28th Sunday Homily God's dignity is what we wear

Who comes to mind when we think of Dignified?
How does that person act?  How does that person appear?
Are we dignified?
Our Catholic Teaching is that since God has created all human persons in God’s own image, all human persons have an inherent dignity.  
Therefore all human persons are to be treated as such; with dignity.
Therefore all human persons are to act as such; with dignity.

This underlies the teaching on the value of Human life, and why we do not kill life as in the death penalty, euthanasia and of course abortion.

This is why we speak out for those who are poor and disadvantaged, who
lack the protections so many of us have.

This is why we speak out against war and violence; against human trafficking, and other crimes in our society that are an affront to our human dignity.
The other part of this is that we humans, created in God’s own image, are created to be with God.  

And, now stay with me on this, since God cannot be any less that God, otherwise God would not be God, we humans must become as God.
Jesus Christ came, as St. Athanasius said, the Son of God became human so that we humans could become as God.
The Christian mission is to share this Good news!
Our mission as Christians, as Catholics is to live as dignified human persons who help others to realize their own innate dignity.
This is the parable that Jesus teaches.  
This wedding feast is our own feast.  We are united to God!
Do we truly let that sink in?  God wants us!  God wants us now!  Not in heaven light years away, as the song goes, but now and here.
All of us are worthy, as Jesus showed us, of God’s love.
But, there is that twist in the parable about the one person thrown out because of the wrong clothes.
Remember, to be as God, we have to do our part and clothe ourselves in that inherent dignity.  If we will not, then we can’t be with God.
Now dignity, there are truly universal objective “norms” about this.  Each of us do not get to decide what is right or wrong.  God’s dignity is there for us to know and to act upon.
Jesus reveals God’s dignity to us, Jesus became God’s very dignity made flesh and bone.
All that Jesus did, the compassion towards others especially those who were poor and mal-treated, the healing, the forgiveness, the mercy, the generosity, and clearly the most dignified act of all, giving of himself to die on the cross.  These are the norms of dignity.  
These are what we are to clothe ourselves in within the individual aspects of our own lives.
The person who knows in their heart and mind that he or she is loved by God in a very real way will put that on, will clothe themselves in that same love and will live it.
The person who is saved by Jesus Christ will be that person who lives exactly as Jesus did, and strive for it.
The dignified person is the one who forgives others, not harboring resentments and anger.
The dignified person is the one, when a mistake is made, asks for forgiveness.
The dignified person listens to others with an open mind, and sees past the superficial aspects.
Dignity occurs when a husband and wife communicate with each other and come to a mutual agreement that benefits the family.
Dignity occurs when we place aside our own needs and wants, and asks “what can I do for you?”
Dignity occurred two weeks ago when people placed their own lives in harms way to cover and protect those where shot.  Those who took the time to aid those in need.
I have witnessed dignity.  I have seen a person express sorrow for years of anger and express a desire to change.
I have seen such acts of generosity, people willing to help, without asking “What is in it for me, or my parish?”
I have seen very well dressed persons act like #$@holes, and poorly dressed persons be so kind.
I have seen young persons facing the scorn of their peers, willing to be true to themselves.  That is dignity.
Those were persons who have been freed by Christ and are clothed in dignity.
Is it always easy, no.  Otherwise as the cliche goes, everyone would do it.
It is a struggle at times, but the more we practice it, the more it becomes instinctual.
The Eucharist nourishes us in these struggles in word and sacrament.  
We hear of Christ calling us to a better way.

We eat and drink of his own dignity, so as to make that dignity real in our own lives.
We come to be those true human persons, completely loveable, and to go forward and onward, and celebrate this by living it.
We come to know, celebrate and live the Dignity Given by only by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


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