Great works of art often depict very important occasions in the life of the Church. Homage and great price are attached to significant works such as ?The Last Supper? by Hullis Mavruk, ?The Creation of Adam? by Michelangelo and the ?Annunciation? by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is even said that these spectacular works of human hands are priceless. They are described as masterpieces.
The Sistine Chapel is home to a number of these masterpieces. When visitors enter the Chapel and gaze at the frescos overhead, they frequently react with reverence and awe. The sacred art draws people upward and into a contemplative union with God. These masterpieces created by human hand have inspired many people into a fuller understanding, appreciation and relationship with God, the Almighty, and Creator of All.
Knowledge of the power of art and the value it has for us and the world at large is a great starting place when we are considering the value the Church places on human life. Some categorize the Church?s stance as extreme. When we understand that human life is the creation of God?s hands, we can come to accept the gift of life with the same level of significance as our Church?s teaching.
Our society does not always place this same value on each human life. Sometimes we hear that human lives are ?a burden,? ?a clump of cells,? ?a casualty of war? or some other equally diminishing designation. It sometimes seems that the only place we find reverence for all human life is within the Church. As Catholics we are taught that human life is a precious gift of God, as our Holy Father says, ?a masterpiece.?
Several months ago Pope Francis gave us this instruction about human life, he said, ?Each of us is a masterpiece of God?s creation.? He spoke of human life with simple yet clear and powerful words. This phrase has been adopted as the theme for the 2014-2015 Respect Life Campaign. The campaign will begin with Respect Life Sunday on Oct. 5 and continue throughout the year.
This October and beyond, as we give special recognition to the value of each human life, we pray for an end to abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human trafficking, capital punishment, violence as a response to conflict and every other assault on human life. Let us pray that all means of devaluing life are diminished until every person is considered by all to be a masterpiece of God?s creation.
(The above column by the Most Reverend Richard Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland originally appeared in the Friday, September 26, 2014 issue of the Catholic Universe Bulletin, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Cleveland.)
