Salesian Literature

Chapter 10:  Second Meditation: the purpose for which we are created

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Preparation

1. Place yourself before God.

2. Ask him to inspire you.

 

Reflections

1. God has placed you in this world not because he has some need of you, for you are completely useless to him.  It was only to use his goodness for you, by giving you his grace and his glory.  For this he has given you the understanding to know him, the memory to remember him, the will to love him, the imagination to represent to yourself his blessings, the eyes to see the wonders of his work, the tongue to praise him … and so for your other faculties.

2. Since you have been created and placed in this world for this purpose, all actions contrary to it must be rejected and avoided.  Actions which do not help this purpose in any way must be despised as useless and irrelevant.  

3. Think of the unhappiness of worldly people who pay no attention to all this, but live as if they are convinced that they are created only to build houses, plant trees, store up wealth and be occupied with trifles.

 

Give vent to Good Movements of the Will and make Deliberate Decisions[1]

Be filled with shame and rebuke yourself for your wretchedness which has been so great in the past that you have seldom or never thought of all this.  Alas, you will say, what was I thinking about, my God, when I was not thinking of you?  What was I remembering, when I was forgetful of you?  What did I love, when I was not loving you?  Alas, I ought to have nourished myself on truth, but I was filling myself with vanity, I was serving the world which is made only to serve you. 

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1. Detest your past life.  I turn away from you, vain thoughts and useless reasonings.  I reject you, hateful and foolish memories.  I give you up, false and disloyal friendships, wasted and wretched occupations, unprofitable pleasures and burdensome satisfactions.

2. Turn yourself back to God.  You, my God and my Saviour, from now on you will be the only object of my thoughts.  No more will I turn my mind to thoughts displeasing to you.  My memory will be filled, each day of my life, with the greatness of your loving kindness so tenderly shown to me.  You will the joy of my heart and the delight of my affections.

 

From now on, I will hold in horror such and such trash and trifles to which I have been devoted, such and such silly actions for which I have used my days, such and such affection with which I have filled my heart.  With this in mind I will make use of such and such means.

 

Conclusion

1. Thank God who has made you for such an excellent purpose.  You have made me, O Lord, for yourself, that I may enjoy forever the immensity of your glory.  When shall I be worthy of this?  When shall I bless you as I ought?

2. Offer.  Loving Creator, I offer you these good movements of the will and these deliberate decisions with all my heart and mind.

3. Pray.  My God, I humbly ask you, to accept my desires and my resolutions, and to give me your blessing, that I may be able to realize them by the merits of the blood of your Son shed upon the Cross, and so on.

 

Make a little bouquet of devotion.

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[1]  As in Second Part Chapter 6.

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