When the
indivisible Trinity willed eternally and undividedly the existence of beings
able to receive God, to have part in his delight, gladness, peace, joy, then
the Trinity created from nothing the rational mind made in God’s image. The
very fact of creation from nothing, the truth of—as I’ve already
mentioned—God’s perfectly gratuitous generosity makes nonsense of the notion
that some have had of a certain compulsion inherent in his nature that could
not be put to rest. Creation certainly is an effect of his natural goodness,
but only because he wills it. Blessed, no less, the Being that demands doing
good. Does not he who is compelled to do the good deeds demanded by the
goodness of his own nature do them gratuitously and freely?
By recognizing the gratuitousness of our coming into existence, we can we understand the fullness of God’s creative love. By knowing that our existence is a totally free and gratuitous act of God, we can begin to appreciate that we are complete only in God; that we are destined only for God; that we need nothing but God.