My brothers and sisters in Christ,     

“Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition.” These words of Pope Saint Leo the Great from one of his Christmas homilies are valid for all ages because they capture the great privilege that is offered to us through Our Lord’s coming into the world. 

 God’s own Son became one of us. Jesus Christ took on human nature so that we can now share in the very life of God. Sharing in God’s own life is not to say that we have become gods. We know that many horrendous crimes against humanity are committed today because people are trying to play God, especially with the sacredness of human life. No, sharing in God’s own life means that we receive a new and an elevated identity. We become adopted sons and daughters of God. Through Baptism, God’s own life, which we call grace, dwells in us and guides us along our earthly pilgrimage. We continually renew this life within us through our regular reception of the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist.

Our Christian identity is meant to give direction to all that we do in life. It is becoming almost epidemic today that people separate their faith from daily life. For them, Religion and Church are something for Sunday, but they see no connection with the rest of the week. This is especially true when people place their membership or affiliations with secular organizations and political parties above their faith. It is as if God will admit us to heaven on the Day of Judgment because we were faithful to the tenants or platforms of such groups. Maybe the separation between faith and life has led many people in our world to search for an identity, a sense of purpose in life. One only needs to watch current television shows or glance at the ever expanding self-help section in bookstores to realize that many suffer from an identity crisis. Sadly, even some Christian preachers focus more on self-help and prosperity in their sermons than the Truth, who is Jesus Christ the God-man. As people of faith we have an identity. We are adopted sons and daughters of God. This identity gives us an inestimable and sacred dignity. Christmas is a beautiful reminder of this fact.

The Church’s teaching, especially in the area of morality, constantly reinforces the reality of our human dignity. We must not see the Church’s moral teaching as simply dos and don’ts, but as a positive affirmation of how special we are in the eyes of God. Too many people, including Catholics, view the Church’s moral teachings as archaic or oppressive. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are taught to refrain from certain actions because they are beneath our dignity and the dignity of others. Such actions are not worthy of an adopted son or daughter of God because they return us to that base condition mentioned by Saint Leo. This is why the Church upholds, without shame or regret, the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death.

As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas this year let us take to heart the words of St. Leo: “Christian, remember your dignity.” Let us remember that our celebration of Christmas must center on its true meaning: the birth of our Savior and our resultant special dignity. As we gather with our families let us remember that God has welcomed us into his family – life. Let us remember that the gifts we give symbolize the greatest gift of all – Jesus Christ the Lord. Let us remember that the food we share is a reminder of the food from Heaven, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, which we are privileged to receive in Holy Communion. May our Mother Mary, the fairest of our race, help us to recognize our dignity and put our faith into action.  

Sincerely yours in Christ,  

Most Rev. Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D.
Bishop of Scranton