AMDG – For When the Will to Study Is Lacking
There is a beautiful Jesuit tradition of students writing the initials 'AMDG' on top of their pages as a reminder to dedicate their schoolwork to God. Ad majórem Dei glóriam means 'For the greater glory of God'. It is a simple practice and admittedly many a student likely wrote it out of habit rather than contemplating the gravity of such a dedication, but it is a practice I have come to treasure immensely as a homeschooling mother.
My children, like most, enjoy some parts of their studies more than others. The parts that they enjoy come easily to them and they are often able to complete tasks with very little complaint. The parts that they do not enjoy, however, requires a great exercise of their will. It is here that ADMG gives them a fuel that I cannot explain in earthly terms. It moves a part of their will that I believe is unique to them as Christian children, nurtured through a sacramental life and one simple practice they have grown to love - befriending the Saints.
Bedtime almost always includes a story of a saint. Difficult moments throughout the day are often met with reminders of how a particular saint responded in similar circumstances. The practice of “offering it up” is encouraged by invoking a saint’s help, and the stories of the martyrs are told and retold, making their own trials seem lighter to bear. We do this because saints are people who reached the sublime heights of sanctity by giving their all to God, for His Glory, not their own. With God as their destination and prize, it was Him upon which their gazes were constantly fixed, especially in moments of trial.
For a child, this is one of the most powerful ways of stirring up the will when the going gets tough. When things are painful to self-love, as some aspects of study can be, I remind them that their conduct in undertaking such tasks is the measure of their love for God, as St Alphonsus often said. "Do it for Jesus, not for you or for me" always ignites a little spark in their low kindled spirits. It does not make the task any easier, but it gives it a spiritual purpose. Their ordinary course work becomes a little gift to the Christ Child. Suddenly, the moaning quietens and heads bow down to work. I have noticed extra care is also taken with their handwriting in such moments because the Child Jesus deserves not just their perseverance in work, but a beautiful piece of work. At times, I remind them that in the spiritual battle, the enemy would prefer children not apply themselves to reading and writing, for who knows if one day they might grow to proclaim Christ through the written word? The perseverance of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and Blessed Dominic Barberi in their own studies gives my children strength to take up their pencils with a certain spiritual intent.
Enjoyment may not always join them, but the task gets completed and a sense of purpose fills their breast. It is here that my children finish their work with the initials 'LDS' Laus Deo Semper (Praise be to God Forever) in recognition that though they laboured to overcome their self-love, it was only by the Grace of God that they were able to do so, and for that, all praise is truly His, forever.
I B Hutchinson