Murillo's St. Joseph: Model for Fathers |
We spent time together, and he had a good sense of humor. All in all, my father demonstrated character for us.
Paul in his Letter to the Christian community in Galatia proclaims that we, through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ and the waters of baptism, have become sons and daughters of God our Father. We are covered in Christ, i. e., called to reveal the “glory or presence of God” in our lives.
What caught "my eye" in today's Word of God was our dignity as new creatures, sons and daughters of God our Father and heirs of the kingdom of God. In Genesis chapter 1, we read that God created us in his own image.
Every human being has an inherent dignity. The Declaration of Independence acknowledges this dignity: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
We have rights, not because we're Americans, but because we're human beings.
Jackie Robinson |
Rickey – like Robinson a Christian -- had no illusions about the controversy. He cautioned the heroic athlete, pointing him to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, to work with peaceful moral character against the odious injustice of racism. Rickey counseled Robinson, “We win if the world is convinced of two things: that you are a gentleman and a great baseball player.”
Jackie Robinson competed with skill and treated teammates and fans with respect. He often told young audiences, “A life isn't important except in the impact it has on others.” And he counseled: “The richest treasure anybody has, is his/her dignity.”
St. Paul, in the Word of God, asks us to strive to become persons of moral character in light of our dignity. We were created in God's image to live a godlike life.