The E-catechism

To be Jesus' disciple

Man and woman

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To be Jesus' disciple

To be a Christian is to acknowledge being Jesus' disciple. We want to follow him. Today, this poses a question: to be a disciple, even as a disciple of Jesus, is not this being submissive to someone? The relationship between master and disciple involves loss of freedom, does it not? Is not someone else in charge of my life, even my most intimate life? The question must be dealt with. It is all the more true, because it hinges on what is most precious to us: our freedom. Someone who would give up his/her freedom would become a slave. He/she would not answer the deepest call of his/her humanness. We must recognise that throughout the history of the Church, the hierarchy has sometimes treated people in a childish way, so much so, that many think that you have to abdicate your autonomy and your free choice to become one of the "faithful". When you look at the Gospel, it immediately appears as a Gospel of freedom and not of "must". When Jesus says "if someone wants to be my disciple"... he addresses our freedom so that we become fully alive as a partner. He leaves us to our free choice and our responsibility as men and women. The output is the proof. What a leaven has Jesus been for his disciples ! He changed them well beyond their abilities and their wishes. So, he is able to say to them before he leaves them: "I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I call you friends, for everything that I have learned from my father I have made known to you". (John 15,15)           Write to Partenia: jgaillot@partenia.org

Man and woman

"God created man in his image... male and female he created them... God saw all he had done and he saw that it was very good". The primary intuition of the Book of Genesis is that human sexuality is fundamentally good. It is essential to keep in mind an optimistic view of human sexuality, notwithstanding that it is threatened by excesses and deviations. Human sexuality has to be understood as a whole, for beyond the sex aspect, it is the whole person which is at stake, with a body, emotions, way of thinking, being... everyone is stamped with it whatever his/her position in life. This is why people are attracted to each other, taking into account their differences respectfully, it prompts relationships and deep collaboration and this is life giving. It is from these relationships that life and human creativity springs with their many facets. Sexuality is for each one of us, whatever his/her way of life, a decisive trait of personal identity, within the dynamics of relationships to others. Human sexuality has mostly been seen as the ability to beget children: one can understand this at a time when, up to recently, the first need and desire was to see offspring in order to give a chance for the human species to survive. But most people could not value human sexuality for itself. Birth control has created a split between sexual life and fecundity. It has played a decisive role in creating a consciousness of sexual life as a vital part of human relationships. Today, people can choose for themselves to give a meaning to their sexuality as giving life to children and well beyond. This has given rise to new ways of looking at the meaning of sexuality. It is demanding and tonic. It calls for mutual respect, understanding of other people as different, and it always has something to do with love.     Write to Partenia: jgaillot@partenia.org

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