Today we begin posting our series on Salesian spirituality and social justice.
LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
“I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly”(John 10:10)
TENET OF SOCIAL JUSTICE: God, the Lord of Life, has conferred on us the ministry of safeguarding and developing life, a ministry which must be fulfilled in a manner which is worthy of us. Human life is sacred. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of society. Belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all the principles of social teaching. The measure of every institution is whether it enhances the life and dignity of the human person.
SALESIAN THEME: Christian humanism. The teaching of St. Francis de Sales parallels the Church’s teaching regarding the honor and esteem rightly deserved by the human person. In The Treatise on the Love of God, he writes, “ When we see our neighbor created in the image and likeness of God, we should say to one another, ‘See and consider this creature as the likeness of the Creator’.” Another time he writes, ” the Christian must love one’s own body as the living image of the incarnate Savior, as a shoot from the same trunk, and as a consequence bound to Him by blood relationship.” He states further, “ What love can be proportionate to the infinite goodness of our Creator, who from all eternity has determined to create, preserve, govern, redeem, save and glorify all people in general and each person in particular.”
REFLECTIONS:
1. Share an example of how I have been inspired to respect another’s dignity.
2.How do I show respect for myself?
3. How do I show others that I believe in and honor their dignity in being made in the image and likeness of God? Why do I sometimes not do this?
4. Is there a certain group I do not respect? Do I respect myself?
5. What social structures disregard human dignity?
6. How can I educate myself about cultural and societal differences that seem to disregard human dignity?
7. What is most offensive about my culture? How do I respond based on the love of God and others so that my nonviolence is strong in its gentleness?