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and have good will to do with great fervour, care and diligence
these Spiritual Exercises.
I did this Meditation on my knees for an hour and, as it is
the first one, with enthusiasm; the few distractions I had were
passing ones. I ended the Meditation with a great eagerness

to do everything well.

SECOND MEDITATION. Man’s last end. In this Meditation I
have come to know what I am, that is, nothing at all. This has
made me realize how contrary to the truth my thoughts of pride
are since what I have of my own is just nothingness; if I do
have anything, that too is a pure gift of God and so all honour
and glory is due to him alone. I realized that since I was
created by God, he alone should be my Lord, him alone I
should serve with fidelity and love because he is my first
beginning and my last end. I was ashamed to see how poorly I
have responded to this aim for which I was created, and that
irrational beings serve God and glorify Him better than I do.

Resolutions: In all my actions to seek nothing except
God, and never to complain of anything.

I did this Meditation walking about for ¾ of an hour, with
little emotion but also, I trust, with few distractions. I had two
temptations in it: one was that I felt bored; this exercise
seemed too burdensome; the other because it crossed my
mind that I had better not write anything about this Meditation
lest I should not be sincere.

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