Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

I just watched a video clip of Benjamin Zander, a musical conductor, on possibilities. It is very inspiring, full of meaningful quotes and beautiful music.

Watch it here.




Benjamin mentioned that Bach at the end of his music pieces, always noted "AMDG", For The Greater Glory Of God. Benjamin called it : possibilities. He said that we have to see ourselves as a big marble stone, which has to be carved to create a masterpiece sculpture. Every one has the possibilities ( "No one is tone deaf"). Well said! We are created in God's image and by His breath. God's plan for us is HUGE (i.e. big stone, possibilities). Then it is up to us to realize the potentials. Always strive for the GREATER glory of God.


Of course this reminds me on the Ignatian's First Principle and Foundation:


Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God Our Lord and by this means to save his soul.

Other things are created for human beings in order to help them pursue the end for which they are created.

Thus one must use other created things in so far as they help towards one’s end, and free oneself from them in so far as they are obstacles to one’s end.

To do this we need to make ourselves indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice and there is no prohibition.


Thus as far as we are concerned, we should not want
health more than illness,
wealth more than poverty,
fame more than disgrace,
a long life more than a short one,
and similarly for all the rest,
but we should desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created.


Modern interpretation (as paraphrased by David L. Fleming S.J.):

The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily.

As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons. But if any of these gifts becomes the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in a balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening his life in me.

Carpe diem!