26 March, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations for Every Day

Why God Created Us

1. God is infinitely happy in Himself from all eternity. He contemplates His own Essence, which contains every beauty and perfection. In the inconceivable joy of this contemplation He generates the substantial image of Himself which is the Eternal Word, “the brightness of his glory and the image of his substance.” (Heb. 1:3) When He contemplates Himself in the Eternal Word, He naturally loves Himself. This substantial and infinite Love proceeds from God as an eternal principle in so far as He knows Himself, and thence proceeds from the Father Who contemplates and the Word Who is contemplated. In this mysterious circle of the divine life God enjoys an eternal infinite and perfect happiness. Consequently, He is not in need of anything. Nevertheless, He wishes to radiate even outside of Himself the splendour of His power, beauty and goodness. He created the world and placed Man in it as the sovereign being. Unfortunately, sin came to disturb our being and to deprive us of the splendour of divine grace, and in this way it weakened the sovereignty which God had given us over all other creatures. But Jesus, the Eternal Word made man, has raised us once more to the supreme dignity of sons of God and heirs of Heaven. These reflections should arouse immense gratitude to God on our part, because He gave us life and made us masters of the universe. They should also make us deeply grateful to Jesus, because in His infinite mercy He raised us up after we had fallen and redeemed us with His precious blood.

2. We should ask the reason for everything which comes from the hands of God. Have you ever seriously considered why you are in this world? It is certainly not for the sake of this passing earthly existence, for the sake of earning your living or enjoying yourself. You know well that the passing pleasures of this life do not satisfy the human heart and cannot be the final goal of life. Each one of us has a thirst for all that is infinite, eternal and perfect. God alone can satisfy this thirst. Just as we are created by God, so we are created for Him. Just as we came from God, so we are gradually travelling back towards Him, for He is the final goal of our earthly journey. We should meditate on this great truth, which we were first taught in the Catechism, namely, that we were created to know, love and serve God on this earth and to be happy with Him for ever in Heaven. Let us not allow ourselves to be dazzled by earthly beauty. God alone is the eternal beauty which will satisfy our hearts.

3. If we are to reach God, Who is our goal, it is necessary for us to know, love and serve Him. Everything speaks to us of God, from the blade of grass to the cedar of the Lebanon, from the insect which glows in the darkness of the night to the highest stars of the firmament. In the hidden depths of our own being we hear His voice. The more we grow in the knowledge of God, the more we feel the need to love Him. We see how so much beauty, goodness and power is alone worthy of all our love. As our Creator, Redeemer and Benefactor, God has the right to the undivided affection of our hearts. This love should not be empty and sterile, however; it should be active and effective. Knowing and loving God, we should feel the obligation of serving Him as our Master in whatever He commands, even when this demands a heavy sacrifice on our part.