During his homily this past Sunday, Father Mike talked about the dignity of the human person. He stressed that our dignity comes from God. Not from what we do, not from society, but from God. If Father Mike is right (and he is) then he is going against what society tells us about dignity.
Society tells us that human dignity depends on what we do - our quality of life. In many parts of the world, including parts of our own country, a person who is elderly or considered no longer productive can be "legally" killed because someone has deemed that they have a poor quality of life. In some parts of Europe it's legal for a doctor to end the life of a disabled newborn, or refuse treatment to a child who they believe will not have a good quality of life. There are people in our own country who agree with that.
But God, the author of life, does not agree. As Father Mike reminded us, God has given all of us human dignity.
That dignity does not depend on what we do, how we act, or how much we produce. That dignity, which comes from God, is part of every human person from the moment of conception. And it doesn't go away because of our age, social status, sexual orientation, physical challenges, employment, illness, sinfulness or anything else that you can think of.
I'll leave you with two more thoughts from Fr. Mike's homily. He reminded us that God's love for each of us is personal and unconditional. St. Augustine said "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us."
If you want to understand just how much God loves you, read last Sunday's Gospel. You can find it at usccb.org. Click on readings.
Effie
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