The theologian María Dolores López Guzmán has just published a book, “Spiritual praise of the body”, edited by San Pablo, which is an invitation to pause, to listen to and care for our body, created and loved by God. Being a body is a gift, a task, a mystery. The author proposes that we reconcile with our flesh, listen to it, inhabit it with peace and gratitude.
Furthermore, in the chapter dedicated to space, she speaks to us about the limits of the body. There she includes a suggestive reflection on Saint Damien of Molokai, on page 106:
"Father Damien (1840–1889) died from leprosy, which he contracted while caring for the lepers on the island of Molokai. His body was deformed and full of sores. His goal was not to contract the disease nor to meet death so soon, but rather to stand beside the most abandoned of the earth — the order of desires and priorities is essential. With them he was happy. In a letter to his parents at barely 18 years of age, he wrote: ‘As you know, dear parents, the choice of the state of life to which God calls us is decisive for our happiness beyond this life. Do not be saddened for me.’"
Link to the book’s website:
https://editorial.sanpablo.es/producto/elogio-espiritual-del-cuerpo
11/30/2025