Very commonly, the sentences “All praise and glory to God / His Name!” and “To God be the glory” are used! You see them all the time in social media posts. In television dramas and programs, they are in the end credits, even there are no values the viewers can learn in some of them, and they actually teach premarital sex or adultery. These sentences have a deep meaning, but it can be overused, and are said just to say so. But the message is not comprehended, and is seen in an inappropriate context.
We must appropriately say these sentences of glorifying God when what we are doing is — as in the quote of Saint Teresa of Jesus (widely known as Saint Teresa of Avila) — for the sake of God, and not OUR sake. You see, the problem with some people who use these as expressions is that they are usually said not for God’s sake, but for their own physical image or material benefit. They put these words as the caption for their pictures showing off their new stuffs and pleasures, and even their food in the restaurants. But do those material pleasures for God’s sake or their own, and do they glorify Him?
Doing God’s sake is doing good acts of Charity to bring God’s love into the world and sharing the love to others. How can we know if our deeds are glorifying God, and not glorifying ourselves; not for our own, but for God’s sake? These verses tell us about Charity, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?” (Matthew 25:44). Jesus then responded, “Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me” (Matthew 25:45). And such Charity begins in our own family, by serving them, praying for them, being kind to them, even it’s challenging to do so because they hurt or forgot us. But it doesn’t end in that, because it extends to people who are harder to love, including the poor, and those who suffer from horrible diseases. We should ask ourselves, ‘Does my deed help the poor and the needy?’ ‘Am I a good example for other Catholics?’ ‘Do people learn God’s ways with my way of life that other people see?’ ‘Does showing off or bragging my material things glorify God, bring love to others, console the poor and the sick?’ ‘If people see my photos, and my post, does this bring my family, friends, and other souls closer to God, worthy of entering Heaven when we die?’
Let us take a look inside ourselves if other people feel the love of God with how we live, what we show them, and what we write and say. And let us ask Saint Teresa of Avila, a beloved Carmelite and Doctor of the Church, to help us think and act for the sake of the glory of God.
Prayer to Saint Teresa of Avila
(written by Saint Alphonsus Liguori)
O Saint Teresa, seraphic Virgin, beloved spouse of thy crucified Lord, thou who on earth didst burn with a love so intense toward thy God and my God, and now dost glow with a brighter and purer flame in paradise: obtain for me also, I beseech thee, a spark of that same holy fire which shall cause me to forget the world, all things created, and even myself; for thou didst ever avidly desire to see Him loved by all men. Grant that my every thought and desire and affection may be continually directed to doing the will of God, the supreme Good, whether I am in joy or in pain, for He is worthy to be loved and obeyed forever. Obtain for me this grace, thou who art so powerful with God; may I be all on fire, like thee, with the holy love of God. Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
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