“RECOGNIZE AND HONOR GOD’S IMAGE IN
EVERY HUMAN BEING!” This is the
concluding statement of Blessed John Paul II, in his Spiritual Reflection on
the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity whose Feast is celebrated today, May 26,
2013. As many spiritual writers state,
the Blessed Trinity is the most central faith mystery of all, because the Holy
Trinity is the Mystery of God Himself.
God is, indeed, the greatest of all
mysteries which no one can ever fathom. One aspect of God’s Mystery which poses a
very great challenge to me is His PRESENCE everywhere.
His presence is manifested in all of creation. In a very special way, however, it is
manifested in man, for it is said in Genesis 1:27 “God created man in His own image.” Blessed John Paul II says: “This is the true greatness of man, this is
the root of his indestructible dignity.
The image of God is mirrored in every human being. This is the deepest truth about man that can
never be ignored or violated. In short,
every violation by man turns out to be a violation against his Creator, who
loves him with the love of a Father.”
The challenge for me thus, is: “ How
am I to recognize God’s image in every human being?”
First of all, I am used to
categorize people into those who are good and lovable and those who are not
good and unlovable. For the former I
would have no difficulty in recognizing God’s presence in them, but for the
latter, this is where I have to buckle down and strive to seek for a reason to
love.
Reflecting on the statement of
Blessed John Paul II I find an answer to my query, namely, that the root of
man’s indestructible dignity is his being ‘created in the image of God’. Hence, whether a sinner or a saint, every man
bears within him the Image of God. In
other words, God is truly present in a very special way in every man,
regardless of how he relates with God.
For me, therefore, what matters most
is not the goodness that I may see in a man but in the wisdom of God in
creating him in His own image, which is
indestructible. This wisdom of God is
beyond man’s comprehension. Hence, I
have to bow down and accept God’s wisdom and recognize the dignity of every
man, saint or sinner, and strive to love every one according to God’s Holy
Will.
This, indeed, is a great challenge,
but trusting in God’s grace I believe I can overcome all difficulties and see
God’s special presence in every man He has created.
by: Buddy Cagurangan
May
26, 2013
