The face to face encounter of Adam and Eve, of the lovers in the Song of Solomon is more than a physical reality, something to be seen by an observer or modern Bible reader. Pope Francis describes a reality described as “harmony,” an “interior” closeness. What do you make of this:
13. This encounter, which relieves man’s solitude, gives rise to new birth and to the family. Significantly, Adam, who is also the man of every time and place, together with his wife, starts a new family. Jesus speaks of this by quoting the passage from Genesis: “The man shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one” (Mt 19:5; cf. Gen 2:24). The very word “to be joined” or “to cleave”, in the original Hebrew, bespeaks a profound harmony, a closeness both physical and interior, to such an extent that the word is used to describe our union with God: “My soul clings to you” (Ps 63:8).
The passage cited here oozes with the intimacy God desires of his people; the psalmist prays from a bed at night. This suggests to me the restlessness of Adam in searching for a helper, and the basic human need for a deeper intimacy than any eyes might behold in the physical universe.
The marital union is thus evoked not only in its sexual and corporal dimension, but also in its voluntary self-giving in love. The result of this union is that the two “become one flesh”, both physically and in the union of their hearts and lives, and, eventually, in a child, who will share not only genetically but also spiritually in the “flesh” of both parents.
Glad to see that the bearing of a child is not just a genetic and biological reality, but one of the spirit as well. Thoughts?
Remember to check the actual document Amoris Laetitia for the full scoop on this document.
Catholic Sensibility 