Michele Catanese — Spiritual Direction
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Testimonials
  • What is Spiritual Direction?
  • Events
    • The Beauty of Holiness
    • New Testament Seminar
    • Old Testament Seminar
    • Spirituality Seminar Content
    • Prayer Styles Seminar
    • Holiness and the Saints
    • Other programs
  • Michele's Blog
  • Links
  • Michele's Book Corner
    • Books about Prayer
    • Books on Saints
    • Books on Iconography
    • Literature

Made For His Love

5/3/2021

 
Picture
​When I am a passenger in a car during a road trip I enjoy looking out the window at the passing countryside. I generally become silent because there truly is much to notice or to inspire thought. On a recent road trip I noticed a billboard which read: “Purpose found in the Marine Corps.” This sign got me thinking about what it means to have a sense of purpose and how important it is to consider, not just once, but throughout our lives. For some, finding purpose can seem elusive, but that may be because we are looking for it in the world rather than where it is actually found. Our true purpose is found in our relationship with God in whom “we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) In the Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius of Loyola says that our purpose is to know, love, and serve the Lord. He said this because he knew from experience that all earthy occupations and commitments have an everlasting purpose if they are rooted in Jesus Christ and thus, they provide joy. If not, he discovered, our pursuits are empty and lead to a sense of unrest and unhappiness. But with Christ we have hope; and if we realize our lives are about discipleship, and pray for discernment in how to live it daily, then everything we do has a purpose. In short, recognizing God’s great love for us, responding to it, and sharing it with others is the purpose of every Child of God. 

Picture
​When our purpose is rooted in God, it is rooted in the mercy and love which builds up the Kingdom. Our world is in much need, and even our smallest efforts to live the gospel have lasting effects whether we see ‘results’ or not. When our lives are rooted in Christ everything we do is in service to Him and therefore it is indeed a holy work. St. Ignatius describes our purpose like this: “Human persons are created to praise, reverence, and serve God the Lord and by this means attain salvation. The other things of this earth are created for us, to help us in attaining the purpose for which we are created….”​ * In short, everything we have, (including our unique giftedness), and everything we do should be oriented toward coming to better know, love, and serve the Lord. In this end we will find our greatest joy, even when the path involves suffering along the way. 

Picture
It is important to recognize that our purpose is more about who we are and less about what we do. What we do will express our identity in Christ; that is, our identity is about acknowledging and accepting His love and then responding to it. In other words, who we are will affect what we do. There are two important facets of our identity which will affect our sense of purpose. First, we are God’s children, made for His love. That is, the creative act, the gift of life, is a result of God’s love, which is why life is so sacred: in the beginning God lovingly breathed His own breath into Adam and Eve, creating them with His own hands. (Genesis 2) Forever after, God has wanted to develop a relationship with each of His children because it is His very nature. He is Love; although He chooses to do so, it is simply impossible for Him not to love us. Thus, He wants us to know Him intimately as He knows us. It is through spending time with Him in prayer, as well as in our daily attentiveness, that we come to grow in awareness of His presence and in who He is. 

Picture
Second, we were made to love. God has oriented us to both receive and share love. Love is a choice, a commitment, which leads to action; it is not really love unless it is shared. We are made to offer this love through the actions of our daily lives that others would come to know the love of God, too. Love, therefore, is a form of evangelization, our lived expression of the gospel. Jesus taught in His words and deeds that the greatest love was in laying down our lives for others. ‘Laying down our lives’ means becoming more other-centered and less centered on our own comfort or wants; it means making sacrifices such as those parents continuously make for their children. It can mean working for justice, feeding and clothing the poor, welcoming the stranger, providing services for those lacking them, offering our time, talent, or treasure to help others as needs arise. It means responding in mercy, forgiveness, and care, especially to those who challenge us or are difficult to be with. And it means spending time in adoration, worship, and all forms of prayer in order to immerse ourselves in God’s presence, to be immersed in Love, so that we can discern how we need to grow in our response and way of proceeding in daily life.

Picture
St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote that her vocation was love.** Indeed, our purpose is to be love as we share the love of Christ with others. This is the call of the gospel message of Jesus. Love is the purpose from which we spring, of which we eat (in the Eucharist), and it is the purpose for which we are intended to return when we arrive in Heaven. No matter what happens in our lives, we are held fast by Love. And if we cling to Jesus in turn, we will find, along with faith and hope, the love that moves mountains.

May we discern through prayer how to better know, love, and serve the Lord! May we know the Love of God more clearly every day so that we might respond to others in love, too! And may we find joy in following Jesus, the one who is Love! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                                                                           ©Michele L. Catanese

*The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, translated by Elisabeth Meier Tetlow; this is a portion of the Principle and Foundation, (paragraph 23 of the Exercises).
​** Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, page 194, third edition, translated by John Clarke, O.C.D.

Images:
1. My photo, Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
2. Drawing, St. Ignatius at Prayer in Rome, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in this image for purchase in one of many mediums, it can be found at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-ignatius-at-prayer-in-rome-william-hart-mcnichols.html
​
3. Black and white drawing of the sculpture, The Creation of Adam, found at Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France.
4. Painting, First Steps (after Millet), Vincent van Gogh, 1890. 
5. Photo, St. Thérèse of Lisieux taken at her convent. 

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

Dwight Coles
5/3/2021 09:15:53 am

Very nice
Thank you

David
5/4/2021 06:54:59 am

Dear Michele,

Your truly beautiful post reminded me of a homily.
Love is:

L lifegiving
O other-centred
V voluntary
E eternal


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Heart Speaks to Heart
    (Cor ad Cor Loquitor)
    From the fullness of
    the heart the mouth speaks.
    (Luke 6:45)

    RSS Feed

    You can use the RSS Feed button to add the blog to your favorite reader software. Click on the button above to subscribe.
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012

    Picture
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Testimonials
  • What is Spiritual Direction?
  • Events
    • The Beauty of Holiness
    • New Testament Seminar
    • Old Testament Seminar
    • Spirituality Seminar Content
    • Prayer Styles Seminar
    • Holiness and the Saints
    • Other programs
  • Michele's Blog
  • Links
  • Michele's Book Corner
    • Books about Prayer
    • Books on Saints
    • Books on Iconography
    • Literature