“God gives us a body to glorify Him”

“If Jesus had just appeared and told us all His teachings, it would not have been the same,” said Fr. Brady Williams, SOLT, at the beginning of his talk. The fact that Jesus became a human being with a body makes all the difference – because, in the end, He brings it all back together in the resurrection.
 
“Holiness, Health and Wholeness” was the topic of the latest edition of Theology on Tap, sponsored by the Young Catholic Adults of the diocese and hosted at Sal’s Bronx Pizza on the South Side. After socializing and nourishing the body with delicious pizza and salad, Fr. Brady shared about the meaning of the body for Catholics. He quoted St. Augustine, who said, “Love your body as if you were going to live forever.” “God gives us a body to glorify Him,” so Fr. Brady. That means we should accept our bodies and take good care of them, but health trends can also be a trap in today's society. “The quantified self” means that counting steps or avoiding certain foods could become an end in itself and, therefore, take the first place in our hearts. Fasting is similar– “when you take God out of the picture, it becomes dieting.”
 
 
The human body and soul are equally important – we should never forget that. Fr. Brady suggested Christ’s life as a model for integrating physical, emotional and spiritual health. “Jesus had to sleep, eat, and he met with friends,” he shared: “He experiences everything that we experience, except sin.” All these aspects are part of our lives, and we need to find a balance. Fr Brady recounted personal situations when he realized that while he had a desk job for his community, he lacked close friendships, and God sent him two people who became his friends over the following months. Another aspect is exercising: though running was not particularly appealing to him, it is an exercise you can easily do wherever you are. “When I don’t run for five days, I feel heavy, I’m missing the endorphins – so I know I need to get out there.”
 
And where does Jesus speak about happiness in the Gospel? Fr. Brady quoted the Beatitudes: “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit…” God invites us to “give ourselves away as a gift.” The priest described three phases: from self-knowledge to self-acceptance to self-transcendence – giving yourself to others, “even though we live all three phases simultaneously.” Habits of Holiness, for him, include daily prayer time, the sacramental life – confession, Mass, adoration – nurturing healthy friendships, community life, and service to others. “We have to develop good habits.”
 
Since our body and soul are linked, adequate sleep, good nutrition, stress management, exercise, play, and personal growth are all essential to supporting our faith. The young adults' questions showed the importance of this topic: Healthy habits can become an obsession, and when workouts or special nutrition prevent us from developing relationships, we are not centered on Christ but on ourselves.