpo corpo(por) corpo(it) corps
MY BODY
1. Can I do whatever I want with my body? You can do many things with his or her body and soul, however they are not all correct. It is true that we can choose, however, our options make a difference; each decision can help us improve or worsen. A person can choose to commit suicide or use drugs, but he or she should not. You can self-harm or get drunk, but you should not do it. 2. But my body is mine and I do with it whatever I see fit(?) This makes a question pop into my head: “Do you really want to hurt yourself?”. The body is part of ourselves, it’s not something exterior: we are body and soul at the same time. This makes it possible to understand that to hurt our body is effectively to hurt ourselves. Damaging our body is damaging our whole person. The respect and dignity that our body deserves is that same respect and dignity that our person deserves. 3. The main reason to respect our body is the glory of God: he whom respects his body is treating properly one of God’s creations. And vice versa, he whom disrespects his body offends God as he neglects something which God cherishes. The Lord loves each person and each damage to a person is an offence against God. 4. Is it convenient to give my body everything it asks for? No, no. That would cause a deterioration of the whole person: We often crave for the wrong things. We must distinguish whether what one wants is actually good or not. He who satisfies all his tastes or preferences (pleasures) turns into a sluggish and whimsical human being. So that our will is not weakened or is turned into a slave of our whims we must train to be able to control our body. Very often physical sufferings our good for each soul and each person and so are often good for our body. Corporal sacrifices serve as penitence for our sins and are a direct path to follow Christ footsteps on the Cross. 5. Physical sufferings are good for the body? At first glance they are not, as the body suffers. However, in reality, the body neither suffers nor enjoys (look at a corpse!) but who endures is in fact the person. And a person can be happy in the midst of suffering if he or she realises that one is acquiring a great good. For example, a martyr may suffer a lot but still gains happiness. His momentary corporal suffering is fountain of eternal joy for him (soul and body). 6. But, how do you get it right then? On the one hand you have to treat your body with the respect but on the other it is helpful to join the Cross and sacrifice oneself… So how do you get it right? Looking for the good of the whole person. And what is that? It matches the will of God as the Lord is always looking what is best for us. As general guidance it is always better to treat our body firmly.

My Body: quick ideas about the human body. Can I do whatever I want with my body? Is it convenient to give my body everything it asks for?

cuerpo corpo(por) corpo(it) corps

MY BODY

1. Can I do whatever I want with my body? You can do many things with his or her body and soul, however they are not all correct. It is true that we can choose, however, our options make a difference; each decision can help us improve or worsen. A person can choose to commit suicide or use drugs, but he or she should not. You can self-harm or get drunk, but you should not do it.

2. But my body is mine and I do with it whatever I see fit(?) This makes a question pop into my head: “Do you really want to hurt yourself?”. The body is part of ourselves, it’s not something exterior: we are body and soul at the same time. This makes it possible to understand that to hurt our body is effectively to hurt ourselves. Damaging our body is damaging our whole person. The respect and dignity that our body deserves is that same respect and dignity that our person deserves.

3. The main reason to respect our body is the glory of God: he whom respects his body is treating properly one of God’s creations. And vice versa, he whom disrespects his body offends God as he neglects something which God cherishes. The Lord loves each person and each damage to a person is an offence against God.

4. Is it convenient to give my body everything it asks for? No, no. That would cause a deterioration of the whole person:

We often crave for the wrong things. We must distinguish whether what one wants is actually good or not.
He who satisfies all his tastes or preferences (pleasures) turns into a sluggish and whimsical human being. So that our will is not weakened or is turned into a slave of our whims we must train to be able to control our body.
Very often physical sufferings our good for each soul and each person and so are often good for our body.
Corporal sacrifices serve as penitence for our sins and are a direct path to follow Christ footsteps on the Cross.

5. Physical sufferings are good for the body? At first glance they are not, as the body suffers. However, in reality, the body neither suffers nor enjoys (look at a corpse!) but who endures is in fact the person. And a person can be happy in the midst of suffering if he or she realises that one is acquiring a great good. For example, a martyr may suffer a lot but still gains happiness. His momentary corporal suffering is fountain of eternal joy for him (soul and body).

6. But, how do you get it right then? On the one hand you have to treat your body with the respect but on the other it is helpful to join the Cross and sacrifice oneself… So how do you get it right? Looking for the good of the whole person. And what is that? It matches the will of God as the Lord is always looking what is best for us. As general guidance it is always better to treat our body firmly.