The first step of liberation consists in making me a friend of myself. Observation of life has brought me to the conviction that there are only a few who “like” themselves; and there are many who are secret enemies of themselves.
Throughout life, I have had different people express themselves in different words in the following manner: “We live only once. And in this one chance, it has become my luck to be someone that I absolutely do not like to be. They say that I am obnoxious (for them); if they only knew how obnoxious I am with myself! They say that they do not like the way I am; if they only knew how I do not like my own self..!
I cannot change this personality for another! What I am will end with me in the grave when I am gone. To think that we only live once and yet I got this personality that I do not like …” And they declare a war of psychological self-extermination.
From depths like these, arise difficult and conflictive persons that we find in society. They end up saying that it looks like they were born to suffer; and that to have been born is a disgrace.
I have to affirm that it is no disgrace. You are an excellent gift. You are privileged because if you had three defects, you have thirty other qualities. You are a work of art elaborated by the Divine Artist. You are a masterpiece coming forth from the divine hands.
If they say that this world is sown with wonders, the greatest wonder is you, bearer of the divine breath making you an immortal. There is only one thing you need: to launch yourself headlong into the powerful and loving arms of the beloved Father with an amen, happy as you are, content with being as you are, and above all else a friend of yourself. Never forget that we are the breath and fragrance of God.
Extracted from the book The Forces of Decadence by Fr. Ignacio Larrañaga
