January 21, 2022
No one is unwanted. God’s love embraces all.
Every human life is sacred. Every person is a child of God who possesses incomparable dignity and worth—no matter what his or her state in life or personal gifts and talents. Regardless of who we are; or what our background is; or the state of our physical, emotional or mental health; or our accomplishments; or our race, religion or cultural heritage; or our age; or our social status; every individual human being is precious in the sight of God and, therefore, should also be valuable in the eyes of his or her fellow human beings.
No one is unwanted. God’s love embraces all.
Think for a moment of the power of that statement. Can it really be true that God—who made the universe in all its vastness and complexity—knows and loves each and every one of us, including (or perhaps especially) those of us who have been rejected by parents, families, communities or society as a whole?
Yes! God sees in us (all of us, every one of us) something that is worth more than we can possibly imagine—something that far exceeds silver or gold, power or prestige, fame or fortune.
When Pope Francis formally began his ministry as bishop of Rome and as pope, he pledged to protect the dignity of each person and the beauty of creation, just as St. Joseph protected the Blessed Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus.
“To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love is to open up a horizon of hope,” the Holy Father said. During his first World Day of Peace message, Pope Francis expressed it this way: “New ideologies, characterized by rampant individualism, egocentrism and materialistic consumerism, weaken social bonds, fueling that ‘throw away’ mentality which leads to contempt for, and the abandonment of, the weakest and those considered useless. ”
Despair is a consequence of the radical devaluation of the human person. Hope comes when human dignity is recognized and affirmed.
Every human being is wanted by God because every single person has been given the gift of life. This gift is a share in God’s own being that is more precious than anything we can possibly imagine. Life itself is the treasure given to us by God to be nurtured and protected and shared generously with others. Nothing on Earth is more valuable than human life. That’s why deliberately taking a human life by murder, abortion, euthanasia, infanticide or any other means is such a grave sin. God alone gives life, and only he can take it back again.
No one is unwanted by God. That’s why we reverence all life, why we help the handicapped and care for the infirm and the elderly, why we encourage and assist women with unplanned pregnancies and why we speak out forcefully against all attempts to treat society’s unwanted human beings as somehow less valuable than they truly are in the sight of God.
No one is unwanted in God’s family. We don’t always show it as clearly as we should, but all are welcome. All are valued. All are members of the Body of Christ. All life is sacred—especially those who feel unwanted or who have been rejected by the unjust, unloving and inhuman laws, policies and social practices of this and every other age.
Just last year, in his 2021 World Day of Peace message, Pope Francis said:
As Christians, we should always look to Our Lady, Star of the Sea and Mother of Hope. May we work together to advance towards a new horizon of love and peace, of fraternity and solidarity, of mutual support and acceptance. May we never yield to the temptation to disregard others, especially those in greatest need, and to look the other way; instead, may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, “to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another”.
No one should ever have to wonder, “Does God really want me?” God wants everyone. That means he wants you and me, and every human being who has ever lived, and everyone who is yet to be conceived.
“Therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days” (Dt 30: 19-20).
Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R
Archbishop of Newark