Men, Women and the Mystery of Love

books:


	• Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II's Love and Responsibility Edward Sri Servant Books, 2007 - 165 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

For Laity, Priests and Religious

The author, an associate professor at the Augustine Institute in Denver, wrote Men, Women and the Mystery of Love as an outgrowth of his own study and teaching on John Paul II's book Love and Responsibility. His goal was to shine a light on the pope's view of love and sexuality and show its relevance to everyday life. The work is suitable for lay people, priests, and religious in groups and as individuals. Each chapter focuses on an aspect of the pope's thinking and provides questions for reflection and suggestions for further reading. Topics include friendship; the proper role of emotions; how contraception harms love; and building trust, intimacy, and a mature love.

The chapter on building trust opens with the current divorce rates and data showing that only about one in ten married couples in the U.S. say they experience emotional intimacy in their relationship. In a great marriage, Sri writes, the spouses experience a deep personal communion with each other. John Paul II identified the underpinnings of this communion as "mutual self-giving love and the accompanying sense of responsibility for each other as gift." Sri addresses the topic with examples from the Garden of Eden, his own marriage, and two modern-day couples in crisis. This final story leads to a discussion of mature and immature love. In a summary chart, Sri describes mature love as primarily objective; looking outward; creating confidence and serenity; and self-giving. Reflection questions ask how our words and deeds break down trust and how we can maintain a truly loving attitude without approving faults of the other.

for more information click here

Men, Women and the Mystery of Love

Excellent book. Well written. Straight forward. Definitely a study guide to the more extensive and erudite Love and Responsibilty by Fr. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II). For me it made Roman Catholic moral teaching on love between men and women clear and reasonable. If we all could achieve this level of love with others the world would truly be a better place. Since I am a Catholic who is accepting of same sex partnerships, I would say that the these standards apply to loving and responsible same sex relationships also.