Entheos
Have you ever felt possessed by something? Words alone cannot explain the sensation, but many have tried to achieve that state of being. Some by being pumped with adrenaline in playing a sport, drug induced states, religious ecstasy, or in the pursuit of some greater goal.
Enthusiasm - derived from the Greek work “entheos” means to be filled with the spirit of God. Perhaps it is the very search for the spirit of God that people are trying to supplement; the search for purpose and passion.
Music has always captivated me. The sound freezes my every thought and movement, drawing me in, until I snap out of immersion. I don't believe that the individual gets to pick what interests him, rather the passion beckons him; his choice now is whether or not to pursue the call.
The call of music bypasses thought, it skips right through to the brain’s emotion center. Straight to the heart, it grips you. If you train your ear, it becomes easier to recognize the voice as it speaks to you. Creativity and the search for ideas, requires observing the scenes as they unfold in the theatre of your imagination.
Imagination is not born of nothing, it's an epiphany revealed to those who pay close attention. The same can be said about prayer and revelation. It requires genuine humility to genuinely ask and listen. "Ask, and it shall be revealed to you" (Mt, 7:7)
People experience enthusiasm in relation to a goal. The more one practices, improves and progresses closer to his goal, the happier he is. Once he has achieved his goal, he is satisfied momentarily before he seeks to pursue some greater thing. Because satiety is not what piques enthusiasm, it's the journey. Just as he reaches his greatest achievement, he will see that the world has gotten wider and there is no limit to what the next joy may be. The state he is in is good, but if he continues to work it only gets better.
Heaven itself is the continuous upward pursuit, with no limit to the greatest joy. Each person will experience it in proportion to how much he pursued God’s love.
The angels in closest proximity to God are the Seraphim. This choir of angels sings endless praise to God. They are the happiest in all of Heaven because of such. Like a master pursues his artistry, we ought to pursue God with great diligence. “ We have to dance to show God we are grateful to be alive.” (Jojo Rabbit)
Listen carefully to the call. Pursue with great diligence, like David and dance with all your might. Share your God-given talent in praise and thanksgiving, just as you share in the spirit. Always work upwards with fiery passion and great love, that in all things God may be glorified.
Ma. Lucia Reyes was the founder and president of the AHVA Youth Committee for 3 years. She is a sophomore in Enderun Colleges where she worked as the events head for the schools Culinary organization, Culinaire and is the current marketing head for the Lux Lucis, the schools scholar organization. She volunteers at Read4Phil, a non profit organization promoting literacy for grade school children in poor urban communities. She is currently running @Chowbella_ph, a home-based bakery. Lucia was raised with a strong religious background, having attended 2 Opus Dei schools. She is passionate about the humanities, particularly literature, playing the piano, and film.