Right now, I’m coming to you from Hawaii, one of the most beautiful places on earth. But for all the beauty around me, I can’t seem to stop taking pictures of my granddaughter who’s here with me. The scenery just can’t compare to this human being, this child, who didn’t do anything to earn respect and love—she just IS.

God sees you the same way. God sees all the beauty of the universe at a glance: the sun, the ocean, the stars, the sky. He made it all. But he didn’t die for a galaxy, or the clouds, or the whales, or the stars. He died for you. You capture his heart, are the apple of his eye. You—not the world in general, but you. And at every Mass, the Body and Blood of Christ are still there for you—not the world in general, but you.

Cardinal Cantalamessa said, “Every other religion begins with what we have to do for God, Christianity starts with what God did for you.” Do you believe it? Do you believe in his unconditional love that you could never earn? Do you believe YOU are the most beautiful thing in the universe?