dignity

The quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed. In God’s eyes, we are all worthy, for we were all created in God’s image. Dignity is not something that has to be earned, nor is it inherited. We are all born with it.

Jesus invites us to honor and love one another. All human beings deserve to live with dignity. Catholic social teaching invites us to look at dignity through a wide-angle lens: care for creation, access to basic resources (including affordable healthcare, housing, education, among others), economic justice, and the rights of workers. The opposite—inequality, economic oppression, discrimination, and racism—are equal to dehumanization.

We are all called to be in solidarity with those whose human dignity has been trampled, and whose rights have been denied or not exercised. Seeing the virtue of dignity in everyone means we show compassion and generosity, step out of our comfort zones, and go the extra mile to recognize everyone’s 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?