ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Man, Image of God, A Marvel in the Eyes of God

In his famous book called Confessions, Saint Augustine states, "Men go forth to marvel at the mountain heights, at huge waves in the sea, at the broad expanse of flowing rivers, at the wide reaches of the ocean, and at the circuit of the stars, but themselves they pass by" (Augustine, Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 8). Certainly the world is a fascinating place to explore and discover. Yet, for Augustine, there is one aspect of creation which captivated his imagination. It was man himself, the human being. Of all the creatures, which reflect traces of God, only man is rightly called the image of God.

In his spiritual and intellectual journey into the human heart, the fifth-century bishop and author of the Confessions, believed that such a journey would lead to certain truths about man and God. Augustine’s passionate search for truth included a realistic look at his past: his successes and failures. In his autobiography, Saint Augustine chronicled his past thoughts, actions and desires with the intention of identifying the moments in his life when he collaborated with God’s grace and the moments in his life when he squandered his talents and time and God’s grace and mercy.

Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, before his election as Pope John Paul II, published (in his book entitled The Acting Person) thoughts similar to those of Saint Augustine. The future pope wrote, "Having conquered so many secrets of nature, the conqueror himself must have his own mysteries ceaselessly unraveled anew" (Wojtyla, Acting Person, 21). Like Augustine, the future pope was fascinated with the profound mystery of man. All human beings, explicitly or implicitly, have to address certain fundamental and personal questions: Who am I? What is man? Where have we come from and where are we going? These and similar questions have the subject of man and his responsibility at the center of their investigation. Augustine and the soon-to-be Pope turned their attention to the human person, who is a fascinatingly complex being, richly endowed by God, entailing physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions. The young Augustine and the young future pope, both writing as bishops, believed that prayerful reflection on the mystery of the human person would be fruitful in coming to understand our place in the world and our sublime destiny and corresponding responsibility.

The Second Vatican Council, a significant religious event in the Catholic Church and in the world, originally convoked by Pope John XXIII for the early 1960s, emphasized the importance of man in God’s creation when it stated: "Believers and unbelievers agree almost unanimously that all things on earth should be ordained to man as to their center and summit" (Gaudium et Spes, 12) It is ultimately in the light of our faith that we are able to understand profoundly the sublime nature of man and his noble vocation.

Our Responsibility to Pursue the Truth

Pre-eminent of all the faculties or abilities of the human person are man’s intellect and his free will. Empowered with both intellect and free will, the human person is called to participate in a personal way in God’s plan of salvation. We are called to be His friends, His collaborators. Our intellect is by nature ordered to know the truth and our will is by nature ordered to love and do the good. The already mentioned Second Vatican Council asserted, "Sacred Scripture teaches that man was created ‘to the image of God’ as able to know and love his creator" (ibid.).

As endowed by our Creator with intelligence, we are responsible for pursuing the truth. When we find the truth, we find God. In this regard, we know the claims of Jesus Christ. Speaking of Himself, Jesus Christ declares: "I am the way, the truth, and the light" (Jn 14:6).

Dear Cadets: I am happy to underscore the importance of the great work you are undertaking as you embrace your studies in the various arts and sciences. I encourage you in your academic endeavors which are all ordered to discovering the truth which God writes in every corner of His creation. All truths are ordered to God who is Truth, and who is our ultimate happiness. The Second Vatican Council put it this way: "The intellectual nature of man finds at last its perfection, as it should, in wisdom, which gently draws the human mind to look for and to love what is true and good" (ibid., 15).

The pursuit of truth, however, is filled with many challenges. Objectively speaking, the sources of our information about God, man, and the world are not of equal importance and value in establishing the truth and its certitude. Pride of place must be given to the word of God, to Sacred Scripture as authentically interpreted.. Sensationalism, blind ideology, prejudice, and anti-religious biases are just some of the many obstacles which prevent people from embracing the truth. The wise person learns to sort the wheat from the chaff. Any lack of enthusiasm for learning can undermine our ability to fulfill our natural vocation to pursue the truth.

Proper Use of Freedom makes Man Virtuous

Both Saint Augustine and future Pope John Paul II, following Saint Paul, marveled at the gift of freedom given to man by God. The Second Vatican Council affirmed that "truly, freedom is an exceptional sign of the image of God in man" (ibid., 17). Saint Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians: "Christ has set us free; so stand firm" (Gal 5: 1). Immediately after the asserting the truth that man is free, we hear the Pauline admonition: "stand firm." Dear Friends: with freedom comes enormous responsibility!

Saint Paul in his great letter to the Galatians contrasts the license, or misuse of freedom by the person who lives by the desires of the flesh, with true liberty, or the proper use of freedom by the person who lives by the Spirit. In his letter to the Galatians, Saint Paul enumerates the many ways in which we can abuse our freedom by various forms of impure and immoral behavior. Yet, Saint Paul offers the many fruits which follow upon our good choices. According to Saint Paul, the fruits of a life in the Spirit include "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control" (Gal 5: 22).

How we use our intellect and freedom will not only shape our own lives but also influence the world. The impact of our personal choices affect so many other people. Our character formation begins with free choice. In a sense, we become what we choose. If we choose to act honestly and courageously, by our own choice we become honest and courageous persons. If, on the other hand, we choose to act dishonestly and cowardly, we make ourselves to be dishonest and cowardly people. All our actions have a twofold effect: on us and on the world.

Elsewhere in his letters, Saint Paul uses the image of an athlete who runs so as to win a race (cf. 1 Cor 9: 24-27). Indeed, Saint Paul speaks about exercising, training and discipline. An athlete who regularly practices a special kind of feat will in time attain a facility or habit allowing him or her to perform the feat with greater skill and ease in the future. In a similar way, when we act rightly on a regular basis, we acquire a habit which enables us to act rightly with greater facility and ease in the future. These good habits which we acquire by repetition are called virtues. Each time we responsibly exercise our freedom for good, we acquire and strengthen our virtues. As virtuous persons, we are empowered to contribute effectively to the building up of a more just and peaceful society. The virtuous man, as a brilliant image of God, is the person able to lead others to the truth and the good.

Threats to Our Freedom arising from Sin and the Necessity of Grace

The safeguarding of our freedoms is one of the fundamental obligations of the government in accordance with the United States Constitution. Indeed, the crafters of our national Constitution enumerated "secure(ing) the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity" as one of the reasons for establishing the national government. Military training academies, such as Valley Forge Military Academy, have taken this responsibility to protect our freedom seriously. In so undertaking this noble task and honorable responsibility, they offer our society a legitimate means of securing certain freedoms.

In addition to potential threats to our peace and security from agents foreign and domestic, the assaults on the dignity of the human person and his or her consequent freedoms can come from many directions: abortion, racism, sexism, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, drug abuse, alcoholism, euthanasia, to name but a few. Quite simply, these are the too many ways in which the dignity and freedom of man can be undermined or destroyed.

Because of the effects of original sin, which has wounded but not destroyed our great faculties of intellect and will, we stand in need of God’s grace to heal and elevate us. The Second Vatican Council affirms: "Man finds that he is unable of himself to overcome the assaults of evil successfully, so that everyone feels as though bound by chains. But the Lord Himself came to free and strengthen man, renewing him inwardly" (ibid., 13). All the assaults against the dignity and freedom of the human person are rooted in the misuse of freedom and flow from one root: sin. Conquering sin ensures our freedom. Therefore, the greatest threat to our freedom is sin and our attachment or enslavement to sin. By His Cross, Jesus Christ has won for us salvation and has liberated us from sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. Saint John the Evangelist writes, "Where the Spirit of Lord is, there is freedom" (Jn 8:32).

Conclusion

The responsible use of our God-given intellect entails pursuing the truth. By regularly and assiduously studying and by invoking God’s help, we move closer step by step towards the attainment of the truth. Likewise, the responsible use of our God-given freedom entails doing the good. Our success in doing the good requires prayer and the daily discipline necessary for the acquisition of virtues. God never abandons us. Rather, He strengthens us by His grace, especially in our intellect and our will, thus empowering us to "stand firm."

Dear young people: If, with God’s help, you "stand firm" in truth and in your responsibility, you will find deep personal satisfaction, fulfillment and joy, and you will make a remarkable contribution to building up the Kingdom of God in this world. Amen.