Be Filled

About Be Filled

Why are we here? What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be made in the image of God, male and female? Join Rachelle Parker, Katie Davis, Patty Straus, and Sister Cecilia Ann as we journey through Saint Pope John Paul II’s beautiful teaching on the Theology of the Body!

Publisher

Be Filled Podcast

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Sept 2023

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

56 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   The Ethical Problem (Part 2)

   Welcome to the show! We are so glad you are here as we continue our journey through St. Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are discussing Audiences 124 and 125 as we continue looking at the underlying motives for using our natural rhythms to regulate fertility as opposed to contraception. Quotes: “The theology of the body…in some way plunges its roots into the theology of the family and, at the same time, leads to it.” (TOB 124:3) “To make use of the gift of conjugal love with reverence for the laws of the generative process means to acknowledge oneself not to be the arbiter of the sources of human life, but rather the minister of the plan established by the Creator.” (TOB 124:5) “The family that lives the requirements of love and forgiveness to the full becomes the main bulwark of the civilization of love and the hope for the future of humanity.” (Familiaris Consortio, St. Pope John Paul II) “There is no family that does not know how selfishness, discord, tension and conflict violently attack and at times mortally wound its own communion…But, at the same time, every family is called by the God of peace to have the joyous and renewing experience of ‘reconciliation,’ that is, communion reestablished, unity restored.” (Familiaris Consortio, St. John Paul II) “...the way of behaving in question, corresponds to the truth of the person and thus to the person’s dignity: a dignity that belongs “by nature” to man as a rational and free being. As a rational and free being, man can and should reread with insight the biological rhythm that belongs to the natural order. He can and should conform himself to it for the sake of exercising “responsible fatherhood and motherhood,” which is inscribed according to the Creator’s plan in the natural order of human fruitfulness.” (TOB 125:1) “...One should keep in mind that the “body speaks” not only with the whole outer expression of masculinity and femininity, but also with the inner structure of the organism, of somatic and psychosomatic reactivity.” (TOB 125:1) “Such discipline bestows upon family life fruits of serenity and peace, and facilitates the solution of other problems; it favors attention to one’s partner, helps the spouses to drive out selfishness, the enemy of true love; and deepens their sense of responsibility.” (TOB 125:6) Reflection Questions: What spoke most to your heart in this episode? Do you want to be the one to always decide what is good for you? Do you think you always know what is good for you? Think through moments of your life. Have there been times you really thought you knew what was best and it turned out NOT to be? What is the disposition of your heart when it comes to submitting to God’s authority in your life? Are you listening to what God wants for you? Are you willing to do whatever He asks of you? How do you feel about being a “minister” of God’s plan instead of in charge of the plan? What “tasks” of the family do you feel your family is growing in? What “tasks” do you struggle most with? Bring this all to prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you. How is your family an image of trinitarian love in the way you give and receive? How do you respond to the struggles of your children? Could their struggles help shed light on areas where you need healing? Is using contraception making you more “free” or more dependent? Is it helping you to grow in virtue, knowledge of your body, and freeing you from selfishness? Are you open to going deeper in your understanding of how God made you? Pray with this and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Resources: “The Shack” Judgement Scene Familiaris Consortio The Language of Your Body: Embracing God’s Design for Your Cycle by Christina Valenzuela Pearl and Thistle The Good News About Sex and Marriage by Christopher West Related Podcast Episodes: Purity as Life According to the Spirit (Part 1) Purity as Life According to the Spirit (Part 2) Gospel

2. 

   16 Sept 2026

   The Ethical Problem (Part 1)

   Hello! Welcome to Season 7 of the Be Filled Podcast! This season we are entering into the final chapter of the text of St. Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. JPII brings everything together to help us see why the Church teaches what she does regarding sexual ethics.  In particular, the Church's teaching regarding contraception. This episode we will be discussing Audiences 118-123.8. Watch the video here. Quotes: “The Church….teaches that each and every marriage act must remain through itself open to the transmission of life. That teaching, often set forth by the magisterium, is founded upon the inseparable connection, willed by God and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning.” (HV 11-12) “It seems to be entirely reasonable to look in the theology of the body for the foundation of the truth of the norms concerning such a fundamental issue of man as “body”: “the two will be one flesh”. (TOB 119:4) “The teaching of the Church on the regulation of birth, which promulgates the divine law, will easily appear to many to be difficult or even impossible to observe. And indeed, like all great beneficent realities, it demands serious engagement and much effort-individual, family, and social effort. More than that, it would be impossible to observe without the help of God, who upholds and strengthens the good will of men. Yet, to anyone who reflects well, it cannot but be clear that such efforts ennoble man and are beneficial to the human community.” (HV 20) The goal is to “discover God’s plan for human love, in the certainty that the one and only true good of the human person consists in putting this divine plan into practice.” (TOB 120:6) "...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own. For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body."  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:27-28) “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2) “The couple must conform their activity to the creative intention of God…The relevant principle of conjugal morality is faithfulness to the divine plan.” (TOB 121:6) “Humanae Vitae answers the question about man’s true good as a person, inasmuch as he is male and female, about what corresponds to the dignity of man and woman when one is dealing with the important problem of the transmission of life in conjugal life.” (TOB 122:5) “Man is person precisely because he possesses himself and has dominion over himself. Indeed, inasmuch as he is master over himself he can “give himself” to another.” (TOB 123:5) “..the conjugal act “means” not only love, but also potential fruitfulness, and thus it cannot be deprived of its full and adequate meaning by means of artificial interventions…When the conjugal act is deprived of its inner truth because it is deprived artificially of its procreative capacity, it also ceases to be an act of love.” (TOB 123:6) Reflection Questions: What spoke to your heart most from this episode? What is your initial reaction to the teaching of the Church regarding contraception? What questions do you have? Are you willing to pray about this and learn more? What do you know about nature that leaves you in awe? Are you in awe of your own body? In particular your reproductive system? Have you seen your reproductive system as a burden? How can you love your spouse through the different p

3. 

   28 Apr 2026

   The Language of the Body Becomes the Liturgy

   Welcome! We are so glad you are here with us as we study St. Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. This episode we are going to be discussing Audiences 114-117 of the text. We talk about the importance of prayer in marriage, practical advice on how to combine forces in prayer as a couple, and how your love life actually DOES make “Heaven a Place on Earth”! If you would like to watch the video of this episode you can find it here. Quotes Prayer of Tobias and Sarah: “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, and blessed for all generations is your name. Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you for all ages. You created Adam, and you created his wife Eve to be a help and support for him. From the two of them the whole human race was born. You said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make him a help similar to himself.’ Now it is not out of lust that I take this sister of mine, but with rightness of intention. Grant that she and I may find mercy and that we may grow old together.” And they both said, “Amen, Amen”. (Tobit 8:5-8) “...this love is validated by ethos, that is, by the will and the choice of values.” (TOB 115:1) “The truth and strength of love are manifested in the ability of love to place itself between the forces of good and evil that fight within man and around him, because love is confident in the victory of good and is ready to do everything in order that good may conquer.” (TOB 115:2) “...brings the loving dialogue of the spouses in some way to silence. What emerges is another dimension of love: the “language of the body” expressed with the words of choices and acts.” (TOB 115:3) “...in order to repel the evil threatening to kill the body, one must prevent the evil spirit from having access to the soul, one must free oneself within oneself from his influence.” (TOB 115:5) “This voice, this act of speaking in unison, allows both of them to pass beyond the threat of evil and death, inasmuch as they open themselves totally, in the unity of the two, to the living God.” (TOB 115:6) “The spouses of the Song of Songs mutually declare their human love with ardent words. The new spouses in Tobit ask God that they may know how to respond to love. Both aspects find their place in what constitutes the sacramental sign of marriage. Both share in the formation of the sign.” (TOB 116:5) “The sacraments infuse holiness into the terrain of man’s humanity: they penetrate the soul and body, the femininity and masculinity of the personal subject, with the power of holiness. All of this is expressed in the language of the liturgy…The liturgy…elevates the conjugal covenant of man and woman…to the dimensions of the ‘mystery,’ and at the same time enables that covenant to be realized in these dimensions through the ‘language of the body’” (TOB 117b:2) “When lived according to the “great mystery” of God’s designs, even the marital embrace itself becomes a profound prayer. It becomes eucharistic as an act of thanksgiving offered to God for the joyous gift of sharing in his own life and love.” (Theology of the Body Explained, Christopher West) “When spouses become one-flesh, this great sign expresses not only “an interpersonal event full of intense personal content.” It also expresses “a sacred and sacramental reality, rooted in the dimension of the covenant and of grace.” (TOB 117b:2) Reflection Questions What spoke to your heart most in this episode? If you are considering marriage or preparing for marriage, have you been willing to “look under the hood”? What is holding back? Are there any fears you need to bring into the light? Ask the Lord to look with you and remember “Do not be afraid”? What suffering have you experienced in your marriage that has led you to grow closer to God and to each other? Are you encouraging your spouse to make acts of faith even if it is scary to you? Can you trust your spouse to lead you and your family? What temptation do you need to “stand

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