Today is the 42nd year anniversary of the day on which Ronald Reagan signed the bill creating MLK Jr. Day as a national holiday. It is a fine day to reflect on what both reason and faith tell us about the inherent dignity of each human person.
Catholic teaching begins with a simple, profound truth: all individuals are created in the image and likeness of God. That implies no one's worth depends on race, wealth, talent, or social standing. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded the world of that same Godly principle — that justice and equality are not political inventions, but moral imperatives written by God Himself.
Racism, prejudice, and division distort God's creation. But as we see others in the way He sees them, compassion becomes the replacement for prejudice. Peace is not actually begun by laws or by speeches, but in hearts that are molded in love — the sort of love that recognizes the face of Christ in every individual.
