Devotion for today: what makes you so special?

Scripture Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them."

Christ tells us: Luke 20:21-25
They put to Him this problem: "Teacher, we know that your words and your doctrine are completely forthright, that you are no respecter of persons but teach the way of God in truth. May we pay tax to the emperor or not?" Realizing their duplicity He said, "Show me a coin. Whose head is this? Whose inscription do you read?" "Caesar's," they replied, to which He said, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God's."

Archbishop (Episcopal) Desmond Tutu tells us: (from the forward to The Vision of Peace by Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Orbis Press)
We often heard people say, "Oh, I'm just an ordinary this or that..." I have frequently had to say there is in our theology no such thing as an "ordinary this or that." We are all quite special since we are each that marvelous creation, a person created in the image of God. For that reason, we are each a God-carrier, God's viceroy, God's representative. That makes each of us truly special.

Prayer: today's prayer is actually a hymn: Let Saints on Earth in Concert Sing
Rejoice, you righteous, in the Lord,
This work belongs to you;
Sing of His name, His ways, His word,
How holy, just and true!

His mercy and His righteousness
Let heav'n and earth proclaim;
His works of nature and of grace
Reveal His wondrous name.

My thoughts: My pastor, Fr. Andrew Fisher, made an interesting point at Mass Sunday.  He said when Christ told the scribes and high priests to give Caesar what belonged to Caesar, and to give God what belonged to God, He was telling us that we are the image of God, just as the picture on the coin was the image of Caesar.  We are the image of God.  We were put here to know, love and serve God in this world in order to be happy with Him in the next. We are valuable, worthy and precious in God's eyes. He chose to make us, and as His image, we must bring God into every aspect of our lives, be it in the workplace, the home, the athletic field, the school, etc.  We never stop being the image of God. As Archbishop Tutu says, "That makes each of us truly special."

Your prayer to God: Take a moment today to look in the mirror, and see not yourself, but the image of God. Allow the power of that realization to take over your mind, heart and soul.  Ask God for the grace to think, say, and do only what He asks of you.  Pray that everyone you meet today finds the peace and comfort of God's love in you.