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MOTHER IGNACIA’S WAY OF LIFE (CARDINAL AND
THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES)
An excerpt from the Decretum Super Virtutibus
that says:“Through an accurate report by the
Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation, the Holy
Father, Pope Benedict XVI was dutifully informed
by the Cause (of the Servant of God, Mother
Ignacia del Espiritu Santo).
His Holiness, accepting and ratifying the said
report declared on this day, (July 7, 2007) that
“Servant of God, Ignacia del Espiritu Santo,
Foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, is found to possess a
heroic degree the theological virtues of Faith,
Hope and Charity toward God and neighbor, as
well as the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice,
Temperance and Fortitude.”
Faith / Prophetic Witness to Gospel Values
Living a life of joyful service, Mother Ignacia
recognized how God acted in and through people
and events. (1726 rules I.35, 48; III.1)
Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1803-1813)
"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any
excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things."
A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do
well. It allows the person not only to perform
good acts but to give the best of himself. The
virtuous person tends toward the good with all
his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the
good and chooses it in concrete actions.
The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God
HUMAN VIRTUES
Human virtues are firm attitudes, stable
dispositions, and habitual perfections of intellect
and will that govern our actions, order our
passions, and guide our conduct according to
reason and faith. They make possible ease,
selfmastery, and joy in leading a morally good life.
The virtuous man is he who freely practices the
good.
Moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They
are the fruit and seed of morally good acts; they
dispose of all the powers of the human being for
communion with divine love.
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CARDINAL VIRTUES
Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly
are called "cardinal"; all the others are grouped
around them. They are prudence, justice,
fortitude, and temperance. "If anyone loves
righteousness, [Wisdom's] labors are virtues; for
she teaches temperance and prudence, justice,
and courage." These virtues are praised under
other names in many passages of Scripture.
The human virtues are rooted in the theological
virtues, which adapt man's faculties for
participation in the divine nature: for the
theological virtues relate directly to God. They
dispose Christians to live in a relationship with
the Holy Trinity. They have the One and Triune
God for their origin, motive, and object.
THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES
The theological virtues are the foundation of
Christian moral activity; they animate it and give
it its special character. They inform and give life
to all the moral virtues. They are infused by God
into the souls of the faithful to make them
capable of acting as his children and of meriting
eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence
and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the
human being. There are three theological virtues:
faith, hope, and charity.
Faith, hope, and love are theological virtues that
activate our Christian living. They arise from
God’s free gift and are directed immediately
toward God. “In the end, three things last: faith,
hope and love; and the greatest of these is love”
(1 Cor 13:13). These virtues dispose us to live in
relationship to God. Prudence, justice, fortitude
and temperance manifest our communion with
the divine love and guide our relationship as
members of the Church.
The theological virtues are the foundation of
Christian moral activity. They are infused by God
into the souls of the faithful to make them
capable of acting as his children and of meriting
eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence
and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the
human being.
Moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They
are the fruit and seed of morally good acts. Four
moral virtues (cf. Wis 8:7) are considered
cardinal:
Prudence is the virtue that disposes of practical
reason to discern our true good in every
circumstance and to choose the right means of
achieving it.
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Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the
constant and firm will to give their due to God
and neighbor.
Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and
constancy in the pursuit of the good.
Temperance moderates the attraction of the
pleasures of the sense and provides balance in
the use of created goods.
Our Christian moral life is sustained by the gifts of
the
Holy
Spirit:
wisdom,
knowledge,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear
of the Lord. Peace and compassion are fruits of
charity.
Truth is uprightness in human action and speech.
It is a virtue that consists in showing oneself true
in deeds and truthful in words and in guarding
against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
Related to truth is the value of integrity,
consistency in word and action, faith, and life.
Peace is the tranquility of order, the work of
justice, and the effect of charity.
By revelation, God, from the fullness of His love,
addresses us as friends and moves among us in
order to invite all into His Company. The
adequate response to this invitation is faith,
whereby a person completely submits his
intellect and will to God.
THEOLOGICAL AND CARDINAL VIRTUES IN THE
LIFE OF MOTHER IGNACIA
Mother Ignacia received the gift of faith during
her baptism at the Church of the Holy Kings in the
fifth Parian de Chinos. As with other yndias of her
times, this faith gradually matured, nurtured by
the Sacraments, teachings, practices, and
devotions inculcated by the zealous missionaries
and a pious mother. The growing child's faith
manifested itself in the ordinary
Christian observances in the context of parochial
activities. It was only when Ignacia was 21 years
old, and her parents began to plan seriously for
her future in terms of marriage, that the level of
maturity in faith of this simple yndia manifested
itself. Her life's aspiration was to live solely for her
God. She was not sure how or where, but that
was her heart's desire. It was faith that prompted
her posture of discernment, that she sought the
will of God for her. And God led her steps to a
mentor in discernment, the son of Ignatius at the
Colegio de San Jose. Paul Klein saw her soul the
prepared ground for the Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius, and put her through the process of
discerning the will of God for her. Her retreat
experience is shrouded in mystery. We only know
that during that time God "inspired her to remain
in the service of His Majesty," and her response
was one great leap of faith: "to live by the sweat
of her brow." With one act of the will she placed
her life in the hands of the 'Divine Majesty.'
Colonial policy dictated that no institution could
be established unless it proved financial stability,
or at least indicated its source of income so that
it does not become a burden to the Royal
Treasury. What presumption for this lowly yndia
to set out on her own. Perhaps her vision did not
include an institution; and by herself, her needle
and pair of scissors would be adequate,
supported by her trust in Divine Providence. Still
it was her faith that gave courage to do the will of
the Father, whatever that would entail. It was this
faith that allowed her to accept the coming of
other women like her, seeking to serve the Lord
in chastity, poverty and obedience, and not to
panic at the thought of additional mouths to
feed. It was heroic faith to trust that as long as
they did all they could, His Providence will supply
their needs. She harnessed her indigenous
resourcefulness to make ends meet, and believed
that God will do the rest. When the women kept
coming, she was practical enough to call a stop to
admission, only until she had the means to
enlarge the house. And the means came: Don
Jose lgnacio de Bertis (Vertis) willed a legacy of
three hundred pesos annually for the support of
the retreat ministry. But this was only in 1725; the
forty-one years since she cast lot with the Lord
were years of light and shadows: consolations
and trials, in the midst of which she urged her
community to "bear their sacrifices in order to
draw down God's mercy on them."
This unschooled yndia led her members to assist
the Jesuit missionaries in facilitating the retreat
of women by the hundreds, from all strata of
colonial society, and then to open the doors of
her beaterio to little children to be educated in
basic doctrine and literacy. It was faith that made
her accept the role God entrusted to her, of
providing a place where women of her race could
serve His Majesty in a life of the evangelical
counsels, to prepare a set of Rules and
Constitutions to preserve the legacy of spirituality
that was revealed to her in her search for the
service of the Divine Majesty. From her faith grew
the other virtues that drew the admiration of her
biographer, who until then, had only disdain for
the lowly yndio: humility, zeal for souls.....It was
from faith that sprung up hope, and love, and
temperance, justice, prudence and fortitude. The
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crowning of Ignacia's faith came in the early
morning Mass of September 10, 1748, when the
God to whom she gave her life in His turn gave
her life — EVERLASTING.
Spiritual Exercises and spiritual direction she
underwent a serious discernment, abandoning
herself to the bounty of God. Having arrived at
her decision, she pursued this up to the end."
"HOPE is the theological virtue by which we
desire and await that God will grant us life eternal
for our happiness, placing our faith in the
promises of Christ and our expectation in the
grace of the Holy Spirit to merit and persevere
until the end.." (Translation from the Compendio
del Catechismo della Chiesa Catholica, p.387)
The test to Ignacia's HOPE will run through her
lifetime and beyond. Because of her decision not
to depend on her family's resources but to "live
by the sweat of her brow," she and the other
native women who joined her in a common
search for the life of perfection, had to live in
"extreme poverty." She and her companions
clung to the hope that the Father will provide, but
at the same time they had to work for their living.
Theirs was the delicate balance between native
industry and resourcefulness, and complete trust
in Divine Providence. Further, the same
theologian continues, "Her firm hope in God
urged her to labor with great insistence that was
sustained in the facE of the difficulties before
her."
"The Servant of God had great hope..." These
words are applied to our Mother in the process
of the deliberation of the Congress of
Theologians in Rome.
The record of the first adult aspirations of the
Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, to dedicate
her life to a closer following of Christ in a religious
community, reflected this disposition: the
expectation to be acceptable to God even as an
Yndia one generation after the colony's
conversion to the faith. The resolution by which
she responded to the charism she received
during her retreat underscores the virtue of hope
that formed one of the fundamental dispositions
of her spiritual life.
"There, (during the course of her retreat) God
inspired her to remain in the service of His
Majesty." This was the gift the Lord granted her
for the service of His people: the -Ls& for her
vocation. Ignacia's response to the initiative of
God was unique in the Church as well as in her
times. Women in Europe as well as in the colony
needed the protection of father or husband in
society. Fiscal stability was required of any social
initiative. But Ignacia was not an espaflola. In her
veins run the blood of two cultures with a
different set of social values: The Chinese valued
industry and hard work; the yndio,
resourcefulness and self sacrifice. In answer to
the invitation to "remain in the service of His
Majesty," lgnacia "resolved to live by the sweat of
her brow," although she had parents who could
decently support her. And from her home she
brought her sewing kit, representing her skills by
which she would earn her keep. Her faith made
her recognize God's invitation, her hope
prompted her to "cast off into the deep" with a
pair of scissors and her needle. Thus, another
theologian said: "The decision to dedicate herself
to God in 1684 was fruit of an act of hope. By the
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CHARITY (Paul 1 Cor.13:-7) "Love is always patient
and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful
or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not
take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no
pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the
truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to
hope, and to endure whatever comes."
"She spent her life loving God and serving Him in
the hope of eternal joys, which she longed for.
She loved her neighbour, sharing her material
goods with the poor and thus worked with
apostolic zeal for the salvation of souls." (Decree
on Virtues.)
The practice of the theological virtue of CHARITY
in the life of Mother Ignacia became the hallmark
not only of her person, but was faithfully
embraced and passed on to generations to come
of her religious family. In the lifetime of the
Servant of God her biographer recorded the
distinguishing mark of the foundational
community that made them an exemplar of
virtue in the colonial community by their
devotion, humility, assiduity at work, and in the
Spiritual Exercises.
PRUDENCE: is the virtue that disposes reason to
discern our true good in every circumstance, and
to choose the right means of achieving it. It
guides the judgment of conscience. “Test the
spirit to see whether they belong to God."(1 John
4:1)
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For one steadily growing in spiritual maturity,
there is the disposition to transcend the resolve
to be/do good, and to aspire for what is better.
From the record of Mother Ignacia's decisions as
an adult Christian, one sees the exercise towards
what is better, great, more: in what St. lgnatius
referred to as the magis option. This option she
applied to almost every aspect of the life of the
foundational community, to become embedded
in the spiritual legacy of the religious family she
gave life to.
The initial concept of consecrated life as
envisioned by the young Ignacia included a life of
austerity expressed in acts of penance and
physical mortification. Her biographer noted that
she and her early followers practiced severe acts
of penance that they learned from the lives of
saints, spent long hours of prayer that sometimes
deprived them of the necessary rest at night, to
the point that most of them succumbed to illness.
It was the virtue of prudence that enlightened
these well- intentioned women to perceive that
the "service of His Majesty" called for apostolic
action which would be hindered by the physical
disability that resulted from their extreme
penances. When the Rules of 1726 was designed,
prudence dictated that moderation in the
practice of physical penances in the lifestyle of
the foundational community, else the members
be rendered incapable of the ministry to which
they were called. "In mortification and corporal
penances they should observe moderation,
discretion and temperance in order to preserve
their good habits while the body is still strong.
The Spanish proverb “walk a step in order to last'
should encourage the beatas not to be indiscreet
in her corporal austerity which results in the
weakening of the body." (1726.1:7.) Prudence
likewise dictated that interaction with "secular
persons" be regulated in order that the wiles of
worldliness not dilute the religious fervor of the
beatas, all for the greater service of God.
JUSTICE is the moral virtue that consists in the
constant and firm will to give their due to God
and neighbor: 'render to Caesar what belongs to
Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.'
(Mk.12:17)
From Mother Ignacia's life story we see reflected
the virtue of justice that lay at the source of her
decisions. Filial devotion would have been served
in aligning herself with her parents' decision
regarding the disposition of her life in marriage;
but to pursue that inspiration to dedicate her
whole being to the service of the Divine Majesty
was to render to God what God desired of her.
Shepherding her first community to serve God in
chastity, poverty and obedience she upheld the
right of a colonized and evangelized people,
women, no less, to the pursuit of religious
perfection,
just as much as anyone in the colony and in the
Church. That same sense of justice gave birth to
a religious family consisting of only one level of
membership, regardless
of
race
or
social distinction, as well as an apostolic
service that did not
discriminate
between
the EspaioIa and the Yndia, the
'haves' and the' have-nots.' And in the light of
social of the period, this constituted a challenge
that
only
this
'valiant woman'
only an yndia, responded to heroically. This
posture of justice the Venerable lgnacia carried
throughout her 85 years, to her last breath,
rendering to her God what belonged to Him,
namely, her whole being.
TEMPERANCE is the moral virtue that moderates
the attraction of pleasures, and provides balance
in the use of created goods. It ensures the
mastery of the will over instincts, and regulates
desires within the limits of what is honorable.
The cross had become central in the spiritual
legacy of Mother Ignacia. Murillo Velarde used
very specific words to describe the ascetical
practices exercised by the Servant of God, and
how her first community emulated her example,
to the detriment of the health of the members.
For Mother Ignacia, temperance was not limited
to foregoing pleasure, but even to chose what
went against the grain, to the practice of
penances and mortification "in order to draw
down God's mercy upon them." However,
motivated by the greater glory and service of
God, she learned to exercise temperance even in
her desire for self-sacrifice, and legislated that
these ascetical practices be regulated by the
primary motivation of anyone who wished to live
the life: the greater service of God. Reflections
related to the practice of the virtue of Prudence
may likewise he applied to the practice of virtue
of temperance.
FORTITUDE is the moral virtue that ensures
firmness in the face of difficulties and constancy
in the pursuit of good, strengthening the resolve
to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles
in the moral life.
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The Decree on Mother Ignacia's heroic virtues
further states: "In various occasions she proved
herself to be a 'woman of strength.' This was
proven by her prudent and long-suffering spirit in
the face of all the problems she encountered
from the beginning until the completion of her
work for the institute: 'desde el cimiento hasta ci
capitel." The obstacles were many, within the
context of the social, cultural and historical
environment of her times. With humble and
persevering fortitude she made a place for the
yndia to serve God in Chastity, Poverty and
Obedience. Her option was poverty, instead of
security that her family could have afforded her,
to "live by the sweat of her brow" with only her
sewing kit brought from home. Her exhortation
to her early followers was to "bear their
hardships and acts of penance in order to draw
down God's mercy upon their endeavors." She
was truly the "valiant woman" of Scriptures.
MOTHER
IGNACIA’S
OF
THE BEATITUDES
LIVING OUT
The Church as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, is
bound together in faith, love and communion
with the Triune God and of one another. The
commandments and the beatitudes, which
express the will of God and the will of Jesus
Christ, support the unity and holiness of the
Church. They are part of the Church’s teaching on
the ways to become true disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card.
So if anyone asks: “What must one do to be a
good Christian?”, the answer is clear. We have to
do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the
Sermon on the Mount.[66] In the Beatitudes, we
find a portrait of the Master, which we are called
to reflect in our daily lives.
The word “happy” or “blessed” thus becomes a
synonym for “holy”. It expresses the fact that
those faithful to God and his word, by their
selfgiving, gain true happiness. (Gaudete Et
Exsultate 63, 64)
Service / Humility
Mother Ignacia dedicated her works to please
God and did all out of love for Jesus. Thus, her
zeal and enthusiasm never waned. She always
thought of the good of the community and the
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people she served. (1726 Rules I.7-9,17,23,25,33,
37,40; II. 12,17,19, 21-22)
Excerpts from chapter three of Gaudete Et
Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), Pope Francis’
exhortation ‘On the Call to Holiness in Today’s
World’
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven”
“Wealth ensures nothing. Indeed, once we think
we are rich, we can become so self-satisfied that
we leave no room for God’s word, for the love of
our brothers and sisters, or for the enjoyment of
the most important things in life. In this way, we
miss out on the greatest treasure of all. That is
why Jesus calls blessed those who are poor in
spirit, those who have a poor heart, for there the
Lord can enter with his perennial newness.”
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the
earth”
“Christ says: “Learn from me; for I am gentle and
humble of heart, and you will find rest for your
souls” (Mt 11:29). If we are constantly upset and
impatient with others, we will end up drained and
weary. But if we regard the faults and limitations
of others with tenderness and meekness, without
an air of superiority, we can actually help them
and stop wasting our energy on useless
complaining. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux tells us that
“perfect charity consists in putting up with
others’ mistakes, and not being scandalized by
their faults””. (72)
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted”
“A person who sees things as they truly are and
sympathizes with pain and sorrow is capable of
touching life’s depths and finding authentic
happiness. He or she is consoled, not by the
world but by Jesus. Such persons are unafraid to
share in the suffering of others; they do not flee
from painful situations. They discover the
meaning of life by coming to the aid of those who
suffer, understanding their anguish and bringing
relief. They sense that the other is flesh of our
flesh, and are not afraid to draw near, even to
touch their wounds. They feel compassion for
others in such a way that all distance vanishes.
(76)
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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled”
“True justice comes about in people’s lives when
they themselves are just in their decisions; it is
expressed in their pursuit of justice for the poor
and the weak. While it is true that the word
“justice” can be a synonym for faithfulness to
God’s will in every aspect of our life, if we give the
word too general a meaning, we forget that it is
shown especially in justice towards those who
are most vulnerable.” (79)
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive
mercy”
“We need to think of ourselves as an army of the
forgiven. All of us have been looked upon with
divine compassion. If we approach the Lord with
sincerity and listen carefully, there may well be
times when we hear his reproach: “Should not
you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I
had mercy on you?” (Mt 18:33).” (82)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see
God”
“The Lord expects a commitment to our brothers
and sisters that comes from the heart. For “if I
give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be
burned, but have no love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor
13:3)… From the heart’s intentions come the
desires and the deepest decisions that determine
our actions.” (85)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be
called children of God”
“It is not easy to “make” this evangelical peace,
which excludes no one but embraces even those
who are a bit odd, troublesome or difficult,
demanding, different, beaten down by life or
simply uninterested. It is hard work; it calls for
great openness of mind and heart, since it is not
about creating “a consensus on paper or a
transient peace for a contented minority”, or a
project “by a few for the few”. Nor can it attempt
to ignore or disregard conflict; instead, it must
“face conflict head on, resolve it and make it a link
in the chain of a new process”. We need to be
artisans of peace, for building peace is a craft that
demands serenity, creativity, sensitivity and skill.”
(89)
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven”
“Jesus himself warns us that the path he proposes
goes against the flow, even making us challenge
society by the way we live and, as a result,
becoming a nuisance. He reminds us how many
people have been, and still are, persecuted
simply because they struggle for justice, because
they take seriously their commitment to God and
to others. Unless we wish to sink into an obscure
mediocrity, let us not long for an easy life, for
“whoever would save his life will lose it” (Mt
16:25).” (90)
MOTHER IGNACIA’S EXPRESSIONS OF THE
SPIRITUALITY OF HUMBLE SERVICE
Spirituality is a lived religious experience.
Christian spirituality is one’s entire life in
relationship to God, in Christ Jesus, empowered
by the Holy Spirit. It is our way of being Christian,
in response to the call of God, issued through
Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is
thus clear that Christian spirituality is Trinitarian,
Christocentric, pneumatological, ecclesial and
eschatological while being deeply personal.
Christian spirituality is “rooted in the life of the
triune God, centered on Jesus Christ, situated in
the Church, ever responsive to the Holy Spirit,
and oriented always to the coming of God’s Reign
in all its fullness at the end of human history. We
mentioned five constants or elements of
Christian spirituality: God-image, prayer,
community, ministry, asceticism.
God-image: how one relates to God is based on
one’s image of God, how God appears to a
person.
Prayer: One’s way of communicating with and
encountering God is conditioned by one’s
Godimage.
Community: prayer influences one’s relationship
with others in the community of believers. Prayer
is not only personal or individual but also
communal.
Ministry: the overflow of one’s relationship with
God is expressed in acts of service, kindness and
love.
Asceticism: growth in one’s relationship with God
is supported, sustained, deepened and enhanced
by acts of spiritual discipline that strengthens
one’s spirit to will and do what is good to avoid
what is evil. Asceticism includes fasting, prayer
and other forms of discipline such as of the body,
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of the tongue, of one’s thoughts, reading
Scripture and spiritual books, spiritual
conversation, discernment examen. (S. Ma.
Anicia CO, RVM)
Service : Humility
"Anyone among you who aspires to greatness
must serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank
first among you must serve the needs of all. (Mt.
20:26-2 7)
Mother Ignacia was well aware of her own gifts
but never boasted about them. She imitated the
humility of Jesus Christ and did not claim any
privilege as foundress of the community. She
gave up her position as superior of the house and
paved the way for another leader to emerge.
(1726 Rules I.9,10,12,29,44; II.5,18, 21)
We recognize certain highlights or points of
emphasis in Mother Ignacia’s spirituality of
humble servanthood which we define as
“spirituality of Marian radical openness to the will
of God that impels to humble and courageous,
generous and creative service of the Church.” I
call these highlights or emphases as accents.
Spirituality of the cross is rooted in love and
identification with Jesus. It is bearing sufferings
out of love for Jesus. It is filled with confident
hope and trust in growing in conformity with
Christ.
Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde paints for us a picture of
Mother Ignacia’s commitment to Jesus Christ and
the spirituality of the cross in the following
words:
“They lived in extreme poverty, hardly having
enough rice to eat, and to obtain a little salt they
had to go beg for some from Fr. Andres Serrano,
the rector of the College of St. Joseph. To cook
their little rice they scrounged the streets for
pieces of firewood. Mother Ignacia exhorted her
companions to bear with constancy those
hardships and poverty, and encouraged them to
practice penance in order to move God to have
mercy on them. Mother Ignacia took to wearing
a yoke on the neck while others pulled her
throughout the house; she used to carry a heavy
cross on her shoulders, prostrated herself on the
ground so that others may walk on her; she
prayed with arms outstretched in the form of a
cross under the heat of the noonday sun. The
others imitated her, and every night they used
the discipline, slept very little, passing most of the
time in prayer. They were often in darkness for
having no means of light.”
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Fr. Murillo Velarde also mentions their practices
of penance and public mortifications. Without
doubt, Mother Ignacia and her companions were
influenced by traditional Christian piety and the
expressions of spirituality current during their
time. We can highlight three pictures of Mother
Ignacia from Fr. Murillo Velarde’s description:
Mother Ignacia praying with outstretched arms
under the noonday sun, Mother Ignacia carrying
a heavy cross, Mother Ignacia lying prostrate on
the ground. These three images appear to us as
manifestations of Mother Ignacia’s desire to
imitate Jesus Christ in his passion. Mother Ignacia
was devoted to Jesus, the crucified Christ. She
desires to share in the sufferings of Christ. She
witnessed the radical following of Jesus in
poverty and powerlessness. These images also
give us an insight into her asceticism and prayer.
Mother Ignacia prayed earnestly and performed
penances to move God to have mercy and on all
who needed God’s mercy. Her spirituality of
humble service was expressed in her capacity to
forgive, to bear wrongs patiently and to correct
with gentleness and meekness. It became most
evident in her decision to resign to govern the
house as the foundress until her death, she chose
to step down and become one of the members.
She lived 11 or 16 years as a beata among others,
leading by following, and witnessing to the poor
and humble Christ.
Mother Ignacia is a model of humble service for
us. From her we learn that service done in
humility releases inner potentials that we may
not even be aware of. Humble service invites the
action of the Spirit to be made manifest. As we
continue in humble service we become more
aware of God’s dynamic presence in our lives. We
can trust that God who is so generous will supply
whatever we need in order to grow in our life of
service and love.
IGNACIAN SPIRITUALITY FOR OUR TIMES - OPPTIC
(PART 1)
The story of M. Ignacia and the development of
the beaterio into a congregation is a story of
finding God through experiences of growth,
conflict and ambiguities. Present day men and
women, young or old, can draw inspiration and
strength from M. Ignacia’s example of life of faith
and witness. Her spirituality is still relevant to our
times.
Service: Stewardship
Shaine Cababat
lOMoAR cPSD| 33448539
When he had finished washing their feet, he put
on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you
understand what I have done for you?” he asked
them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and
rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you
also should wash one another’s feet. John
13:1214
The spirituality of M. Ignacia can be summarized
in the acronym OPPTIC with each letter
representing a characteristic of M. Ignacia’s
spirituality.
O
OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
P
PONDERING HEART OF MARY
P
PERSEVERANCE
T
TRUST IN GOD’S LOVING PROVIDENCE
I
INTIMACY WITH CHRIST AND INTEGRITY
C
COURAGE AND CREATIVE SERVICE ROOTED
IN FAITH, LOVE AND HUMILITY
The acronym OPPTIC is significant because it calls
to mind the word optic which means “related to
vision or pertaining to the eye.” M. Ignacia’s
OPPTIC expresses her fundamental orientation
toward God, viewing everything in the light of
God’s will, experiencing all things in God’s
presence and transforming even negative events
into means of hope and light.
Openness to the Holy Spirit
A fundamental aspect of M. Ignacia’s spirituality
is openness to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Through this openness to the Holy Spirit, her
adventurous character and natural sense of
discovery did not lead to recklessness or
foolhardiness. M. Ignacia’s courageous stance
was rooted in this openness. Allowing herself to
be led by the Spirit, she found new ways of
looking at her experiences, at things, people and
events in her life. She experienced God drawing
her beyond the limits of her own situation. As she
continued to be open to the prompting of the
Holy Spirit, she saw how the different events I her
life fitted into God’s loving design for her. This
openness which is rooted in faith made her eager
to daily discover the will and action of God in her
life.
dictated. She did not stifle nor escape from this
restless feeling. She sought the advice of
someone more experienced than she was. She
did not seek easy solutions. She exerted efforts to
make the right decisions in her life. She found an
appropriate model in the Blessed Mother. Mary
of Nazareth, when troubled by the angel’s
greeting pondered its meaning (Lk 1:29). M.
Ignacia drew inspiration from the example of the
Blessed Virgin Mary who “pondered all things in
her heart” (Lk 2:19.51). In Mary’s attitude of
pondering, M. Ignacia found an answer to her
restlessness. As she strove to imbibe this
pondering spirit, M. Ignacia became more aware
of her own feelings and moods. She grew in
discernment as she continued to maintain a
recollected spirit. She learned how to observe the
events in her life and probe their deeper
meaning.
Perseverance
M. Ignacia experienced many ambiguities in her
life. She lived through the ambivalent and
ambiguous situations of her life and those of her
beaterio in perseverance. She spent her 85 years
in the beaterio in steadfastness, commitment and
fidelity. M. Ignacia did not turn back from her
original calling. Despite the difficulties she
encountered, she continued in her fidelity to the
service of God. She lived the gospel value of
faithfulness, symbolized by the cross of Jesus
Christ. Her perseverance in difficulties was based
on her faith in Jesus Christ whose cross is a
perpetual reminder of hope in the resurrection,
of God’s faithful love transcending death.
The story of M. Ignacia and the development of
the beaterio into a congregation is a story of
finding God through experiences of growth,
conflict and ambiguities. Present day men and
women, young or old, can draw inspiration and
strength from M. Ignacia’s example of life of faith
and witness. Her spirituality is still relevant to our
times.
Service: Stewardship
Each of you should use whatever gift you have
received to serve others, as faithful stewards of
God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 New
International Version (NIV)
Pondering Heart of Mary
It was the restlessness in her heart that enabled
M. Ignacia to seek a future beyond what society
Trust in God’s Loving Mercy
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lOMoAR cPSD| 33448539
M. Ignacia and the beatas did not live a life of
comfort and convenience. They were poor. They
were not sure where to get food for their next
meal but they were not discouraged. They
survived by working and supporting themselves
by the labor of their hands. M. Ignacia and her
beatas experienced in their life of insecurity the
great providence of God who generously gave
them what they needed through the fruits of
their works or through benefactors. It was this
trust in God that enabled M. Ignacia and her
beatas to endure their hardships and mature in
faith in the midst of their difficult situations.
M. Ignacia’s life of charity was rooted in the love
of Christ. Her intimacy with Christ was the
foundation of her life. She did not wait to receive;
she freely gave out of her abundance of her
heart. She did not wait to be loved; she reached
out to others in love and care. M. Ignacia could
be generous in love and friendship because she
experienced the deep love of Jesus in her life. The
motivation of her actions was the love of Jesus on
the cross.
Her trust in God enabled M. Ignacia to move
beyond her need to belong. As a Chinese-yndia
mestiza, Ignacia must have had a strong desire to
belong. Her parents might have provided her
with a home in which her need for belonging was
answered. Neither of them, however, might have
known the struggle within her. She must have
known the difficulty of living in a family of mixed
cultures and in a society where there was racial
discrimination. She might have looked for
sympathy somewhere, for someone with whom
she could identify someone who would take away
her loneliness and help her find the way to
integration. She might have also wanted to find
others who like her were aspiring to the religious
life. She was probably hoping to belong to the
community of the Beatas of Sto. Domingo.
The more M. Ignacia grew in intimacy with Christ,
the more she experienced integration. Her inner
attitude became reflected in her outer behavior
and actions. Her purity of heart was manifested
in kind words and deeds of loving service.
Undergoing the Spiritual Exercise, she realized
that her path would not be easy. She would have
to give up her search for a group to which she
would belong. She was being called to live in
solitude. She had to learn to put her whole trust
in God who would lead the way for her. She grew
in trust as she realized the guiding hand of God in
her life. She experienced God to be a provident
Father who knew her needs. This enabled her to
go beyond the need to belong. As she found her
true sense of belonging in God, she was able to
provide a space and a context where other native
women could feel they belonged. Her beaterio
became the place where native women could
come together and experience solidarity and
unity in their religious aspirations. M. Ignacia
paved the way for a native religious community
to grow and even to include the people who
belong to a class that excluded them. The
apostolic service of her beaterio was open to all
regardless of color or race. This reconciling stance
was possible because M. Ignacia and her beatas
learned to trust in God’s loving mercy.
Intimacy with Christ
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The experience of intimacy with Christ was the
foundation of the beaterio community. It was the
source of their love and friendship. The beatas
shared their joys and pains, tears and laughter.
They experienced failures and reconciliations,
hurts and forgiveness. The love of Christ was the
bond that united the community.
In their solidarity with one another, the beatas
also realized their call to share in Christ’s mission.
Their growing knowledge of Jesus Christ impelled
them to reach out to others and help them also
grow in faith and commitment. They shared the
fruits of their life of faith through the education
of young girls and the retreat work for women.
They also provided a space where women could
stay in solitude and recollection. With them they
shared the spirit of the beaterio community.
Courage and Creativity
M. Ignacia ventured into the unknown. There was
no clear path for her. She had to find her own way.
She dared to take steps to follow her vision and
realize her dream. She could take risks because
she had the courage rooted in strong faith in God.
Through the years, she grew in selfknowledge,
became aware of her personal gifts and talents,
accepted them and used them at the service of
others. Her courage was coupled by creativity.
She turned a negative situation or a limitation
into a context for experiencing God and reaching
out to others in service. The lack of government
recognition and subsidy did not prevent M.
Ignacia and her beatas to continue living the
religious life. Their own resourcefulness led them
to define the apostolic character of their
community.
Shaine Cababat
lOMoAR cPSD| 33448539
Because of her leadership, some of the timid
native beatas became courageous and responsive
also to the needs of their times. They ventured
forth into ministry and brought light and hope to
a society darkened by division and afflicted by
discrimination. M. Ignacia’s venturing spirit was
put to good use at every stage of her life. She was
always moving forward, responding to the call of
the Spirit in her journey of faith and love.
Even as the beatas undertook their mission and
carried out acts of loving service, there might
have been people who were looking down upon
their capacity and doubting whether they were to
be allowed to continue living as religious. The
beatas might have had questions too about
themselves, their own identity, their abilities and
aspirations to live authentically the religious life.
M. Ignacia led them through these situations of
vulnerability and ambiguity to become more
courageous and creative.
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