Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - All For the Greater Glory of God
"Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam."
All for the greater glory of God...
This is a simple reminder to find God in all things and it was a favorite saying of St. Ignatius of Loyola whose Feast Day is today.
I have a certain fondness for Ignatius. I went to a Jesuit University for grad school and my son went to a Jesuit grade school and high school. I like to think these fine institutions played a major part in his formation. Certainly he forged life long friendships within them...
This summer has been filled with the mundane - many unexpected house repairs changed the expectation I had of a lazy summer of reading and some travel. Instead, I have had to stay put, and be flexible to whatever the moment offers and to whenever contractors can come do the needed work. And while I would have preferred to simply have been a contemplative all summer, Ignatius reminds me to find contemplation in action.
Things rarely go the way we want or expect. Yet, to offer everything for the greater glory of God implies a level of detachment that is necessary for the soul to evolve and for us to grow...
I think today, of a family that lost their 13 year old son to brain cancer yesterday. I had been praying for this boy, but mostly for his family and friends. How difficult it is to see and comprehend the greater glory of God in all of this.
This morning on my walk, I reflected on the wise insights of a dear friend, with whom I've spent a lot of time sharing this summer. She noted, that very few relationships in life, especially those closest to us, are truly ones of deep connection - but that in so being - they offer us a great opportunity for growth.
And so I thought to myself, that it is far better to embrace the lessons we are given in disconnection and challenges and their embodiment in relationships - with grace - than to refuse them or endure them as a burden.
Today, on this feast day for St Ignatius, I am reminded once again, to embrace everything, for the greater glory of God, in every little thing - and every major disturbance that comes my way...
All for the greater glory of God...
This is a simple reminder to find God in all things and it was a favorite saying of St. Ignatius of Loyola whose Feast Day is today.
I have a certain fondness for Ignatius. I went to a Jesuit University for grad school and my son went to a Jesuit grade school and high school. I like to think these fine institutions played a major part in his formation. Certainly he forged life long friendships within them...
This summer has been filled with the mundane - many unexpected house repairs changed the expectation I had of a lazy summer of reading and some travel. Instead, I have had to stay put, and be flexible to whatever the moment offers and to whenever contractors can come do the needed work. And while I would have preferred to simply have been a contemplative all summer, Ignatius reminds me to find contemplation in action.
Things rarely go the way we want or expect. Yet, to offer everything for the greater glory of God implies a level of detachment that is necessary for the soul to evolve and for us to grow...
I think today, of a family that lost their 13 year old son to brain cancer yesterday. I had been praying for this boy, but mostly for his family and friends. How difficult it is to see and comprehend the greater glory of God in all of this.
This morning on my walk, I reflected on the wise insights of a dear friend, with whom I've spent a lot of time sharing this summer. She noted, that very few relationships in life, especially those closest to us, are truly ones of deep connection - but that in so being - they offer us a great opportunity for growth.
And so I thought to myself, that it is far better to embrace the lessons we are given in disconnection and challenges and their embodiment in relationships - with grace - than to refuse them or endure them as a burden.
Today, on this feast day for St Ignatius, I am reminded once again, to embrace everything, for the greater glory of God, in every little thing - and every major disturbance that comes my way...
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