Remain in Me and I in You: Relating to God as a Person, Not an Idea
by Fr. Wayne Sattler
Published by Sophia Institute Press
Why did God Make You?
Many people will remember the traditional Catechism question: “Why did God make you?” and the answer: “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to Serve Him in this life, and be happy with Him forever in Heaven.” (BC Lesson 1, Q 6) It is simple to memorize and understand the question and its answer. It is also comforting to know simple the reason for our existence, and our ultimate destination if we prepare well for it.
In Fr. Wayne Sattler’s new book, Remain in Me and I in You: Relating to God as a Person, Not an Idea, he clearly and masterfully lays out how we can truly know, love, and serve God. I admit that, at times, I thought I was being a “good Catholic” by checking off the boxes: Sunday Mass, regular Confession, daily Rosary, etc. Going through the motions or checking boxes is simply not enough. This book, however, challenged me to consider how well I was nurturing and tending to my personal relationship with God – the most important relationship I would have in this world and the next!
The Format of this Book
This book is based off of Fr. Sattler’s retreats, classes, and parish missions. Fr. Sattler brings a rich and deep perspective to his work from his experience a diocesan hermit. His writing is clear, relatable, and inspiring. I love the simple premise of this book. It is made up of an introduction and 3 parts:
Part 1: Knowing God
Part 2: Loving God
Part 3: Serving God
Practical and Prayerful Tips for Knowing, Loving, and Serving God
Each part of the book is then further divided into sections related to each theme.
Knowing God
Fr. Sattler first explains that in order to know God, we must speak with Him. Of course, prayer is the way we speak to God. Quoting the saints, scripture, and the catechism, Fr. Sattler walks the reader through Vocal Prayer, Meditation, and Contemplative Prayer. His explanation and instruction on Contemplative Prayer was like nothing I had ever heard before, and I think I meditated on this part of the book alone for a week before moving on to the next section.
Loving God
In the next section, Fr. Sattler discusses how to love God. He defined what love is, the different forms of love, and the ultimate loving encounter with God in the Eucharist. This part really made me reflect on how I am preparing for Mass, and, particularly, how I prepare to receive the Eucharist each time. I particularly loved this quote:
“Let us never lose sight of what God is doing in the celebration of Holy Mass. Regardless of how we might feel about the music, homily, the priest, the parish, we must strive to keep our eyes open to see how the Bridegroom just laid down His life to sanctify us.” pg. 71
and this one:
“It is beyond our strength to have a pure heart. It is the work of God to even inspire in us a desire for Him to purify our heart now. Loving God then ultimately consists in allowing Him to love out of me all this is not of Him.” pg. 75
Serving God
The last section is how we can truly serve God. Fr. Sattler says, “Serving God is what happens when we are Knowing God and Loving God, for then we will want to be where He is.” pg. 83 He then walks the reader through practical steps and spiritual guidance to help us come to be where Jesus is, and how we can experience the fullness of God’s love.
Final Thoughts
This book looks deceivingly simple, but is actually very deep and lead me to much fruitful contemplation. It is a book I will revisit in the future. I think it would be very helpful to re-read in times of spiritual dryness. The scripture, prayers, quotes from saints, and spiritual direction throughout the book are clear and doable. I highly recommend this book where Fr. Sattler shares his wisdom and instruction for knowing, loving, and serving God to the very best of our ability.