Apr. 14, 2009
Exercising for God?
You might find this post title a little strange. Exercise for God? What does God have to do with exercising? Well, to most of us, very little. It is probably a connection we have never made. But there is a connection - and a very strong one at that.
I have been reading a book my ds got for Easter this weekend and it has opened my eyes completely to the TRUE relationship between God and exercise. It is called Fit for Eternal Life by Kevin Vost, for those of you interested in reading it. The Bible, strangely enough has many, many references to our physical bodies and the state that we are called to keep them in.
St. Thomas Aquinas, the great doctor of the church, writes much on the physical body, in addition to the spiritual soul. Remember, they are interconnected. Our soul will continue on for eternity, but our bodies too shall be raised in a glorified state. St. Thomas writes that "those who through exercise have the body more adapted to obey the moving sprit, labor less in being moved" In otherwords, those who are of greater physical capabilities labor less strenously and more fluidly in acting on the desires of the spitrt which are service to others. Our muscles and endurance are the tools by which we make charitable works physically possible. There is greater harmony achieved between the soul and the body when both are thoroughly in shape.
Like the soul, the great virtues of our faith are the true path to physical perfection. St. Thomas writes, "But if a man uses exercise, food, and drink in moderation, he will become physically strong and his health will be improved and preserved. It is the same with virtues of the soul - for instance, fortitude, temperance, and the other virtues." We will look at these virtues and how they can help us on our path to a more perfect union of our soul and body in coming posts.
In the mean time, I hope that I have given you something to ponder. Try to think about your body as, not just a place for your soul to temporarily occupy, but as a TEMPLE of the HOLY SPIRIT. Would God want his temple to be overweight, plagued with illness, slow to react, and too tired to work charitably? How can we carry out God's work here on earth if we are physically in such a state as this? I leave you with another quote from St. Thomas Aquinas,
I have been reading a book my ds got for Easter this weekend and it has opened my eyes completely to the TRUE relationship between God and exercise. It is called Fit for Eternal Life by Kevin Vost, for those of you interested in reading it. The Bible, strangely enough has many, many references to our physical bodies and the state that we are called to keep them in.
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Cor 6:19
Most notably it talks many times about strength and the perfection we are to attain. How can we glorify God with our bodies if we do not strive to perfect them?
"You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heaveny Father is perfect." Mat 5:48
Now that does not mean that we will ever be perfect, but it means that we will be perfect within our limitations. There is also a distinction between working toward obtaining a perfecct body for the glory of God, than for the eyes of society. We will talk about this in more depth later on.St. Thomas Aquinas, the great doctor of the church, writes much on the physical body, in addition to the spiritual soul. Remember, they are interconnected. Our soul will continue on for eternity, but our bodies too shall be raised in a glorified state. St. Thomas writes that "those who through exercise have the body more adapted to obey the moving sprit, labor less in being moved" In otherwords, those who are of greater physical capabilities labor less strenously and more fluidly in acting on the desires of the spitrt which are service to others. Our muscles and endurance are the tools by which we make charitable works physically possible. There is greater harmony achieved between the soul and the body when both are thoroughly in shape.
Like the soul, the great virtues of our faith are the true path to physical perfection. St. Thomas writes, "But if a man uses exercise, food, and drink in moderation, he will become physically strong and his health will be improved and preserved. It is the same with virtues of the soul - for instance, fortitude, temperance, and the other virtues." We will look at these virtues and how they can help us on our path to a more perfect union of our soul and body in coming posts.
In the mean time, I hope that I have given you something to ponder. Try to think about your body as, not just a place for your soul to temporarily occupy, but as a TEMPLE of the HOLY SPIRIT. Would God want his temple to be overweight, plagued with illness, slow to react, and too tired to work charitably? How can we carry out God's work here on earth if we are physically in such a state as this? I leave you with another quote from St. Thomas Aquinas,
"Virtue, inasmuch as it is a suitable disposition of the soul, is like health and beauty, which are suitable dispositions of the body."