Launching Global Discernment Circles

The International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE) and Educate Magis have decided to offer Global Discernment Circles to commemorate the 50th Year of “People for Others” with our educators. These Global Discernment Circles (GDCs), scheduled for November 9, 2023, will be available to a limited number of educators in the regions. However, the same discernment model with accompanying reflection guides will be made available for educators in each region to adapt to their own contexts.

“Our educational goal and objective is to form men who do not live for themselves, but for God and for his Christ; for Him who for us died and rose again; men for others, that is, who do not conceive of love for God without love for man; an effective love that has justice as its first postulate and which is the only guarantee that our love for God is not a sham, or even a pharisaical garb that hides our selfishness.” These words of Pedro Arrupe marked a paradigm shift in Jesuit educational ideas. On July 31, 1973, Pedro Arrupe spoke at the X International Congress of Jesuit Alumni/ae of Europe, held in Valencia, Spain.

This seminal speech delivered by Fr. Pedro Arrupe SJ, 50 years ago, initiated a process of reflection and self-evaluation that led to the renewal of Jesuit education globally. It includes the well-known phrases “men (and women) for others” and “agents of change”.

In Jesuit schools we strive to offer our staff and students a holistic formation. In addition to the physical, moral and social areas, the schools help develop intellectual (IQ), emotional (EQ) and spiritual (SQ) quotients. “Arrupe insisted on an added dimension to make education more holistic: the Justice Quotient (JQ)! Education for Justice. The CJ, of the students, is developed through various outreach programs (‘social service’), which have existed in one form or another in most institutions, but would now be pursued more vigorously. The challenge would be to involve ‘every staff member and every student’ and make each of them a PFO par excellence,” summarizes Hedwig Lewis SJ on people for others with a strong justice consciousness.

In preparation for the Global Discernment Circles, and indeed to commemorate this 50th anniversary, Educate Magis is going to share a series of poignant reflections on Loving Don Pedro: “Man for Others” by the well-known Jesuit writer, Hedwig Lewis SJ (GUJ). The reflections will lead us to a deeper understanding of the person of Arrupe, the Society of Jesus in his time, and his wonderful ideas for Jesuit education to form Men and Women for Others. In this series of reflections, you will find; 1. Rooted in Love and Faith, 2. Developing Mind and Heart, 3. Calling and Commitment, 4.Formation for the Magis, 5. Saint Ignatius and “Ignatian”, 6. Vision and Mission, 7. Person oriented leadership, 8. Education for Justice, 9. Arrupean Panorama.

This series of reflections will be available on Educate Magis in English, French and Spanish. The reflections are very brief, simple, but nevertheless, very deep and affective. Arrupe always had a person-centered approach. This is about relationships and it is important for educators to be loving and inspiring to their students. He believed that the Ignatian Magis is an uncompromising commitment to all.

We encourage all readers to share these articles with their colleagues, with their students, and with other interested parties. All are welcome to write their reflections and affective experiences with the global community by commenting at the end of the articles published in Educate Magis. These articles, along with your reflections and comments, will help us reflect during the Global Discernment Circles in November 2023 and encourage others to pause and reflect on the true meaning and practical application of Father Arrupe’s words.

Let’s make the commemoration of 50 years of “Persons for Others” meaningful for Jesuit schools!

Source: Educate Magis