July 21
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual" (#362). That is, we are comprised of a body and soul. "In sacred Scripture the term 'soul' often refers to human life or the entire human person" (#363).
Today's Reflection:
Our soul is the innermost aspect of our human person, that which is of greatest value, for it is made in the image of God. Our soul is the very essence of who we are and who we can become. It is also immortal. A profound unity exists between the soul and the body. They are not separate natures joined together in the human person, but rather they are an integrated union that forms a single nature. So incorporated are the soul and body that the Council of Vienne (1311-12) declared our souls to be the "immediate substantial" form of our bodies. This means that our femininity is as inherent to our souls as it is to our bodies. Our gender reveals and defines the innermost aspect of who we are.
As women, our "physical capacity mirrors a spiritual reality". How is God calling you to understand this unity between body and soul in your own life?
Reflection taken from Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life
by Johnnette S. Benkovic
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