Everything created by God should be respected. This is why we take care of animals and our planet. But there is something unique about the human person that nothing else in the world has: human dignity. Our dignity comes from being made in God’s image and likeness. We are the only creatures willed for our own sake. In other words, the earth, the oceans, the plants, the animals were all given to us to care for and for our benefit. God created us for our own sake, not because He needed us, but because He loves us.

A sunset over the ocean is awe-inspiring, but can it think? God’s strongest and fastest animals are majestic, but can they love? Your dog might be the smartest dog on the planet, but can he reflect on his life? No. Humans are different from everything else because we have a soul created by God to know, love, and serve Him. There is something “spiritual” in man that we do not see anywhere else in nature.

The human body shares in the dignity of being made in God’s image because it is animated by a spiritual soul. The soul is that which can know and love God. Together, our body and soul make up who we are as a unique human person. There is a beautiful unity between body and soul, which cannot be separated until death itself. In fact, this soul, created by God at the moment of conception, is immortal. This means the soul does not die even when our earthly bodies do. Our souls will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.

Father, thank you for creating us with human dignity and a soul that longs for You. Help us to see the dignity in all human persons, especially those whose lives are most fragile... the young, the old, the dying, the poor, the disabled, and the sick. Raise up leaders in our country to protect the rights of all human persons. Bless the children who are in danger every day because of our lack of respect for the human person. Jesus, thank you for showing us what it means to love our neighbors by laying down your life for us. Come Holy Spirit, fill us with zeal and strength to protect the lives and defend the rights of our brothers and sisters who are most in need. 

Amen.