The Body Electric
Alvarez, Geena Louise S. 07/25/13
100159 Summary Paper
The reading “The Body Electric” was like a continuation of our previous reading, which was “A Spirituality of Sexuality”, because it also talked about sexuality and how it is perceived in our society. The reading starts with telling us that how we are so ill at ease with our bodies; we are unsatisfied with how our body is, and we constantly strive to make it better. This just justifies that our society is obsessed with bodies, especially if they are young and beautiful, but we do not take our bodies seriously. It was mentioned in the reading that it is in our body that we encounter God, and only the body saves the soul. It is because the soul is not capable of transforming itself; it needs the gifts that only the external life can deliver. The gift of a body is a gift. This can be seen when Jesus’ makes a gift of his body to the disciples. To be a creature is to receive existence, not just at conception but at every moment. One of the ways that we could thank God and our parents for our bodies is by taking care of it. If the gift of the body is the sacrament at the heart of our prayer, then one of the most profound ways in which we can express who we are is by giving our bodies to someone else. It is a profoundly Eucharistic act. According to the reading, there are two reasons why it is hard for our society to understand sexuality as Eucharistic. The first is because our society trivializes the body. We tend to regard sex as a sort of recreation, or as something better ignored. The second reason is because it tends to see our bodies as objects that we own. For us to understand our own sexuality, we must look at the Last Supper. It shows us with extreme realism the perils of giving ourselves to anyone. It invites us not to run away from a crisis, but to embrace it. Also, the reading tells us about chastity. It seeks to shape one’s life so that a coherent story can be
100159 Summary Paper
The reading “The Body Electric” was like a continuation of our previous reading, which was “A Spirituality of Sexuality”, because it also talked about sexuality and how it is perceived in our society. The reading starts with telling us that how we are so ill at ease with our bodies; we are unsatisfied with how our body is, and we constantly strive to make it better. This just justifies that our society is obsessed with bodies, especially if they are young and beautiful, but we do not take our bodies seriously. It was mentioned in the reading that it is in our body that we encounter God, and only the body saves the soul. It is because the soul is not capable of transforming itself; it needs the gifts that only the external life can deliver. The gift of a body is a gift. This can be seen when Jesus’ makes a gift of his body to the disciples. To be a creature is to receive existence, not just at conception but at every moment. One of the ways that we could thank God and our parents for our bodies is by taking care of it. If the gift of the body is the sacrament at the heart of our prayer, then one of the most profound ways in which we can express who we are is by giving our bodies to someone else. It is a profoundly Eucharistic act. According to the reading, there are two reasons why it is hard for our society to understand sexuality as Eucharistic. The first is because our society trivializes the body. We tend to regard sex as a sort of recreation, or as something better ignored. The second reason is because it tends to see our bodies as objects that we own. For us to understand our own sexuality, we must look at the Last Supper. It shows us with extreme realism the perils of giving ourselves to anyone. It invites us not to run away from a crisis, but to embrace it. Also, the reading tells us about chastity. It seeks to shape one’s life so that a coherent story can be