human dignity
[Noun]
How does the Church define dignity?
The quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed. In God’s eyes, we are all worthy because each of us is created in God’s image. Human dignity is not something that has to be earned, nor is it inherited. We are all born with it.
Inherent dignity of the human person
Jesus invites us to honor and love one another. All human beings deserve a life of dignity. Catholic bishops and Catholic social teaching invites us to look at human dignity through a wide-angle lens: care for creation, access to basic resources (including affordable healthcare, housing, education, among others), economic justice, the rights of workers. The opposite—inequality, economic oppression, discrimination, and racism—are equal to dehumanization.
We are called to be in solidarity with those whose fundamental dignity is being trampled, and whose human rights are being denied. Seeing the virtue of dignity in everyone means we must show solidarity and compassion. We must step out of our comfort zones and go the extra mile to recognize everyone’s inherent worth.
This is what Jesus did every day.
Dear God,
You created us in Your image and likeness, yet sometimes I fall far from You. Teach me to recognize You in others, to be merciful and kind to my neighbor, and to show compassion when it is most needed. Pull me out of my comfort and help me open my eyes to the often painful realities of our world. Walk beside me to help me build a better world, one word, one hug, one call, one step, and one person at a time. Amen.
What is one way you recognize God in others today?
“The dignity of others is to be respected in all circumstances, not because that dignity is something we have invented or imagined, but because human beings possess an intrinsic worth superior to that of material objects and contingent situations.”
— Pope Francis
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