are you living below your dignity?
“ ‘Then I will say to myself: You have blessings in reserve for years to come. Relax! Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool!’ ” —Luke 12:19-20
Although we were created to know, love, and serve God, we naturally tend to live “at the level of the flesh, following every whim and fancy” (Eph 2:3). Human beings tend to live like animals, whose only purpose in life is to fulfill their bodily needs. This way of life is below our human dignity. It is natural to relax, eat heartily, drink well, and enjoy ourselves (see Lk 12:19). To make this the meaning of life, however, is to deny that:
- We are made in the image and likeness of God (Gn 1:26-27).
- God has exalted human dignity by becoming a man (see Jn 1:14).
- God lives in us and we in God (see Jn 17:21).
- We have been bought at the price of Jesus’ blood (see 1 Cor 6:20).
- We are destined to see God face to face and live with Him forever (see 1 Cor 13:12).
Therefore, don’t compromise your human and Christian dignity in order to maximize your pleasure. You are saved, holy, royal, priestly, and precious (see 1 Pt 2:9). Live in the dignity of an adopted child of God, sharing in the divine nature (2 Pt 1:4). “Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning. Remember Who is your Head and of Whose body you are a member” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1691).
Prayer: Father, may I never live below my dignity.
Promise: “God is rich in mercy; because of His great love for us He brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin.” —Eph 2:4-5
Praise: Born in Syria, St. Ignatius of Antioch converted to Christianity and became Bishop of Antioch. Rather than deny Christ, he bravely faced the lions in the Circus Maximus.
Reference:
Rescript: In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from October 1, 2022, through November 30, 2022. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 3, 2022
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.