Looking back to more than eighty one (81) years of life here on earth, I have been asking myself what actually would give meaning to my existence.
People, places, properties, power, prestige and pleasures have, indeed, contributed in one way or another to make life enjoyable here on earth. They cater to the satisfaction mostly of our senses – to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, to touch and to feel great. However much as these give satisfactions to our senses, they are all transitory or fleeting that sooner or later their satisfactions fade away. Hence, there remains a craving for more and more satisfaction.
St. Augustine of Hippo must have realized this phenomenon in his life and has theologized it when he said: “OUR HEART IS RESTLESS UNTIL IT RESTS IN GOD”.
Just the other day, while my wife, Ofel, and I were praying the Liturgy of the Hours, I was, indeed, struck by the first line of Psalm 62 which reads: “In God alone is my soul at rest.” I then further consulted a commentary on this Psalm in the Christian Community Bible and here I quote what it says: “Believers themselves feel the attraction of money, power and pleasure. But in pretending to respond to our hopes, all these things are deceptive since they cannot fill our hearts. They are powerless and fleeting, while God is the ultimate fullness and no one can destroy him.”
The foregoing statements made me ponder on the reason of my existence. Looking at my own self I realize that my very existence depends entirely on God. It is God Who created me, it is God who sustains me, it is only God Who knows the full mystery of my existence. Hence, I conclude that it is only God Who can give the real reason or meaning for my existence. This realization strengthens my belief that every being in this world is created for a purpose; and it is only God, our Almighty Creator, Who knows the very purpose of every creature. Every being, therefore, can only find fulfillment if he surrenders himself to God’s almighty power and allow Him to dispose of him according to His Holy Will.
Day after day as I live my life, I cannot but ask myself “What am I living for?” There are quite a number of activities, commitments or engagements that call for my attention everyday. Are these the reasons for my existence? Yes, I am expected or challenged to do them. But is this WHAT LIFE IS FOR?
I do believe that whatever we do can only be meaningful if in all sincerity we surrender ourselves to God and allow Him to use us as He pleases in accordance with the very reason for which He has created us. This is the attitude that would make our HEART REST IN GOD.
Hence, my answer to the question: “WHAT AM I LIVING FOR?”, is “I AM LIVING FOR GOD, FOR HE ALONE KNOWS THE COMPLETE REAL REASON FOR MY EXISTENCE”.
BY: Salvador 'Buddy' Cagurangan
June 13, 2010
June 13, 2010
