Finding love through God

Mar 31, 2023

By Bridget Antoinette Pereira
The Theology of the Body (TOB) for confirmands was held on March 18-19 at the Pastoral Centre of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Conducted by the archdiocesan team led by Sr Retta Savariannan, FdCC, it was a weekend of learning about oneself and an eye opener for the 17-year-olds.

TOB is most often cast as an extended catechesis on marriage and sexual love. Introducing this at an age when these young teenagers are easily influenced, helps answer questions that have been on their minds. It certainly is that, but it is also so much more. Through the mystery of the Incarnate person and the biblical analogy of spousal love, this catechesis illumines the entirety of God’s plan for human life, from origin to its present state, with a better and clearer understanding.

TOB offers a fresh outlook of God’s love that leads to deep awareness of human dignity, identity, and purpose. This vision produces wonder, peace, joy, and a sense of reverence for oneself and others. TOB instils confidence, in one’s ability to live life as a gift to the world.

Throughout the two-days, the confirmands were introduced to FTFF (Free, Total, Faithful and Truthful) and this was constantly repeated. The first speaker’s topic, Finding love through God, was an eye-opener to many. Each speaker used personal experiences to relate to the 17-year-olds and this helped them reach out on a more personal level.

Towards the end of the first day, the participants were encouraged to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation before participating in the evening Mass together with their respective families.

On the second day, the topics covered were: Finding your vocation, Dating with a purpose and Purity and Living the Good (and Free) Life. Many were particularly interested in the second topic and sharing with them the various examples of how to identify the red flags in a relationship and learning to know what is of God and what is not, had the impressionable young teenagers attentive and even openly engaging with the speakers.

There was also a separate session for the parents, conducted by Sr Retta in the afternoon, before concluding the two-day TOB seminar.