By Catholic Editor, Faith Addington
Have you ever climbed a mountain, or found a view so unbelievably glorious that you couldn’t help but stop and ponder the infinite beauty and power of the Lord? Only the most creative being could create something like this. Our God, the Master Creator, designed the wings of birds, the colors of flowers, and the millions of constellations in the sky. He perfected Earth so that it might be habitable. All these things the Lord created – beautiful and perfect – yet, He calls us His best creation. Humanity. Better than all the wonders of the world.
This is the basis of Catholic social teaching of human dignity. Not only were we created by God’s very own hand, but were also made in His image. How good is our God! This human dignity is bestowed to both saints and sinners: a dignity given to all humans despite differences in color, religion, race, or talent (Pope Francis, On Fraternity and Social Friendship).
Think about the interactions you hold daily with friends, family, professors, coworkers, etc. We are called to uphold the human dignity of each one of these individuals through our words and actions. Are we treating them with patience, compassion, and love? Are we reflecting the love and sacrifice of Jesus onto each of them? Some days it may be difficult to show those around us this kind of love because we believe they don’t deserve it or we want to mirror their actions back to them. However, none of us deserve the sacrifice made through the crucifixion. None of us earned the gift of human dignity. They are both divine gifts given to us as a show of the infinite and indefinite love of God. This ultimate sacrifice and gift is what we are called to reflect onto those around us.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus reveals the two greatest commandments: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:37, 39). The first greatest commandment tells us the level of gratitude that should be bestowed upon the Lord for his gifts and sacrifice. The second greatest commandment tells us that we should not only love ourselves – for we are created in the divine image of the Lord – we need to love those around us with the inalienable truth founded in our human dignity. Every one of us possesses part of the image of God; it is up to us to see it in those around us and honor the gifts of our Lord.
The Saint 