Today is the feast of Pope St. Leo the Great. Here is a quote from him. "Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom."

He identifies one of those basic ideas that we need to be reminded of often. Our dignity as a person is not something we earned but has been given to us by virtue of creation and redemption. Remembering this may help us to stay focus on our journey. Couple with this dignity is our destiny. We are not destined for a short stay as a human being on this planet. But by virtue of creation and redemption we are destined to live eternally with the Beginning and End of our life. With our dignity and destiny comes our duty. How do we respond to these great gifts? "Do not return by sin to your former base condition." This may be difficult at times, but not impossible. For we are not alone. God's grace is always there to strengthen us in our resolve to remain in him and for him, fulfilling our duty. Lord, thank you for my dignity and destiny and for the grace to fulfill my duty in response.