dignity

Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19 Lord, you have the words of ever lasting life;

today we read the Ten commandments. Moses recieves the commandments from God and is invited to give them to the people, the nation of Israel.

As I was reading the ten commandments, I could not help but recall the opening lines of a homily given by Saint Leo the Great. In one of his homilies at Christmas time, St. Leo the great begins his homily reflection with these words, "Christian recognize your dignity!"


Recognize you dignity.

Dignity is a fascinating word. It means to be worthy of honor, respect, esteem.

today the words is tossed about as if it were yesterday's newspaper. It goes in one ear and out the other and seldom do people really stop and think about their dignity and the dignity of those around them.



Our dignity stems from the opening lines of the bible, in the creation narrative God speaks these wrods, "let us make man in our image and our likeness."

Here is the starting point of understanding dignity, we are made in the image and likeness of God.

But, our dignity gets a boost. Th eincarnation, God becoming man, solidifies the very dignity we have recieved. How much more dignified can our humanity be for God becomes one of us, taking on our flesh and blood.

This is why St. Leo the Great invites us to recognize our dignity on the solemn occassion of Christmas.

We are worthy of honor, respect, and esteem, becasue of what God has chosen to do in taking on our flesh.

We are dignified.

The ten Commandments were meant to help the people of Israel understand their dignity. They were meant to guard that very dignity and to keep the people from living beneath their dignity.

This is the beauty of the decalogue, the ten commandments. They are guidelines that invite us to the fullness of life of honor and respect.

They are not negative commandments but they affirm in a positive way our very dignity. What beautiful gift they remain for us.

Recognize your dignity. Live that dignity in love of God and love of neighbor. Never settle for less. Never live beneath the very dignity you have recieved from the hand of God.

The truth remains, we do not know just how dignified we are. God alone knows the values of our lives and he alone can guide us into that life of honor. thus, he offers the commandments as a token of our dignity.

Be dignified. Be true to the gift you have recieved.

Recognize your dignity an dlive that dignity in godliness and holiness and thus as God becomes man so we are invited to be like God in our relationshsips to others.