I am continually moved by this quote, “The Glory of God is a human person fully alive.” These ten words continually return to me. They were apparently said by St. Irenaeus, who I remember studying, but I cannot remember much about besides a quick search of him on the Internet today.
That being said, I am moved by this quote from him. It speaks profoundly to me to be the authentic person that God calls each of us to be. It reminds me of a piece from Fr. David Flemming’s paraphrase of the First Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius:
Our only desire and our one choice should be this:
I want and I choose what better
leads to the deepening of God’s life in me.
I want and I choose what better
leads to the deepening of God’s life in me.
If we can make choices that continue to move us in the direction of who God asks us to be and what God asks us to do, then we are moving towards being a “fully alive” human. I know people who are “fully alive,” who are authentic, and who continue to chose what leads them to a deeper life in God. When I am around these people, I cannot help but be drawn to them. They serve as a reminder of Christ for me.
Are we making steps towards being a human person fully alive?
Are we making choices that leads to a deepening of God’s life in us?
Who do we know that exemplifies the statement, “the Glory of God is a human person fully alive”? What can we learn from them?
Becky Eldredge
August 31, 2011