C.

JESUS SHEDS LIGHT ON THE MYSTERY AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

It is only in knowing Christ that the human person can arrive at a full understanding of who
He really is. “In fact, it is only in the mystery of the Word incarnate that light is shed on the mystery
of man. For by his incarnation, the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every
person.” Being in full solidarity with humankind, our Lord showed us how to be fully human and
fully alive. Christ primarily revealed how the essential dignity of all persons is grounded directly
on their origin, meaning and destiny. From a renowned principle, it was believed that we could
only come to know the meaning of something once we get to know its origin and destiny, beginning
and purpose. In the light of Christian revelation, it was understood that all persons are created by
God in His image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26) through our Lord Jesus Christ, “through whom
everything was made and through whom we live” (1 Cor 8:6). We believe all are redeemed by the
blood of Christ (cf. Eph 1:7; Col 1:14), and are sanctified by the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Rom
8:14-16; 1 Cor 6:19). We believe all persons are called to be children of God (cf. 1 Jn 3:1), destined
for eternal life of blessed communion with the Father, His Risen-Incarnate Son, and their Holy
Spirit.26

1. CREATED IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD

The dignity of man lies on being created in the Image and Likeness of God, because of all
visible creatures, only man is capable of knowing and loving his creator. He is "the only creature
on earth that God has willed for its own sake", and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and
love, in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason
for his dignity:” He is not just a being one among the many creatures created by God, but a
“Person.” Extensively understanding the human person will not be possible without considering
the doctrine of man being created in the image and likeness of God. This fundamental notion
provides the theological grounding that upholds the sacredness of the human person and guarantees
the respect to be given him.
“He is an image of God by virtue of his/her possession of the distinctive faculties of
intellect and freewill, that on account of which, he/she is capable of self-determination. Because
of the spiritual character of his/her soul, man possesses freedom, an eminent sign of divine image.
Man’s reason enables him/her to know the voice of God compelling him/her to do good and avoid
evil.”28 By virtue of this, man is therefore considered to be a moral being. For byman’s freedom,
one is capable of deciding whether to act or not to act and therefore held responsible for whatever
choices he/she would make, and by his reason he/she becomes conscious of the decree of God
inscribed in one’s heart, urging him/her to always do what is good and avoid what is evil. Another
essential consequence of this noble dignity of being created in the image and likeness of God is
the uniqueness of every individual that on account of which, “Every human being is an
irreplaceable and non-substitutable person, a kind of good that cannot be treated as an object of
use or as a means to an end.”29 As a subject, he/she is the one in charge of his/her life as they act
according to their conscience, in freedom and with sufficient knowledge. Being mindful of our
dignity as an image and likeness of God, we are impelled to treat our fellow human being as equals
in as much as our dignity as an image and likeness of God is concerned. This is obviously implied
in the golden rule: “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you,” or in a more
affirmative phrase, “Do to others what you want others do unto you.”
This is specifically true especially in workplaces where the distinction between employer
and employee, master and slave, leader and subject relationships are duly understood. Due to
excessive assertion of the individual’s apparent higher status, fundamental equality is accordingly
compromised. In relationships where the spirit of hedonism brings about a utilitarian disposition,
the tendency of accommodating a person into your circle on the condition of reaping benefits from
him/her in one way or another is always a probable. We usually call these people “users” or “user
friendly” since they only befriend you in as much as they perceive prospects of profit from you.
Yet, we must remember that human dignity worthy of respect and value precedes any human
accomplishments.
Likewise, we can also raise here the issue of equality between man and woman in as much
as they are equally created in the image and likeness of God, and so deserve to be treated as such.
It is well understood that companionship between man and woman is not of dominance but
solidarity, not inferiority but complementarity, equity and not equality. Even when they were
commissioned to share in the creative work of God and to be stewards of creation, no distinction
of tasks and responsibility was implied for in God's plan, both man and woman were equally
ordered to "subdue" the earth as His stewards. Acknowledging both man and woman as the apex
of everything, and possessing a dignity which surpasses all other things and animals, is definitely
articulated in the expression “created in the image and likeness of God.” This sovereignty is not
designed to be an arbitrary and destructive domination. God calls man and woman, made in the
image of the Creator "who loves everything that exists,’ to share in his providence toward other
creatures; hence their responsibility for the world God has entrusted to them.” 30 Though full
dominion was given by God to both man and woman over creation which was evidently signified
their power to give names and label to everything in creation, it shouldn't be taken as a license to
irrationally exploit everything in creation and consume according to their whims. Pope Francis’
encyclical “Laudato Si” imparts the rational way of treating creation which turns into a kind of
spirituality. A spirituality that is imperative for us to imbibe in order to be able to treat creation the
way it is supposed to be treated and see our real place in it. Learning from the said encyclical, it
challenges us to always approach everything in creation with awe and wonder, reuse and not
succumb to throwaway culture, help preserve nature’s diversity and render frequent corporal
contact with nature.
The human person as an image of God says something about the relationship between God
and man, implying that human person cannot be understood apart from God. God is the image of
perfect self-giving love, and being the image of God implies he is capable of selfgiving love as
well. Since the human person is a product of a divine self-gift, he therefore should respond to God
by giving himself to other. To give oneself to others as much as possible in imitation of the self-
giving of God in the Trinity is the concrete living out of our being an image of God. This is how
the communitarian nature of the human person is thus understood. From this perspective, we
realize man’s relationship with God can be best achieved through the maximum use of our gifts
that would enhance acknowledging the giftedness of others. Thus, being created in the image and
likeness of God is both a gift and a task. The challenge to be true to who and what we are is an
endless task – it never expires. For this reason, we always look at Jesus Christ and strive to always
model our lives to his, for we are not just any slave or servant who follows the will of his/her
master but we are raised to the status of being adopted sons and daughters of God. Therefore,
“Following Christ and united with him, Christians can strive to be "imitators of God as beloved
children, and walk in love" by conforming their thoughts, words and actions to the "mind . . .which
is yours in Christ Jesus," and by following His example.”31 We should never forget that we are
constantly called by God to be His adopted sons and daughters. We are all called by our names,
meaning, we are urged to be the best of ourselves. We are not expected to be somebody else but
to just be ourselves. Perhaps only in and with God can we utterly be who we really are without
pretensions and inhibitions, for we are certain that He will never reject or forsake us because it
was He who calls us by name.
As the only creature on earth God has willed for His own sake and is called to share in His
own life, God placed us in this world to know, love and serve Him, and so come to paradise; thus,
the human person is destined since his conception to the eternal happiness or beatitude. God is the
origin, as well as man’s destiny. As creatures on their way toward their destiny, we are highly
encouraged to throw more concern with things of higher value; things that really matter more than
the things this world offer. We are all pilgrims on the way and must not settle for the things of this
world for they are temporary, unreliable and misleading. Being aware of our destiny, we know
well what we are heading for, to be in communion with our Creator, which render all other things
worthless. Another reading of man’s image and likeness will be revisited.

2. REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

In His wisdom and goodness, God created man – elevated him/her to participation in the
divine life and lived in communion and belongingness with the Trinity. But with the entry of sin,
this communion and belongingness was shattered, as well as their communion among themselves.
Yet God did not abandon man altogether; instead, He held out the means of saving them by
gathering men together to counter the chaos which was the consequence of sin. This subsequent
gathering of men together was fulfilled in Jesus Christ who always desired that all maybe one. Our
Lord have always desired “that all of them maybe one, as You, are in Me, and I am in You. May
they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory
You gave Me, so that they may be one as we are one.” By saving us from our slavery to sin, we
were brought back to our own character and nature. “Man's sins, following on original sin, are
punishable by death. By sending his own Son in the form of a slave, in the form of a fallen
humanity, on account of sin, God "made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God.” “For in Christ and through Christ, we have acquired full
awareness of our dignity, of the heights to which we are raised, of the surpassing worth of our
humanity and of the meaning of our existence.” Mindful of this truth about ourselves, it would
mean that our usual justification whenever we commit something wrong, that is to invoke our
weak and fragile nature is lame and pathetic. We cannot simply turn the blame on our weak nature
because after all, we are not powerless but are empowered and so are capable of going beyond the
call of our instincts. We can overcome the inducement of our instincts in as much as we have been
redeemed by our Lord from our slavery to our weakness and vulnerability. If we have committed
something evil or something wrong, do not turn the blame on our fragile nature, for it is not simply
an implication of nature but is the result of our choice – our decision. Saint Paul exclaimed his
gratitude to the Lord for this splendid grace saying, “ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For
He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love,
He predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure
and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches
of God’s grace.”
We are then indebted to always be mindful of this privilege and grace of having been
rescued from the power of darkness and being brought in turn to the light of the Kingdom of God.
Christians should constantly recognize their dignity for now that they share in God's own nature,
they should not return to their former base condition by sinning and remember their head of whose
body we are a member.37 Having been redeemed by Christ imbues us with the consequent task of
living a new life in Him, the responsibility to preserve and keep this lofty dignity we are graced
with. Being justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God,"
"sanctified…(and) called to be saints, Christians have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. This
"Spirit of the Son" teaches them to pray to the Father and, having become their life, prompts them
to act so as to bear "the fruit of the Spirit" by charity in action. Healing the wounds of sin, the Holy
Spirit renews us interiorly through a spiritual transformation. He enlightens and strengthens us to
live as "children of light" through "all that is good and right and true.

3. MADE HOLY BY THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT

Initially, the grace of the Holy Spirit which effects justification through adherence to our
Lord’s admonition to repent is the gift of conversion. It moves man to turn away from sin and thus,
accept forgiveness and righteousness from on high. Justification therefore does not only consist in
the remission of sins but likewise brings about sanctification and renewal from within. It was
altogether clear that it was the grace of the Holy Spirit that stirred man’s path to conversion and
turned him away from sinfulness. Man’s decision then to pursue this track should not be mistakenly
perceived as an impulse independent of any assistance from the Holy Spirit. For when God touches
man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving
that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free
will move himself toward justice in God's sight.40 The merit of man before God in the Christian
life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of His grace.
The fatherly action of God is first on His own initiative, and then follows man's free acting through
his/her collaboration. Thus, the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace
of God, then to the faithful. Man's merit itself, moreover, is due to God, for his/her good actions
proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit.
Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace
of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by
charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for
the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like
health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods
are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we needfor meritorious actions.
Doing things of a higher value is made achievable in as much as we are empowered by the Spirit
of the Lord. Being a witness of Christ, as in leading a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ, is made
capable of doing so by the gift of his Spirit which we can obtain through prayer, though the impulse
to pray is still permeated with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The "Spirit of the Son" teaches
them to pray to the Father and, having become their life, prompts them to act so as to bear "the
fruit of the Spirit" by charity in action. Healing the wounds of sin, the Holy Spirit renews us
interiorly through a spiritual transformation. He enlightens and strengthens us to live as "children
of light" through "all that is good and right and true.

4. HUMAN PERSONS IN EXPERIENCE (CFC 687-692)

In Moral Theology, the human person is the most appropriate point of departure to
competently explain the meaning of morality and provide the fundamental principles in treating
complex and actual moral queries. This has been the renewal in Moral Theology ushered in by the
Second Vatican Council, i.e. the shift from the perspective and language of the human nature to
that of the human person. The former stressed the finality of common bodily structures and
functions from which moral norms or criteria were derived. Thus, actions are judged as right or
wrong depending on whether they are congruent or incongruent with the natural end of each
faculty. The latter, on the other hand, contends that human activity cannot be judged if it does not
refer to the person in his/her entirety. Accordingly, moral conclusions should be based on the
totality of the human person. Human nature emphasizes what is common to all while human person
captures the uniqueness of the person yet without abandoning the commonality. The personalistic
perspective (human person), given its grounded perception of man and morality, should then take
into account the experiences of people over time so as to determine what sorts of activities best
serve the person adequately considered. 44 Man does not act in a vacuum – he is an organism,
which means that his movement is qualified as a response to certain stimuli. His total make-up is
the sum of all his experiences. There are lots of factors around him that we should always take into
account.

a. Open and Relational

Persons are open and relational by nature. No one exists by oneself, but only in relationship
to others. Human existence does not precede relationship, but born of relationship and is nurtured
by it. We grow into our full selves as persons only in relating to others. My personal existence
consists of me and the others in relationship. Isolation is never in God’s intention in his creation
of man and woman. Being a person means being by others (our conception, birth, upbringing),
being with others (our family, friends, neighbors, business associates), and being for others (love,
service). Our Trinitarian origin infers that this is how we have been created by God — as social
beings. This is how we have been redeemed by Christ — as a people. This is how the Holy Spirit
works not only within but among us as the people of God, journeying towards our common destiny
in God.
As social beings, human persons must live in social groups with appropriate effective
edifices that must sustain their dignity and their common good. It is imperative then to esteem
those laws and institutions that aim to sustain our social well-being and the common good. The
otherness or relational dimension of being human finds its apex in one’s relationship with God.
Morally, this means that God becomes the source and fulfillment of all the human persons’
relationships. Our faith teaches us that the fulfillment of our life is achieved in knowing, loving
and serving God via our relationship with others.

b. Conscious Beings

Persons are conscious beings, aware of themselves in their outgoing acts. We possess this
self-awareness through our knowing and free willing (cf. CCC 1704-7; GS 14-17). Thus we
“image” in our small way from the Creator’s infinite knowing and loving. This is the basis for
our moral life.47 By his reason, he knows the order of things established by God; he then
understands how and what things should be. He is imbued with the instinctive awareness of the
unwritten decree inscribed in his heart. He then recognizes this as the voice of God constantly
urging him to do the good and avoid evil. No wonder the golden rule is diversely articulated in
every culture, religion and race.

c. Embodied Spirits
Persons are embodied spirits. This stresses the unity between our “body and soul.” This
substantial unity of our body and soul is technically labeled as “hylemorphism.” Our body is an
essential part of our being human and not merely an “instrument” we “use” according to our
whims. Contrary to those who look down on the body, and make it the source of all evil, Christian
Faith regards the body as “good and honorable since God has created it and will raise it up on the
last day” (GS 14). Moreover, God the Son further dignified the body through his Incarnation —
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). And St. Paul admonishes us: “You must
know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within — the Spirit you have received
from God. . . . So, glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:19-20). All our relationships with others
and with God are expressed through our bodies, which are the “natural sacrament” of our spiritual
depth.48 This strongly implies that the human body is something integral in our becoming a
person. What concerns the body has implications on the human person for basically, it affects our
expression of ourselves. Remember that God made known His love for us through bodily form.
Consequently, appreciation of our body entails acknowledgement of its limits and potentials.
Whimsical intrusion to the body and compromising our bodily health should be prevented.
Besides, as bodily beings, we are part of the world. We can act as God’s co-agents in making this
world a better place to live in. This admonishes us to make sure that our utilization of science and
technology will not cause damage to corporeality and communality, but rather bring about the
contrary.
The soul, on the other hand, serves as the form (the nature or essence of a thing that makes
it what it is) of the body. It functions as the unifying principle that forms the one unique human
being. It provides oneness for the body. However, as the soul emerges as a spiritual substance
endowed with a body, it definitely needs embodiment. The assistance of the senses is needed for
the fulfillment of the soul’s vital task. Thus, the soul is not a man, neither is the body, man.
Emphasizing the substantial unity of the body and the soul, man is categorically the union of soul
and body.
d. Historical Realities
Persons are historical realities. We are pilgrims on-the-way, who gradually, through time,
become our full selves. In exercising freedom, we decide for ourselves and form ourselves; in this
sense we are our own cause. We develop as persons in discernible stages, described in great detail
by modern psychology. Nobody is predestined for something or to be someone. We shape our own
destiny. Our fate lies in our hands. What we become is the result of our choices and decisions.
Being historical challenges us to take advantage of each opportunity of the present in the overall
journey to full human development. Integrating our past to our present existence makes us move
into our future not only with a sense of integrity but also with a coherent sense of direction. It is in
this perspective that the popular Filipino saying, “ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi
makakarating sa paroroonan,” makes a lot of sense. In the same way, looking ahead into the future
keeps us on the right track as well. We carefully make our choices and decisions and make certain
they were products of prudent discernment. However, excessive concentration on either the past
or the future can be disadvantageous too. We might be so wedged in our past that we are paralyzed
to move on or move forward, or we might be overly absorbed by our preparations for the future,
trying to be certain and secured about our destiny. Either way, we’ll get naive about the how special
the events and people around us are., and how blessed we truly are. That’s why the challenge for
us is to always live in the middle of “now and here;” without prejudice to either the past or the
future.
Being historical also implies that our moral responsibility is proportionate to our capacity
according to our current stage of development. Moral acts become more meaningful if they are
related to their effects and consequences.52 Hence, dynamism in our moral reflections is highly
encouraged. There are diverse ways by which this dynamism is conveyed. Let’s take for example,
“ the four way test,” or Socrates’ “test of three,” and many other similar schemes.

e. Unique yet Fundamentally Equal

Persons are unique, yet fundamentally equal. Regardless of differences in physical,
intellectual and moral features and abilities, we spontaneously apprehend our basic equality as
persons. As Gaudium et Spes 29 holds: “All men are endowed with a rational soul and are created
in God’s image; they have the same nature and origin and, being redeemed by Christ, they enjoy
the same divine calling and destiny; there is here a basic equality between all men.” But despite
sharing common features of humanity, we do things differently. This implies therefore that we
seriously consider each person’s uniqueness and originality. Each of us is called to “image” God
in a unique way — no one can “take our place,” as it were. To each of us Christ says: “Fear not,
for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine” (Is 43:1). The fundamental
equality of all individual persons grounds the participation and solidarity of all peoples. “Since
God the Father is the origin and purpose of all people, we are all called to be brothers. Therefore,
if we have been summoned by the same destiny, which is both human and divine, we can and
should work together to build up the world in genuine peace” (GS 92).53 This was the core of the
redemptive mission of Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Lord made it clear that “I came that they may
have life and have it abundantly.” (Jn. 10:10). This fullness of life points to our ultimate
communion with the Father to which every
person is freely called. Man is fundamentally good and is capable of goodness. He has the capacity
to respond freely to the call of God. In a nutshell, our equality implies understanding that our moral
obligations must be always considerate of our common humanity while our uniqueness implies
that we cannot expect the same way of responding to the same situation since each of us will live
out the norm and respond to issues according to our capacity and subjective conditioning.
Conversely, our culpability lies on failing to do what we are capable of doing.