Acts of praise and devotion

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) wrote some of the world’s most beautiful music, and nearly all of his compositions were for use in church. He spent his career as a church organist and choir director in various churches in his native Germany. He believed that the Word of God could most effectively penetrate the human soul via the ear as it listened to heavenly music. For Bach, the work of creating music was not just a form of creative expression, but also an act of praise and devotion. He began his composition by writing at the top of the page In Nomine Jesu (“in the name of Jesus”) and at the end of the composition he would write Solo Dei Gloria (“to God alone be the glory”). When I was a student in Catholic elementary school, we would sign at the top our homework page “JMJ”, Jesus Mary Joseph, to ask the Holy Family to make holy the work that we were doing. What if we made the work that we do an act of praise and devotion? Perhaps we could offer up the work that we do – running our business, taking care of an elderly family member, completing our lessons for school – as acts of praise and devotion. Maybe our work, too, like the music of Bach, will turn the hearts of people around us to God, in whom alone is the glory. - - - Fr. Jim