Corpus Christi
Fr. Anthony Brankin
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. The earth, the stars, the trees and God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created them—male and female He created them. And He saw that it was very good. He is God of the whole universe—spiritual as well as material, and besides creating our souls—He created our bodies as well. Do you see how the Word of God tells us that we are made in God’s image precisely by means of being male and female. In other words like God—humans can create—in love—and in family—but only by means of our nature as male and female. Jesus Himself says that this is why God created marriage—so that a man must cling to his woman—and the two of them become one. And thus they are to be fertile, and they are to multiply. Even Angels cannot recreate themselves. But men and women can recreate themselves—by means of their maleness and femaleness.
Jesus teaches us that male and female are sacred orders—holy categories—special God-invented halves of one humanity. By means of the union of male and female, love gives life. Jesus is not shy at all in teaching that this union of male and female is intended by God for the begetting of children. And the body—created by God—in all of its cells and genes and chromosomes and organs and physicality—is part of God’s plan and will and design. Male and female are not accidental. This is how we are human. We are male or female. There are no third categories. I think of the modern world-wide campaign for gay marriage. At its heart is a campaign to eliminate gender—to eliminate the difference between men and women, mothers and fathers, and fecund love and eventually to eliminate the family.
Moderns want to die
Now a normal person might ask: why would they want to do this? Well the answer is that Moderns do not like life. They do not like the idea of family. They do not want to multiply—or recreate themselves. Moderns want to die. They do not love God or God’s world and they would rather we be done with it all and give everything back to the microbes. There is a death wish at the heart of modern life. And this is where all their campaigns against family and love and gender come from. It is a pretty dark place. Of course they do not say this in so many words. They do it by degrees—and they use the doctrine of fairness as their wedge.
The mention of any difference between male and female is discouraged or actually outlawed. There are to be no separate jobs or careers—nor separate bathrooms nor different clothes. They will allow no distinctions of any kind between genders—because that would say that we are trying to impose our notion of gender upon those who do not wish to be identified in any particular way—no matter what their body indicates. In this brave new world male and female are unreal concepts—accidental—inconsequential. We are who we want to be—not as God has made us and certainly not ordered to family or children. Actually we are ordered to fun. We are scheduled for pleasure. You can do anything you want with anyone you want as long as it is fun. Life is about what makes you happy. Life is about fulfilling your desires. Life is about whatever helps you live your dreams. And no one can say “No” to you because this is your life—and the rest of the people in your life—including spouses and children and parents can be damned. You can be boy who wants to be a girl—a man who wants to be a woman—a woman who wants to be a man.
Be who we are meant to be
There is no understanding any longer that things should be what they ought to be. We can marry someone of our own gender-or change our gender or slip back and forth between genders—and maybe even species—whatever gives us momentary pleasure. You don’t have to get married—you don’t have to be faithful if you are married. The reasoning is this: if there is no true God—then there is no true nature. And you don’t have to do anything or be anything that you don’t want to be, but no-nature is a lie. It doesn’t work—because God made us male and female—and for the sake of family.
Every cell in Bruce Jenner’s body has the “Y” chromosome and says “male” and is ordered to those eight children he has begotten. He can shave off his Adam’s apple— take a ton of chemicals and tell everyone he is now female. But he is not. He is just a sad, sick, suffering modern male who wants to be what he is not—a female. And that is not healthy—nor is it normal nor is it moral. Uh oh—there I have said it. I put a moral component on it all. I have hinted at sin. And I will say that to give in to these temptations against the way God has made us is a sin and needs to be avoided at the risk of our very souls—precisely because it denies God’s will about sexuality—and if it goes far enough—it is against the Fifth commandment which forbids bodily mutilation. Bruce Jenner needs to turn to God and ask for strength to resist these urges and drives which all come from the Evil one. He needs to ask for the grace to endure his struggle—fight his demons—and try to live virtuously.
This new understanding of life that we must do what we want to do—no matter what— is why we no longer live in the world of strong, united families—father and mother—and children all in sweet accord, pledged to each other for life for the sake of their family and children. This is why we live in the world of broken hearts and broken vows and broken families. This is how we got to our brave new world where mommy’s boyfriend lives at home instead of Daddy—where Daddy’s boyfriend pretends he is someone’s mother. And everyone is suffering and everyone is troubled and no one is happy. And this is only one small part of the ensemble of troubles that the modern person and family confronts every day. We are battling not just gay marriage and gender obliteration—but divorce—adultery—pornography—civil marriage—no-marriage—birth control—no control—and the worst of it all—the killing of our own children in abortion.
This is Satan’s assault against life and love and family and God. And only a return to Sources—and Faith can save us or our families. I mention all this on the Feast of Corpus Christi—because the Church wants to remind us that it is Our Lord’s own Body that saves us—His Body crucified on the cross—His Body risen from the dead—His Body that we receive in Holy Communion. And we get to heaven by means of His Body saving us—including our bodies—male and female as God made them. We cannot dismiss our bodies or their genders or the obligations that are incumbent upon us because of those bodies—male and female. Our bodies are a gift from God and the actual means by which we get to heaven—and by means of His Body. Corpus Christi teaches—among other things—that most beautiful lesson—that He loves us enough to want to
save us—as we are—male and female—body and soul and He uses His own Body to accomplish that.