The Dignity of The Human Person: Their Integrity
(Homily on Lk 6:39-45)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In our today’s society, it seems that people are more concerned about their appearance than their inner self. They spend a great deal of time and money taking best care of the beauty their hair style, the latest fashion of what thy wear. On the contrary, they pay little attention to improve their understanding of the world and update their knowledge of God and humanity.
For this reason, there is a big gap between the physical growth and the spiritual development of the human person. As a result, people suffer from so serious an unbalance and so severe a disharmony that they can hardly find peace in their life. It becomes all the more difficult for them to achieve happiness and satisfaction, both as individuals and community.
In fact, the human person was created by God as a wholeness of body and soul. The body was taken from the earth, sharing with minerals, plants, and animals, something in common, such as food and drink, to sustain their lives. Biologically speaking, the human person and other living creatures resemble very much. The instinct of survival of both of them look almost the same.
But the Holy Bible teaches us the truth that God made the human person, man and woman, in His divine image, by giving them a soul, taken from the breath of life of the Almighty God Himself. For this reason, the human person is much greater than the rest of God’s creation. No matter how stronger they may be, animals are subdued by the human person for the latter has the gift of intelligence. The human person alone was given the blessing of knowing God, their Maker, of worshipping God their Lord, and of loving God, their Father, Who always loves them and cares for them.
The human person alone was given the gift of love to practice the commandment of charity, to love others as themselves, because they recognize in one another the image of God, their Father in heaven, and they should treat one another as sisters and brothers in one family.
The human person alone, finally, was given the gift of eternal life. After this life on earth, a life much more beautiful, much happier, much longer is waiting for them over there, in God’s Kingdom.
Aware of their dignity as human person, they not only care for their body, but they take good care of their soul, as well.
The Holy Bible teaches that man does not live on bread alone, but he lives on the word that comes from the mouth of God.
In other words, we have to care for the integrity of our human person, the way we cultivate a tree as carefully as possible in order to harvest one day best fruit as expected. Amen.
Fr. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Nhut, O.P.
The Holy Spirit Choir
