The Most Holy Name of Jesus and the human person
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What do we mean by dignity?
Do we know how dignity is attained, preserved, defended, promoted, and universalised?
Do we experience dignity in our families, in our communities, in our workplaces, in our civic/public spaces, or in cyberspace (online)?
Does the promotion of dignity for some diminish it for others?
Judge
Today the Church celebrates The Most Holy Name of Jesus. Jesus’s birth, life and death are the antitheses of dignity. He was born to a people – the Jews – that were under occupation and oppressed (by the Romans). He was born out of wedlock (Mary was engaged but not married to Joseph, when Jesus was conceived). He was the son of Joseph, the carpenter. His passion and death – from the scourging to the crucifixion on the cross – was beyond undignified. It was dehumanising. Yet, His Name is Most Holy.
This is also an important lesson that Cardijn asked us to remember – that we protect our dignity, and the dignity of others.
“…The boys, the mass of boys and men, as well as girls and women, must learn, through missioners and apostles, to reflect on their dignity and their value. Girls and women, above all, demand that this dignity be respected far more than men, particularly by men.”
Adapted from “Person, family and education – Lecture 1 – The human person.”
This year (2023), the world will commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) emphatically states that human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings. They are not granted by any state! These rights are universal and inherent to everyone, irrespective of nationality, ethnic origin, gender, colour, religion, language, or any other marker. The UDHR includes the rights that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health and liberty.
Act
How do I protect my dignity, and how do I promote the dignity of others?
New Year 2023 is a time for resolutions.
I resolve to be more respectful of my loved ones, e.g. no snide remarks.
I resolve to be more respectful of my colleagues at my workplace, e.g. genuinely listen to those I may not like and consider their inputs honestly.
I resolve to be more respectful in my online interactions, e.g. understanding that because the person is not before me, there is a significant loss in communication (70% – 93% of communication is non-verbal).
I should not be quick to judge.
Find ways to promote the knowledge of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Greg Lopez
About me!
I am a lecturer in management at a university in Perth, Western Australia. I learned about Cardijn first through the Young Christian Students (YCS) at school and then more deeply through my interactions with Stefan Gigacz. There is so much that Cardijn has to offer, hence my interest in seeing how Cardijn’s teachings can be helpful to me and anyone interested in making the world a better place (one step at a time).
READ MORE
Joseph Cardijn, Person, family and education – Lecture 1 – The human person (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)