God's best creation
God has created man in His own "Image and Likeness." This creation of man
has two key dimensions, according to John Paul II's Theology of the Body.
The first is that we are to reflect God individually as a 'self'. To
become truly free and happy, we must seek to 'become Christ' within
ourselves in our own unique body-soul union. Catholic psychology is
committed to help persons restore this body-soul union This integration
of the person also requires that we live morally upright lives according
to Christ's teachings through His Church: if the self does not conform
toward how Christ intended us to live, we will not only lose integration
but would experience fragmentation of the self. Since man was created in
God's Image and Likeness, we are to conform to His ways: this is the first
dimension of self toward wholeness and Christlikeness.
The second dimension of human personhood requires that we live in
community. God did not create us to live in isolation, but in communion
with Him and with one another: our very nature demands this because since
God Himself does not live in isolation, we ourselves are not meant to live
in isolation. In a word, since we are to reflect God in His Image and
Likeness as individual persons, we are also to reflect God in and through
our relations with God and others. John Paul II says this in his Theology
of the Body, "man reflects the Image of God not so much in the moment of
solitude [individualness] as in the moment of communion" [in our
relations].
Catholic Christian face-to-face and on-line counseling seeks to bring
restoration and integration within these two fundamental dimensions of the
human person. Healing occurs when one commits his or her life to Jesus
Christ and allows the Holy Spirit to bring about healing in and through
the mature therapist. If we want to live healthy and wholesome lives, our
nature demands that we conform ourselves to the Image of God in Jesus
Christ. This is what will bring us true inner freedom within our
integrated selves and this, in turn, will enable us to live genuine and
loving relationships with others whether it be with our spouse, children,
siblings, parents, teachers, clergy and coworkers. God wills us to be
truly happy not only in the life to come in Heaven, but also here on God's
green earth.
May the Lord bless and keep you.
Peter A. Drabbant
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