Reflection on January 30, 1980

https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb15.htm

The idea that love can only be perceived in created things is something that I thought was interesting. When I first reflected on that, I thought about how love between a husband and wife is shown through their children, who the participated in creating. But, as I thought about it more, I thought of how it can be much broader. I was thinking of an artist and what they create on the canvas and how that shows what they love. But some art (if you can call it that) is not very tasteful. So, I was thinking that you may not see “love” in the creation, but what the creator loves, which could be evil. But if we take it back to children, all were created in an act that (as God intended it) is the climax of love. So looking at children, you see love, God’s love, God is love, hence, the image of God. Yes there are some children created from an act in which love is not there, but that is not God’s intent, and God can bring about the very image of Himself, vision of love, in the face of a child, regardless of the motivation or lack of love in the act.

I like the idea that God’s love is irreversible, He cannot take it back, even after sin. Many ask why Christ sacrificed His life for sinners, those that had turned away and continue to turn away from Him. But it is that same irreversible love that God had for those two He created in the beginning. That love stays the same, never diminishing, irreversible.

I didn’t know how immunity because of love kept us from shame. I suppose I understand that because we had a complete love, there was no room for shame, whereas after the fall, love is not complete and shame is allowed to seep in. When I think of immunity, I think of impenetrability. But they were impenetrable, they fell. If they were immune from shame before the fall, were they not immune to pride, which caused them to seek what they did not already have.

“Innocence is a mystery of man’s existence before the knowledge of good and evil and, as it were, “outside” of that knowledge.” This is the one line I found most interesting. The world sees freedom as a place with no limits, no boundaries. If you are allowed to do whatever you want, whenever you want, you are truly free. That is not the Biblical understanding of freedom. True freedom is when you live in accordance with God and His will and bring yourself to full obedience to Him. That seems counter intuitive, but this line and talking about what happened after the fall tries to explain it. Before the fall, the two were allowed to live completely free because of their original innocence. They were not bound. After the fall, their freedom was cut short, they became imprisoned by the knowledge that they obtained. As with most sinful acts, the result of the act has exactly the opposite consequence of what was hoped for.

I thought the footnote on nakedness was interesting. It states that in the Middle East, nakedness is seen as a deprivation of freedom, slavery etc. I thought it gave new insight into what we see with them requiring their women to cover up. But, more to reflect on, is what they must think when they see the Western culture. Can you imagine what they thought of the 60’s and 70’s sexual revolution. The West see nakedness as a sign of freedom. Even now, we are over there, in many ways, trying to tear down their culture and Westernize it, and they see Miley Cyrus twerking and riding a wrecking ball. The West sees nakedness as a freedom, but it is a slavery and shows the world its slavery to sin and defilement of the body God gave us in Love.

Words I looked up.

Irradiation - to shed rays of light upon; illuminate.

Immunity – (beautifying immunity) the condition that permits either natural or acquired resistance to disease.

“historical a posteriori” - A posteriori knowledge or justification is dependent on experience or empirical evidence. I take this to mean the historical knowledge we can gain by looking at experience. This is as opposed to “a priori” knowledge or justification is independent of experience