Human dignity
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Part of Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas
- Title
- Human dignity
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- English
- Rights
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- Fulltext
- 301 BOLETIN ECLESIASTICO DE FILIPINAS love one another as I have loved you.” And how did Christ love you? “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.” Well, what think you? Ascension Day (May 1 0) HUMAN DIGNITY I just came across this question — “If there has been a decline of de cency in the modern world and a revolt against law and fair dealing, it is precisely because of the decline in the belief in each man as something precious.” For each one of us to know our worth and value, and the worth and value of each human being is the first and indispensable foundation of love for others. This is the essential attitude of any Christian loving and action. This is attitude summed in the Psalm: “You have made him little less than the' angels and crowned him with glory and honor.” Man is little less than the angels. Man is crowned with glory and honor. It is precisely because man is not treated as a man but as a thing to be used for profit and pleasure that injustices flourishes. Take the case of the worker — he must realize his work — the worth of his work; he must give his utmost in his work. He must be no man’s slave. He must be worthy of respect. There must be no slipshod, hap-hazard work that is unworthy of him. But his employer must also realize the worth of his worker. He must give him the wages that will allow him to live as man who is little less than the angels — who is crowned with glory and honor. A good many employers think that their workers are angels — pure spirits that need no food, nor drink. Man has a body to feed and clothe. Our Lord has respect for us man. He gave us the earth to live in and to live by. He gave us the respect due to us men by leaving us alone to live by the truths he left us. He ascended back to heaven and left us because he has faith in man that we would treat each other as human beings — as He treated us. HOMILETICS 305 If the landowner gives to his tenants what is due to him as a human being — his rights as one — such rights as to a decent human life — the right to a just compensation for his labor. And his labor should earn a decent living also for his family. If the landowner believes as a Christian should believe — that his tenants are men — human beings — little less than the angels — crowned with glory and honor, then he, the landowner, will not hesitate to give him the lease of the land the tenants till. Once again, I risk being obviously obvious — we need our landowner and employer people to treat our worker — farmer people as people, as human beings. This attitude of giving VIP treatment to all people cannot be just tuned on and off like an electric current. It must be sincere and constant and towards all. Pentecost Sunday (May I 7) CHRISTIAN REVOLUTION When the first Pentecost Sunday came things were never the same again, certainly not for a small group of Christians. The small group of Christ ians headed by the Apostles appointed by Christ was a revolutionary group. Thev were in revolt against the Roman Empire and its values. Thev were in revolt against Judaism and its values. Thev were preach ing the revolution of love. Thev were for change. They instituted thr change, they formed a community of prayer and common possession of earthly goods. They distributed their tasks according to each one's abilities. Evervcne shared in the goods that each received. That communitv grew, that community was persecuted. The community was baptized in blood and .'uttering. Todav, if we look around, we still tmd such Christian communities existing in various parts of the world. But here in the Philippines Christianity. as Karl Marx often said, has become the opium of the people. We have picked and chosen the Christ ian principles we would like to adapt and to practise. We pick and choose principles that do not create a revolutionary community, a com munitv for change towards hope and love. That’s why we can see a Christian taking refuge in the external rites of the Church and not heed the message which the external rites symbolizes. We can see a Christian go