As I've mentioned, I've been plugging my way through "Introduction to the Devout Life" and am finding it absolutely wonderful. I'm in the first part right now and have just finished the 10 or so meditations which lead up to a General Confession.
Can I just say that this is so Ignatian!!!! I love it. St. Francis does a wonderful job weaving the spirit of the Spiritual Exercises into these meditations. Next up, as I said, is the General Confession, and if you've never done one you should! Find a priest who is willing to work with you on this and then spend a good amount of time preparing for it. It is a very freeing experience.
Anyhow, one night I sat down to do the next meditation and I read the following sentence, "God did not create you because He had any need of you, for you are wholly useless to Him, but only that He might exercise towards you His goodness, bestowing on you His grace and glory". Now if that isn't humbling, I don't know what is.
I was really struck by the "wholly useless" portion. The more I thought about it, though, the more it really sunk in and made sense. We tend to think so much of ourselves and our importance in this world that we often forget that we are simply here to know God, to love God and to serve God so that we may be in Heaven with Him forever. That's it. Oh, and to do His will in the process. It isn't about me, it's about HIM. I must do His will in my life and serve Him in the ways that He calls me to serve Him for I am "wholly useless" to Him except to receive His grace, glory and goodness.
Oh that the whole world might know this, remember it and embrace it. What a world that would be. One without political corruptness and absolute obnoxiousness from our "stars". Ultimately it starts with each individual person so it is best to just pull up my bootstraps and fight the good fight. If enough people engage in this battle, maybe we can bring about a revolution of good.
God Bless!
