Theology of the Body at St. Therese Institute
For many of us, the morality teachings that we’ve received from our parents and the pulpit can feel like a list of rules—a series of “thou-shalt-nots” that prudishly try to keep us oriented on the straight and narrow. But the straight and narrow is easy to fall off. Falling off leads to guilt and shame, followed by struggling back on the road and heading to confession, followed by the ‘successful’ repression of desires for a while… followed by another fall and a restart of the cycle.
But what if the Church isn’t saying “no” to our desires? What if she is actually saying, “They are good and holy” and is pointing you toward the only thing that can truly satisfy them?
This is where St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (T.O.B.) transforms everything you ever thought you knew about human and sexual morality.
This week, St. Therese Institute invites the public to join us for four days and to discover T.O.B. in our “The Gospel of the Body: Theology of the Body & The Mystery of Divine Love” Spring Course.
The course features a series of videos recorded at St. Therese Institute featuring renowned T.O.B. teacher, Christopher West. He titled it The Gospel of the Body & The Little Way, a series designed specifically for STIFM which combines two great modern doctors of the church – St. John Paul II’s teachings on the beauty of the human body with powerful insights from St. Therese of Lisieux.
Julie (Godin) LeBlanc is the facilitator for this upcoming course. She is a St. Therese alumna who had her passion for life and God set on fire through Theology of the Body, which is now the central point of her theology degree studies. We recently sat down with Julie to talk about why this week is often described as “mind-blowing” and why Theology of the Body is the key to understanding who we truly are and truly created to be.
Moving Beyond the “Soul in a Body” Myth
One of the biggest obstacles to understanding ourselves is a hidden dualism—the idea that our “real” self is just a spirit trapped inside a physical shell, or that the soul is good and the body is bad. We see it around us in our world all the time: from eating disorders, to feelings that someone was created as the wrong gender, to zombies (soulless wandering body) to ghosts (bodiless wandering soul), to our disconnected-from-the-reality-around-us texting and doom scrolling.
Julie explains that this course shatters our misconceptions:
“I just think most people, including most Catholics, don’t know Theology of the Body, which is essentially to say they don’t know that a human being is a body and a soul, not a soul in a body. They don’t necessarily know what our design as male and female is for or what our desires are truly for. Why are we male and female? Why do we have these strong eros desires? Why is it that our bodies are us and not just a container for us? Theology of the Body takes up all of those questions. Just hearing that your body is you and your body is good is something most people, I think, aren’t acquainted with!”
The Redemption of Desire
A central theme of the week is the redemption of eros—that fiery, restless longing for love and union. Far from being something to repress, this desire is actually a signature imprinted with fire in our souls by God himself.
Christopher West explains that we often “miss the mark” (the literal meaning of sin, derived from an archery term) not because our desires are too strong, but because we direct them toward finite things that cannot satisfy us. We turn “icons” (foretastes of heaven) into “idols”.
But the solution isn’t to kill the desire. It’s to aim it correctly. As West explains, “Christianity is the religion of desire—the religion that redeems eros… [the saints] have had the courage to feel the abyss of longing in their souls and in their bodies”.
This is where St. Thérèse of Lisieux becomes a vital guide. Though a cloistered nun, she was a woman of “immense desires,” realizing that her thirst for love was actually a thirst for the Infinite. By pairing her “Little Way” with St. John Paul II’s theology, this course shows us how to navigate our own passions, seeing them not as enemies, but as the fuel for our journey to God.
A “Mind-Blowing” Experience
The week features video sessions by Christopher West, recorded specifically for St. Therese Institute, and facilitated live by Julie. West is famous for making deep theology accessible, using examples from movies and pop culture to drive points home.
But what makes this week truly special is the effect it has on participants. It’s not just an academic class; it’s a moment of synthesis where the fragmented parts of our faith suddenly fit together.
For many, it is the moment they finally understand the why behind the what. Why does the Church teach this about marriage? Why is chastity a “yes” to love rather than a “no” to pleasure? Why do I feel this ache in my heart?
Julie describes the reaction she sees in students:
“[Through facilitating the course], I’ve seen and heard the students having these mind-blowing moments, saying, ‘So many things in my life are starting to make sense.'”
Suddenly, the “rules” aren’t rules anymore—they are a roadmap to the happiness we’ve been searching for.
Join Us for the Journey
Through Theology of the Body, the straight and narrow becomes a highway. Guilt and shame are replaced by the promise of grace. Confession becomes a loving embrace. Repression transforms into a powerful invitation to focus our passions and desires toward Heaven—reorienting ourselves from the finite to the infinite. Temptation itself becomes a door to holiness. That’s just a piece of all that T.O.B. can do.
In a world confused about gender, sexuality, and the meaning of the body, we need this teaching more than ever. We need to know that we are not accidents. We need to know that our bodies tell a divine story.
Julie concluded our chat by sharing about how doing this video course at St. Therese is different: “There is something very appropriate about bringing your body to a study on Theology of the Body, and being around other people in person. You get to study Theology of the Body along with the St. Therese [Gap and Mission Year] participants. You get to live the beautiful way of life of St. Therese Institute: prayer, sacraments, meals, recreation, and community. We may be watching a video, but because we’re watching it in the same room as it was recorded, it feels like something more, and Christopher is still so engaging and funny. Sure, you can watch something like this at home online, but it’s so much richer when you’re together with people, sharing your reactions, laughing together at Christopher’s jokes, understanding his references and examples, asking questions and getting the answers. And the pairing of St. John Paul II with St. Thérèse is something that you won’t find anywhere else.
“While Christopher West may not be with us in person, he will be with us in prayer! He knows that we are studying T.O.B. March 17-20, 2026, and he assured me he will be journeying with us on the spiritual side of this journey.”
Whether you are single, married, discerning a religious vocation, or are ordained/professed/consecrated, this week offers a “sacramentalworldview” that will transform how you see God, your neighbor, and yourself.
James Riley has been on the St.Therese Institute mission staff since before anyone else here can remember, and he has done a little of everything in his time! He currently serves as the Deputy of Operations.