“Ignatius and Jesuit Education”…HW
• HW: read handout “Ignatius and the Jesuit Tradition of
Education” for next class…
• Write a one page typed essay (not half a page…) answering
these questions (due Wednesday/Thursday):
• “How does the mission statement at Xavier follow these
ideals?” How do we, as students at Xavier, follow these
ideals? Cite specific examples of your experience!
You must:
• A. read Xavier’s mission statement (found on the Xavier High
School website).
• B. reference Xavier’s mission statement directly in your essay.
Ignatius and Jesuit Education
•
•
•
•
Three main ideals:
1. Spirituality
2. Studies
3. Service
• These three ideals are all
components of our
definition of a disciple…
A disciple is…
• “a student in
communion with
others, striving for a
close relationship with
God, and one who is
called and given the
courage to serve…”
• How does Ignatius
embody this definition?
Ignatius and Jesuit Education:
“Spirituality”
• Spiritual Exercises =
designed for others
to discern God’s
will…
• Ignatian
Pedagogical
Paradigm: context,
experience,
reflection, action,
and evaluation
Ignatius and Jesuit Education:
“Spirituality”
• “1st Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises:”
• The goal of our life = live with God…
• Out of love, God gave us life…created us!
• All things are gifts from God…so that we can know God more
easily…
• And give love to others more readily… freely choose to give love!
1st Principle and Foundation…
• “we must make ourselves indifferent to all
created things…we should not prefer health to
sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor,
a long life to a short life. The same holds for
all other things...”
• Another component to consider:
INDIFFERENCE…what does this mean?
Indifference…
• Key Ignatian spiritual concept meaning:
Not the idea of not caring…
It is unbiased and impartial…
Not bound to things…not living for the means, but
rather for the END GOAL!
Indifference…
• If we are indifferent, then we have real freedom, because we
are able to choose those things which will lead us to serve the
Lord best, which is the end goal!
• Indifference leads to making choices for the greater good, and
not for our individual goods = MAGIS! (striving for “the more”
= more love…)
Ignatius and Jesuit Education:
“Spirituality”
“Finding God in all things…”
• Both transcendent and
immanent
understanding of the
divine…
• Where can we derive this
belief from?
• Creation God is
pleased… all if is good…
then created in the
image and likeness of
God…
• And we must love and
care for all!
Ignatius and Jesuit Education:
“Studies”
• Rigorous course of
academic study
• Well-formed
thinkers…future leaders!
• Strive for excellence…
• JSEA: open to growth,
loving, religious,
intellectually competent,
committed to doing
justice
• Well – formed = “Cura
Personalis”…what does
this mean?
“Cura Personalis: A key Ignatian Ideal”
• Means the “care of the
individual person”…
• Calls for personal
relationships…
• …WE can learn from you, the
student, just as you can learn
from us!!
• Attention to the unique needs
of others, circumstances,
concerns, and the respect of
all the different/diverse gifts
one may have…
• And the call to
cultivate/enhance those gifts
and talents…
Ignatius and Jesuit Education:
“Service”
• “for the greater glory of
God…AMDG!”
• “MAGIS” = means the
more…strive to be more
than ordinary and willed
to love others!
• “love ought to manifest
itself more by deeds than
by words…”
• What does this mean?
What are we called to do?
To conclude...
• Why is love so important?
• How does love fit into the themes of Ignatian
Education and thought?
• How are we called to love? What do we love?
Pedro Arrupe… “Falling in Love”
St Ignatius of Loyola
• The life of a disciple of Christ is a
pilgrimage journey that requires
constant efforts at:
1. Renewal
2. Transformation
3. Conversion
St Ignatius of Loyola
• “renewal, transformation, conversion…”
– Why must we have constant renewal?
– Always being distorted by external world
• Example of modern renewal?
– Examples…
• Communal Mass
• Personal Penance
• As Christians this is what we are called to do:
1.Enter a new life, identity, to become part of the new covenant
2.Enter a new relationship with God
• Which sacraments give us
• this ability?
St Ignatius of Loyola
• “a disciple of Christ is on a
pilgrimage journey…”
– Identifies that discipleship,
following Christ, is an
ongoing process that is
developed throughout our
lives, experience, and
choices
• It is something that is
lived out through
reflecting on our
Christian virtues!!
St Ignatius of Loyola
• “it requires constant effort ...”
– This journey and life is not easily lived
– If lived, demands a conscientious choice with a
strong conviction to walk this road
– We are called to habitually incorporate this into
our full life = remember VIRTUE formation!!
• Where have we seen this already in past
individuals we have studied?
St Ignatius of Loyola
• If Ignatius believed discipleship was
a journey, then he believed he was
a pilgrim…
– What would guide this pilgrim’s
way?
• Ignatius= a Pilgrim… guided by the
Jesus of the Gospels = the Incarnate
Christ!!
• Common theme of all ppl we have
studied = the Incarnation
• Why?
• Meaning of the Incarnation?