THE FIRST PRINCIPLE & FOUNDATION

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The Goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life.
Our own response of love allows God’s life to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts from God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily. We appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us to develop as loving persons. If any of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace God and hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening his life and love in me.

St. Ignatius of Loyola
paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J.