JOHN 10:27-30
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. MY
MOTHER HAD IT. SHE HAD AT LEAST ONE BROTHER AND SISTER WHO HAD IT AS
WELL, IN SPADES. PROBABLY SOME OF THE OTHERS DID – BUT I CAN'T SAY
FOR SURE. IT'S A PRETTY SCARY DISEASE. WHEN YOU HAVE CANCER, OR
HEART TROUBLE, OR DIABETES, YOU ARE STILL YOU – BUT WITH
ALZHEIMER'S, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE YOU GRADUALLY FADES AWAY. IN THIS
COUNTRY AMONG PEOPLE 65-74, 16 OUT OF A THOUSAND WILL HAVE IT. 75 TO
84, 19 OUT OF A HUNDRED; AND OVER 85, ALMOST HALF WILL HAVE SOME
DEGREE OF THIS. WHEN THE DISEASE IS VERY ADVANCED, PATIENTS REQUIRE
CONSTANT CARE.
POPE JOHN PAUL II WORKED
OUT SOMETHING WE CALL “THEOLOGY OF THE BODY”. HIS FUNDAMENTAL
IDEA WAS THAT THE HUMAN PERSON IS UNDERSTOOD THROUGH HIS OR HER BODY,
AND IN TURN ACTS SOLELY THROUGH THE BODY. WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER
MEANS OF EXPRESSING OUR PERSONHOOD. BUT NOTICE THAT JOHN PAUL DOES
NOT SAY THAT THE PERSON IS THE BODY; NO, THE BODY IS THE SIGN OF THE
PERSON, THE SACRAMENT OF THE PERSON. I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THIS
ON A DEEP LEVEL – THAT'S WHY WE BURY AND CREMATE OUR DEAD, THAT'S
WHY WE HAVE FUNERALS AND CEMETERIES AND HEADSTONES, EVEN THOUGH WE
WOULD ALL AGREE THAT THE DEAD BODY IS NOT THE PERSON WE WANT TO
HONOR.
THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY RICH SET OF IDEAS. JOHN PAUL APPLIED IT
EXTENSIVELY TO MARRIAGE. WE CAN LEARN A LOT ABOUT THIS FUNDAMENTAL
RELATIONSHIP BY STUDYING BODIES; WE CAN NOTE THAT MALE AND FEMALE ARE
COMPLEMENTARY, AND EVEN DEDUCE THAT THE SEXUAL DIFFERENCE IS AT THE
LEVEL OF THE PERSON, NOT JUST THE BODY. OUR PERSONS HAVE GENDER.
WHEN WE STUDY THE BODY, WE ARE OF COURSE ALSO STUDYING THE MIND, THE
EMOTIONS, AND ALL THAT MAKES UP THE BODY. WE CAN SEE IN MALE AND
FEMALE THAT EVEN AT THESE LEVELS THEY ARE COMPLEMENTARY. MEN AND
WOMEN BOTH ARE CAPABLE OF LOVE, BUT THE WAY A MAN LOVES IS VERY
DIFFERENT FROM HOW A WOMAN LOVES, JOHN PAUL SAYS.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE CAN
LEARN A GREAT DEAL ABOUT HOW PERSONS INTERACT AND LOVE FROM STUDYING
BODIES, WE ALSO LEARN SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE DISTURBING; EVEN THE
CLOSEST COUPLE CANNOT REALLY KNOW EACH OTHER TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY
LONG TO. EVEN A LIFETIME OF LIVING WITH SOMEONE DOES NOT COMPLETELY
REVEAL ONE PERSON TO THE OTHER PERSON. EVEN A MOTHER CAN NEVER FULLY
KNOW THE PERSON SHE GAVE BIRTH TO. EVERY PERSON IS A MYSTERY, AND
THE BODY ONLY GIVES GLIMPSES OF IT.
SO WHY DOES THAT MATTER?
JOHN PAUL POINTS OUT THAT THERE IS A LONGING IN ALL OF US TO KNOW THE
REAL PERSON; AND A LONGING TO BE KNOWN. WHEN A MAN AND WOMAN MARRY,
THEY ARE DRAWN TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KNOW EACH OTHER MORE
COMPLETELY. WHEN THEY QUARREL, ASSUMING THAT THEY REALLY DO LOVE
EACH OTHER, THE PAIN THAT THEY FEEL IS MUCH GREATER THAN THAT WHICH
HAPPENS TO TWO RANDOM PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN ARGUMENT, BECAUSE OF THE
REALIZATION THAT AT A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL, THEY DO NOT REALLY KNOW EACH
OTHER. THESE STATEMENTS ARE HEARD IN DIVORCE COURTS AND BY MARRIAGE
COUNSELORS ALL THE TIME – HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ME; I JUST DON'T
KNOW HER ANYMORE; HE'S NOT THE PERSON I THOUGHT HE WAS. WE'VE BECOME
STRANGERS TO EACH OTHER.
WE SPEND OUR LIVES
SEEKING TO BE UNDERSTOOD. WE WANT THAT OTHER PERSON TO KNOW US AS A
PERSON, NOT VEILED BEHIND THE BODY. AND WE DISTRACT OURSELVES WITH
ALL KINDS OF THINGS BECAUSE WE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY LONELY; WE MAY HAVE
A GREAT RELATIONSHIP NOW, BUT EVEN IN THE GREATEST RELATIONSHIPS
MOMENTS COME WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT THERE ARE THINGS ABOUT THAT OTHER
PERSON WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE HIDDEN FROM YOU, AND THAT THE PEOPLE YOU
LOVE MOST IN THE WORLD WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW YOU IN A FUNDAMENTAL
WAY.
AND THAT'S THE PROMISE
THAT WE HEAR IN TODAY'S GOSPEL. JESUS DESCRIBES A RELATIONSHIP
UNLIKE ANY OTHER RELATIONSHIP WE MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED; A RELATIONSHIP
IN WHICH IT IS POSSIBLE TO KNOW COMPLETELY AND BE COMPLETELY KNOWN.
WE HEAR HIS VOICE, WE FOLLOW HIM, AND WE WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, WE
WILL NEVER PERISH. WE WILL LIVE IN THE HEART OF THE TRINITY WHERE
THE THREE PERSONS KNOW EACH OTHER DIRECTLY AND COMPLETELY, AND WE
WILL PARTAKE OF THAT.
JOHN PAUL TALKS ABOUT HOW
MARRIAGE IS A FORESHADOWING OF THIS ULTIMATE RELATIONSHIP OF PERSONS;
THE BODIES OF THE SPOUSES AND THEIR MUTUAL COMING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT
EACH OTHER AND BUILD A FAMILY REFLECT WHAT IS GOING ON FOR ALL
ETERNITY IN THE TRINITY. BUT BODIES ARE ONLY SIGNS OF PERSONS, AND
MARRIAGE IS ONLY A SIGN OF THAT RELATIONSHIP TO WHICH WE ARE ALL
CALLED. SIGNS ARE GOOD, BUT NOT THE REAL THING. AND PEOPLE WHO
CHOOSE TO LIVE LIVES OF CELIBACY FOR THE SAKE OF THE KINGDOM, THEY
ARE A SIGN AS WELL, A SIGN WHICH REMINDS US THAT THE RELATIONSHIP
WHICH WILL TRULY SATISFY US WILL NOT BE FOUND IN THIS WORLD. ONLY
WHEN THE SIGN OF MARRIAGE AND THE SIGN OF CELIBACY ARE SEEN TOGETHER
DO WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE DESTINY OF THE PERSON.
I WONDER ABOUT WHETHER I
AM GOING TO HAVE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. EVERY NOW AND THEN SOMEONE
FROM MY PAST WILL REMIND ME OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED MANY YEARS
AGO. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I COULD USUALLY SEARCH AROUND IN MY BRAIN
AND FIND THE MEMORY. NOW I CAN'T DO THAT; IT IS AS THOUGH THE OTHER
PERSON IS MAKING SOMETHING UP. AND WHO CAN REMEMBER EVERYTHING ABOUT
THEIR CHILDHOOD, OR EVEN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?
WE HUMAN BEINGS ARE DESIGNED TO FORGET THINGS.
BUT GOD DOES NOT FORGET;
IN GOD'S MIND, EVERYTHING ABOUT US IS THERE, NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN.
EVEN IF MY MIND COMPLETELY GOES, I WILL ALWAYS BE COMPLETE AND WHOLE
IN THE MIND OF GOD, MY PERSON MORE REAL THAN IT CAN EVER BE IN THIS
BODY.
THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
TELLS US THAT THAT PERSON WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS STILL A PERSON;
THAT SOMEONE BEING KEPT ALIVE WITH A RESPIRATOR IS STILL A PERSON;
THAT A CHILD IN THE WOMB FROM THE FIRST MOMENT OF CONCEPTION IS STILL
A PERSON, AND THAT IN ALL THESE CASES, THE BODY IS A SIGN OF THE
UNDERLYING REALITY. AS GOD TOLD THE PROPHET JEREMIAH, “BEFORE I
FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB, I KNEW YOU.”
NO ONE CAN TAKE ME OUT OF
HIS HAND. NO ONE CAN TAKE ME OUT OF THE FATHER'S HAND. IF I LISTEN
TO HIS VOICE AND FOLLOW HIM, I HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
