magis

The Jesuits use the word magis when they talk about "the more." We need to do "the more" in service of one another. We need to be "the more" for our friends, for our family, in our work, for ourselves. It is an endless process, a goal that moves further away from us the longer we travel on the path towards it. When I was in college, to be a part of the Magis program, you had to be involved in the life of the school in a variety of ways. To fully embrace magis is to embrace love--love of life, love of other, love of the world, love of self. To strive for "the more" means to know that there will be failure, and that's ok (this is a tough one for me!). In striving for "the more" you will fall short sometimes, but you will go further than you would otherwise.

When I strive for "the more," I get overwhelmed. I predict failure and wish I'd chosen to strive for "the average." But then I get through, I come out the other side, and I realize that there has been growth. This week, I covered for a teacher who is out dealing with a family emergency. I volunteered to take on her courseload, not thinking of "the more," but simply thinking that someone had to pitch in, so why not me. It was far from a perfect week. I didn't do it all right, and in fact, there are some things I did wrong. But there were lessons; lessons about when to use humor and when to be strict, lessons about time management and about confidence. I know at least 50 more student names than I did a week ago right now, which means that 50 more students get greeted by name in the hallway.

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
For the greater glory of God.