1931 Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that “everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as ‘another self,’ above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity.”37
No legislation could by itself do away with the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of pride and selfishness which obstruct the establishment of truly fraternal societies. Such behavior will cease only through the charity that finds in every man a “neighbor,” a brother. Catechism of the Catholic Church
In today’s society the word respect has come to mean something or someone we like, a feeling of deep admiration. However in the Christian Catholic perspective we are to go even beyond that. The term that I prefer is reverence. A deep awareness and appreciation for all that contains truth, beauty and goodness…the seeds of holiness.
If we truly were capable of seeing God throughout His entire creation, including ourselves, we’d be living in a state of reverence; seeing God everywhere and in everyone, even in those who cannot see it in themselves or have temporarily rejected it. I say temporarily, because it only becomes permanent at the hour of our bodily death. Until then it is our duty to make sure that no a single one of our brothers are lost.
This is not the wishy-washy ‘tolerance’ that our society so embraces, or the lack luster ‘luv’ that everyone is into. But a genuine, wanting the very best for each soul we encounter and desiring heaven for them.
This type of respect begins with ourselves. In what ways are we disrespecting ourselves? Do we know that this thing that we are subjecting ourselves to is harming us and we continue to do it? That’s disrespect.