God's Plan for You (Revised)

I have heard David Hajduk speak on this topic and I'm so glad that he has put his knowledge and passion for this topic into a book. I have 30 copies in my classroom for my students. I teach in a Catholic High School and God's Plan for You: Life, Love, Marriage, and Sex is now our text when we begin our Theology of the Body section. Twenty years ago when I began teaching traditional sex education it was a struggle to pull together the documents and present them in a meaningful way. This book is more than a great, age appropriate, resource on TOB it also integrates TOB with the big picture...their life. When we read and discuss Mr. Hajduk's book it just makes so much sense that the students 'get it' and appreciate the Church's guidance and wisdom on this often confusing topic for a young person. Highly recommended.

All of us -in particular, today's youth- are yearning for the truth. John Paul II's Theology of the Body teaches us what it means to be human, to love, and to embrace God's original plan for our sexuality. David Hajduk makes John Paul II's teaching accessible to all as he delivers the message in a conversational, personal, and inviting way. With great enthusiasm and faith, he captures the hope contained in John Paul II's message and the joyful plan God has for our lives, love, marriage, and sexuality. I took the advice of the "Foreword" and re-read the book, and yes, I found even more the second time around. Quite often I found myself saying, "Wow - I never thought of it that way." David Hajduk's book is a vital tool for parents and teens in an age where we need to be "counter-cultural." Stylistically, it is set up for classroom learning. No educator, parent or young person should miss this!

This excellent book is a practical way for young people to digest and retain the wisdom contained in JPII's Theology of the Body. I have used it with the various youth ministries I work with and it has helped the young people better understand "Who they are" and "Where they are going". I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to teach Theology of the Body to young people. I have been extremely impressed with Mr. Hajduk's ability to use great analogies and stories to make his point. Also, the illustrations within the book fit perfectly and further drive home the discussion.

"Theology of the body" is the phrase that refers to Pope John Paul II's teachings on sexual morality (given over time in a series of his weekly addresses) in the context of God's plan for humans. It is more than just a reference to sexual "do's and don'ts," and it deals with more than just genital expressions of sexuality. It's about human sexuality in the context of the whole person and how we relate to others through our male-ness and female-ness. While the book does focus on sexuality as an expression of marital love, the larger context is also dealt with. Mr. Hajduk has done a superb job in making this "theology of the body" very accessible, understandable, and attractive to today's young people. The book breathes multiple levels of who this man is and what he brings to the topic: (1) his many years of experience in working with youth, (2) his formal theological education, (3) his love for teaching, (4) his familiarity with the subject matter, (5) his passion for promoting orthodox Catholic doctrine, (6) his devotion to Pope John Paul II, and (7) his sense of humor. This mix makes for a rather dynamic, entertaining, and informative work. What you can expect to find in this book is a systematic treatment of the meaning of human sexuality in light of the Bible passages about marital love as it was originally intended by God. In fact, Mr. Hajduk takes the reader "back to the beginning"--that is, to the story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden to show us what can be gleaned from that account to help us understand our own sexuality and the role God intends it to play in our lives. He accomplishes this task by treating individual components of the whole topic in a logical and sequential manner, unfolding layer after layer of understanding that the reader can easily assimilate. The tone is light-hearted, yet the work is scholarly and profound. Youth Ministers, DREs, and adult volunteers who work with teenagers and young adults will find this book to be especially helpful. It is also suited for use in a high school theology class setting. (To facilitate the book's use, the chapters come with discussion questions and references to The Catechism.) While the book is formally geared towards people ages 15-20 (give or take), I submit that it will prove helpful and enlightening to people of almost any age. After all, the subject matter never becomes obsolete! As a married man with children, I found the book to be quite a learning experience, so I'm confident to say that there is something in it for everyone.