For any young – or young-at-heart – Catholic, there’s always more to learn about the Faith. Each weekday, we’re highlighting another fast-paced, entertaining and informative (or, as we like to say ‘enterforming’) episode and spotlighting some of the resources available at CatholicCentral.com. Faith is central to our lives, and we want to be central to your faith!
It’s hard to keep your humanity and your humor during these tough times, but this episode of Catholic Central has both!
Explore what it means to be a human being and a child of God. You can watch the video below, but if you want all the great online resources that go with it, go to CatholicCentral.com
Being Human explores what it means to be a human person, both in terms of science and as Christians. This includes the idea of being made in the image and likeness of God, our capacity for love, our need for community, the ways in which we create and communicate, and our eternal destiny.
Diving Deeper
- How a person thinks about what humanity is shapes perspectives on relationships and life. What do you think makes us human? Is it knowledge, curiosity, the arts, mercy, compassion, forgiveness or technology?
- Saint Irenaeus wrote: Gloria dei, homo vivens.“The Glory of God is man fully alive.” What does it mean for a person to be fully alive? What gets in the way of feeling fully alive? When have you felt most authentic and alive?
- Kai and Libby remind us that Catholics believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God – the imago dei. Psalm 139 says God “formed our inmost beings,” and that we are “wonderfully made.” Ask yourself: When are times when I have felt strongly convinced of this? When are times when this realization has been a struggle for me?
Activity
Discovering our humanity: Make time to perform one of the Corporal Works of Mercy this week (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visit the imprisoned …). Focus on whom you are feeding, clothing, visiting, etc., rather than what you are giving or providing them. While doing one of the Works of Mercy, get to know the name and something about the person you are assisting.
Reflection by Father Vince Kuna, C.S.C.
God created human beings, and He loves us – which is amazing, since we often don’t feel that lovable. We yearn for community and connection with others, and then don’t know how to do it. The upside is, it’s always been that way. St. Paul struggled with his own contradictory nature – and Jesus appeared directly to him. So, be kind to yourself, and understand that, to quote Alexander Pope, “to err is human; to forgive, divine.”
