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On the hunt for authentic love

By 
  • January 10, 2014

Young adults in Winnipeg will be able to question love and freedom in a five-part lecture series based on Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

The series, titled “Freedom to Love,” is a more accessible version for young adults of the late pope’s vision on a beautiful sexuality. The series was created by Christopher West, a noted American author and speaker.

From Jan. 14 to Feb. 11, West’s series will be run by the Made for More group at St. Anthony of Padua parish. Made for More is a lay Catholic apostolate with the mission “to share the beauty, truth and goodness of the Catholic faith through exciting faith formation programs,” said co-founder Dexter Suban.

Freedom to Love expands on “the whole meaning of life, the purpose of ourselves and the role of chastity in the lives of adults,” he said. Participants will learn about sexuality and authentic love through the eyes of the Church.

“Authentic love seeks the good of the other simply for the other. This is the purest form of love and it brings the greatest fulfilment,” said Suban. “The freedom to love allows us to be able to share and express this kind of love.”

The event is targeted to young adults age 18 and up, though Suban says they will welcome adults of any age.

Session one, “God’s Eternal Plan of Love,” is a brief summary of the Theology of the Body. Session two, “For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free,” explores what freedom is and isn’t. Session three, “Love As I Have Loved You,” defines what love is and is not. Session four, “Sexual Morality and the Freedom to Love,” is the “why” behind Catholic teachings on sexuality. And the final session, “Living the Freedom to Love,” is a “journey of the interior life.”

A typical session will include an overview of the session that came before it and the relevant video from West.

Suban wants young people to walk away from this series knowing “what true authentic love is supposed to be and why the Catholic Church teaches what it teaches,” as well as “a clear understanding of your purpose and what it means to be man and woman, what it means to be created male and female.”

The series is free to attend, but an optional student workbook is available for purchase at the event or in advance. For information, e-mail info@made4more.ca or visit www.archwinnipeg.ca/ youth_events.php.

More in this category: « Calling youth ministers ‘Home’ Nun’s legacy lives on »

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