Man in the Dimension of gift: A Summary
This section of the Holy Father’s exhortations deals specifically with man’s life in early creation, specifically as a receiver and giver of a gift. John Paul II specifically focuses firstly on the idea of man’s original creation, that being in the beginning to understand the whole of creation as a gift, through his creation in the image and likeness of God. God then recognizes that man’s sincere gift of self cannot be given alone and desires to create a partner for him, who allows man to discover the inner meaning of himself through the gift. While the first gift was purely the creation of the world, now it has moved toward the gift of being for another. This union born between Adam and Eve is the external sign of the powerful internal sign that is the spousal meaning of the body.
This spousal meaning is a core piece of the entire theology of the body. In joining as one flesh as Genesis describes, the spousal meaning is fully formed. This reasoning comes as man from the beginning was made for a union with another, this spousal relationship relies on man freely giving himself over as a gift. Gifting of oneself to another is driven by an affirmation of the other, a reciprocal act in which both man and woman find their full value in each other. As John Paul II makes mention, this affirmation “is nothing other than welcoming the gift” affirming in this case is a discovery and acceptance of the unique characteristics that make up masculinity and femininity. Yet this spousal meaning can also reach a high vocation above the central vocation to marriage. In renouncing marriage for what can be termed as celibacy for the Kingdom of God, man reveals a core truth about this spousal gift, that it can be only be given freely according to the wholly original freedom given to man by God from the beginning.
The state of man which is present at the beginning and plays a large role in the spousal gift is original innocence which allowed for a full partaking in the spousal meaning from the beginning. When Adam and Eve were naked without shame, they were able to fully accept and see their spouse for who they are inherently without the stain of outside lust brought upon by Original Sin. This innocence allows for a full reception of the affirmation of the body, leading to an understanding of the ethos of the human relationship. This ethos is primarily as one would think, procreative. Procreation is the greatest result of the spousal meaning of the body between man and woman. This is given a sacramental sign in the primordial sacrament, marriage which was present from the beginning as Christ made clear to the Pharisees. Man and woman are drawn to one another given foundation in that primordial sacrament.