“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” This was the question St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, presented to a very young St. Francis Xavier. They were both studying in Paris at that time, and St. Francis had the worldly dreams that most youth aspire for: wealth, fame, power.
These aspirations by themselves are not at all wrong. It’s only when
we make them the end all and be all of our existence that may cause
harm, not just to our own selves but to others as well. In his
Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius describes these as disordered
attachments. If we do not fully realize that what we are presently
doing takes us away from God’s mission for us, than feelings of
emptiness and other desolations become the warning signs.
Maybe acquiring 10 Ferraris doesn’t seem excessive; perhaps that 100th
designer handbag will possibly be the one; it’s probably ok if we
indulge in an endless buffet of gourmet meals day in and day out. We
don’t need to notice those who have to walk kilometer upon kilometer
in order to earn a living so that their families have something to
eat. Let them be happy with a simple plastic bag while we enjoy the
latest technologically advanced backpacks.
Yes, we can aim to be the master of the universe, but what good is
that when the people in our communities remain slaves to poverty and
marginalized circumstances. Where is the fulfillment? May we continue
to ask for the grace to be more like St. Francis and to bravely seek
God’s will for us.
