less than perfect, more than flesh and bone

I'm super behind on where I should be with the daily readings, so it's likely I won't comment on all the days.

But I had to write about one of my favorite verses in the Old Testament. From today's first reading:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

I went to a Theology of the Body workshop in the early Fall, and one of the breakout session coordinators talked a little about this phrase. She really made me see the absolute beauty in this passage. First of all - TOB is a beautiful topic, based on a series of speeches by (soon to be BLESSED!) Pope John Paul II. It paints human sexuality in the beautiful light it was intended to be seen in.

This phrase comes after Adam sees his true mate for the first time. Imagine the relief, after being created in solitude, having a line of animals paraded by him - of course, none of them right for him - he find the perfect mate. Designed from the very moment of her creation, perfect for her mate. Imagine the feeling. Imagine the sigh of relief and delight. "At last, this one is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh." She is mine. And not territorially, his. But perfectly equal and forever to be loved.

And people say the creation story is "outdated" and "useless"...this moment is so easily missed if you are not careful. What beauty you'd overlook!