Jesus the Good Soil
St. Ignatius teaches that the purpose of life is “to praise, revere, and serve God.” I have often wondered what it truly means to praise God and to be at His service. From a human perspective, the answer can seem elusive. Rationally speaking, God does not need anything from us. He does not require our approval, our praise, or even our service.
Yet the remarkable character of God is revealed in the countless ways He reaches out to humanity, inviting us into a relationship with Him. Through our spiritual experiences, we often find ourselves drawn toward God. There is a thirst within every human heart that can be quenched only by the living water of eternity. This longing to respond to God exists in every person.
Is not the purpose of our lives to become what God desires us to be? To love as Jesus loved; to forgive as He forgives; to take up our crosses and overcome them as He conquered suffering on Calvary; to have hope and to share that hope with others, just as He did with the blind, the sick, and those in despair.
God has given us life as a seed meant to grow in Him. He is the good soil, continually inviting us to remain rooted in His love. Perhaps it is in striving to love as Jesus loved that we plant ourselves in him, the good soil.
Rev. George Meze, SJ
I am Fr. Vilezo George Meze SJ, originally from India. I am doing my EdD studies and serve as a spiritual director with Campus Ministry. Before coming to the U.S., I spent a decade working in school administration among Indigenous communities in Northeast India.
