Photo by Luna Oppus
Stanley Colaço
Staff Writer
A philosophy professor gave a talk entitled “Embodied” on Pope Saint John Paul II’s series of audiences referred to as “Theology of the Body.” The talk took place in the Gentile Gallery March 27 at 8 p.m.
Robert McNamara, who holds a doctorate in philosophy, started his talk by praying the Angelus, taking time to focus on the words depicting the Annunciation.
“We can think of the Annunciation as God the father speaking his son, the Word, into creation,” McNamara said.
He then went on to say that the Blessed Virgin Mary used her body to hold God himself, therefore using her body as a gift, holding and guarding Christ.
The main topic of the talk was embodiment of the human soul and McNamara went over four specific audiences from the Theology of the Body. He said there is a need to understand these audiences in the course of everyday life, including relationships and the importance of marriage.
“This means that marriage involves the restoring of grace,” McNamara said. “God confers an increasing sanctifying grace upon us through marriage.”
McNamara said that the Church’s teaching that the body is good and gave the teaching of the Church on that matter.
McNamara also said the Church teaches that marriage is a sacrament and a specific and pertinent vocation.
Towards the end of the talk, McNamara said there is a similar calling and importance for celibacy.
After the main portion of the talk, McNamara opened the floor for questions. After more than half an hour of questions he concluded the event.
Students responded well to the event.
“I think it’s really easy for Catholics to get caught up in thinking the body is bad and forgetting that we were created as person, both body and soul,” junior Elizabeth Alva said. “His emphasis on that, and rejoicing in our God-given masculinity or femininity was really refreshing because it’s something you so rarely hear.”
The talk was put on as a RA event by junior Kaleena Montez of Saints Louis and Elizabeth Hall.