The Spirit of God who, we are told in
the Book of Genesis, breathed upon
the waters at the very beginning of
creation (cf. 1:2), is the same Spirit of
life who was breathed into man, so
that "man became a living being" (ibid., 2:7). This is what makes
us different from every other creature.
In our bodies we are a mere speck in
the vast created universe, but by virtue
of our souls we transcend the whole
material world. I invite you to reflect on what makes each one of you truly
marvelous and unique. Only a human
being like you can think and speak
and share your thoughts in different
languages with other human beings
all over the world, and through that language express the beauty of art
and poetry and music and literature
and the theater, and so many other
uniquely human accomplishments.
And most important of all, only God's
precious human beings are capable of
loving. Love makes us seek what is
good; love makes us better persons. It
is love that prompts men and women
to marry and form a family, to have children. It is love that prompts others
to embrace the religious life or become
priests. Love makes you reach out to
others in need, whoever they are,
wherever they are. Every genuine
human love is a reflection of the Love that is God himself, to the point where
the First Letter of Saint John says: "The
man without love has known nothing
of God; for God is love" (4:8).
From his Homily at Central Park, 7
October 1995
