Ignatian Values and Principles

I. CONTEXT

Xavier University as a Jesuit institution forms her students in accordance with the values and
principles of the founder of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius developed certain
values and principles when he detached himself from the material world to better understand
himself, others and the social realities. Students nowadays are exposed to materialism and
consumerism in a rat race society where values and principles are often compromised if not
absent. There has to be a set of values and principles that will lead them to a more purposive
and meaningful life.

Objectives

a. Identify and describe the Ignatian Values/Principles developed and lived out by Ignatius;
b. Assess the significance of these Ignatian Values to their growth
c. Appropriate as well as integrate these Ignatian Values and Principles in their student life, in
dealing with others and their relationships and in responding to their social responsibilities.

II. EXPERIENCE

Story Telling

1. The class facilitator will lead in reading any of the following stories:
a. The Baker’s Dozen
B. King Midas’ Golden Touch
2. The class will make an anecdote out of their learning from the story they have chosen
3. They will be divided into groups of six (6) and each member will be given the following
tasks:
a) First Member - will come up with a title and setting of the story
b) Second Member - will come up with real life situation/s that is similar to what
happened in the story.
c) Third Member - will come up with a list of values / principles that can be derived from
the story and relate how relevant these values/principles are
d) Fourth Member - will come up with the impact of these values / principles to the group
e) Fifth Member - will come up with challenges on how to live out these values and
principles
f) Sixth Member - will come up with a plan on how to educate others about these values
and principles

4. Each group will be asked to come up front to tell their anecdote. The anecdote should be
told according to the member‘s order in the group.
5. The class facilitator will give a synthesis of the groups‘ sharing and give the following input

Input
As a Jesuit Institution we integrate certain values and principles into our work for education.
These values and principles were developed by St Ignatius of Loyola, who believed that societal
change could come through education.

St Ignatius of Loyola

Inigo Onaz Lopez de Loyola was born in 1491 in a noble Basque family in the northern province of
Guipuzcoa. He was the youngest of thirteen children. As a boy, Inigo served the royal viceroy of
Navarre. It was during this time that Inigo gave himself up to a life of worldly pride and French
troops invaded and occupied the city of Pamplona. The Spanish garrison in the citadel, fired by
the zeal of Inigo and his unswerving loyalty to his king, refused to surrender. The French then
bombarded the citadel on May 20, 1521. A cannonball hit Inigo’s legs, breaking one and
damaging the other. That ended his “professional career“ as a soldier.

Out of respect for the man and his bravery, the French allowed Inigo to return to his family castle
at Loyola to recover. Toward late summer, when his health was greatly improving, Inigo asked for
some books to read. None of his chivalrous romances was on hand. Instead, he was given two (2)
books: the Life of Christ and the Golden Legend, a collection of stories about the lives of saints. It
was then that Inigo began to experience a profound conversion. He asked himself: “What did I do
for Christ? What am I going to do for Christ? St Dominic did this. Therefore I must do it. St Francis
did this, therefore I have to do it.“ He then decided to forsake his worldly desires and ambitions,
and to do great deeds for the love of God (the magis). Inigo had fallen deeply in love with our Lord
and his mother. Fully recovered, he set out for Jerusalem as a penitent and a pilgrim.

On his way to the Holy Land, he spent a night of vigil in the shrine of our Lady of Monserrat,
offering his arms to Mary and taking her side as his guide and protectress. Then he made his way
to the Benedictine Monastery nearby and made his general confession to one of the monks. Not
far away was the little town of Manresa. There Inigo, the pilgrim experienced God in the heights
and depths of prayer. He also grappled with despair and temptations, indeed with the evil spirits
that tried to take control of his life. But the Lord had other plans for Inigo. Later, a great peace
came over him. To this experience he owed his spiritual exercises. Inigo emerged from his
encounter with God totally a new man, he now dedicated his whole life to the service of the Lord
and helping souls, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

Inigo did not stay long in Jerusalem. The Franciscan custodians of the holy places were afraid that
he might create trouble there unwittingly. So, he went back to Spain and decided to become a
priest, the better to help souls. But this meant years of study. He went to Barcelona, then went to
the University in Alcala and Salamanca where, suspected of heresy, he was imprisoned. He was
judged innocent however. He learned Latin, finding himself in class with school boys not even half
his age. Then he made his way to Paris where he finished his Master of Arts degree. Out of
devotion to the Martyr St Ignatius of Antioch, Inigo changed his name to Ignatius.
It was in Paris that St. Ignatius met his first companions (which) include St. Francis Xavier). They
pronounced their vows of poverty and chastity in the chapel in Montmare. They also vowed to go
to Jerusalem, to serve and follow the Lord in the land of his birth.

The plan did not materialize, however, due to the wars raging at the time. In a vision at the Chapel
of La Storta, Ignatius was directed by God to proceed to Rome. He and his companions then
offered themselves to the Pope, to do whatever was good for the Church, and to go wherever
there was a need for preaching the gospels. After many days of prayerful discernment, they
constituted themselves into a religious order, the Compania de Jesus or the Society of Jesus. St
Ignatius became its first General.

St. Ignatius spent the last seven years of his nurturing the seed that was the “least Society of
Jesus “under his fatherly direction, the compania grew in numbers. Soon, Jesuits were working
for the renewal of the Church in Europe.

The evangelization of the newly “discovered “lands of the Americas and Asias, and the education
of the youth. Ignatius, pilgrim and penitent, priest and founder of the Society of Jesus, spiritual
father to the thousands of Jesuits then and now, had truly rendered distinguishing service to
Christ his King. He died in Rome on July 31, 1556 and cannonized a saint in 1662.

First Principle and Foundation

This First Principle and Foundation was developed by Ignatius in following Christ closely.
Understanding the first principle and foundation will lead us to develop values and principles that
will not only make us realize God’s presence and know Him more but learn to give love more.
These values and principles determine the choices we make that will either bring us closer or
away from God.

“The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us his life. Our
own response of love allows God’s life to flow into us without limit.

All things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more
easily and make a return of love more readily.

As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop
as loving persons. But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace
God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created
gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not
fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or
short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to
our life in God.
 Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better
leads to God’s deepening his life in me.“

-from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius as paraphrased by David L Fleming SJ

Ignatian Principles and Values

These values and principles are derived from the experiences of St Ignatius. The students can
make use of these values and principles to accomplish their goals of transforming themselves and
the world.

1. CREATION - A dynamic, moment-by-moment activity shaped by a free, loving, self-giving God

and by grateful, loving human beings who share the divine freedom. Evil arises from a human
beings free decision to turn in oneself and refuse God’s loving desire.

2. INDIFFERENCE - a distance from things that allows a person to freely choose “without
prejudice”. It is a distance from things that makes true vision possible. Ignatius is asking
everyone to love themselves and all things as coming from God. Yet each is to “stand apart”
from all created things in an inner freedom, which awaits God’s desire and invitation.

3. MAGIS - the yardstick of St. Ignatius was always to undertake that which was the “better
choice”, the more effective enterprise”, ”the more widely influential”, ”meeting the greater
need”, not simply because such a course was harder, but because it would yield the greater
good or be more loving. This is the essence of Magis.

4. LOVE IS EXPRESSED IN DEEDS NOT IN WORDS - a phrase of Ignatius taken from the fourth
week of His spiritual exercise, which reinforces the importance of action in His spirituality.

5. CURA PERSONALIS - (concern for the individual) remains basic characteristics of Jesuit
education. Growth in the responsible use of freedom is facilitated by the personal relationship
between student and teacher.

6. TANTUM QUANTUM - (AS…SO MUCH) “other things one the face of the earth” --- materials
things, physical and intellectual abilities, passions and feelings, hopes and desires , social
status and friends, time, etc.- important as they are , do not compare in importance with that
of cooperating with the creating God. “As much as things help this cooperation, “so much
does one use them; insofar as things hider this cooperation, they are avoided.

7. NON MULTA SED MULTUM - meaning “not many things, but one thing deeply”. This phrase
was barrowed by Ignatius from the humanist Quintilian. “For it is not much knowledge that fills
and satisfies the soul, but the intimate understanding and relish the truth” [Spiritual; exercise,
#2]. Applied to the school curriculum, it suggest mastery of fewer things at real depth rather
than of many matters treated superficially.
8. CONTEMPLATIVE IN ACTION - At the end of his autobiography, which He dictated in the last
years of His life, Ignatius admitted that since He began to serve God, He had always grown in
devotion, that is, ease in finding God; and now more than ever in His whole life. Every time,
any hour, that He wished to find God, He found Him. Nadal points out the characteristics of
Ignatius prayer : “… in all things, actions and conversations he perceived and contemplated
the presence of God and had affection for spiritual things, being contemplative even while in
action- a matter which he customarily explain by saying “God must be found in all things.”

9. AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM - It means “For the greater glory of God”. It is the motto of the
Society of Jesus.

10. DISCERNMENT - is an Ignatian spiritual decision-making process, when the option is not
between good and evil but between several possible courses of action, all of which are
potentially good. It involves prayer, reflection and consultation with others, where an
individual considers not only the rational reasons but also the emotional pulls.

*Taken from the FFP Manual

III. REFLECTION

1. What value/principle do you need to develop further in yourself? Why?

2. How are these values and principles relevant to your student life?
3. What should you do when applying these values and principles?

IV. ACTION

1. How can you inspire others to uphold these values/principles?

2. How can you make use of these Ignatian values and principles to help you in becoming a
person for others?
3. What should you not do when applying these values and principles?

V. EVALUATION

1. What are the legacies of St. Ignatius de Loyola?

2. What is road map of St. Ignatius‘ mission to build Jesuit schools and educational
institutions?
3. What is the goal of the First Principle and Foundation?
4. What are the Ignatian Values and Principles?
5. What is that Ignatian value that calls us to do more for Christ and for others?

Baker’s Dozen
In the Dutch colonial town later known as Albany, New York, there lived a baker, Van Amsterdam, who was
as honest as he could be. Each morning, he checked and balanced his scales, and he took great care to
give his customers exactly what they paid for—not more and not less.

Van Amsterdam’s shop was always busy, because people trusted him, and because he was a good baker
as well. And never was the shop busier than in the days before December 6, when the Dutch celebrate
Saint Nicholas Day.

At that time of year, people flocked to the baker’s shop to buy his fine Saint Nicholas cookies. Made of
gingerbread, iced in red and white, they looked just like Saint Nicholas as the Dutch know him—tall and thin,
with a high, red bishop’s cap, and a long, red bishop’s cloak.

One Saint Nicholas Day morning, the baker was just ready for business, when the door of his shop flew
open. In walked an old woman, wrapped in a long black shawl.
“I have come for a dozen of your Saint Nicholas cookies.”

Taking a tray, Van Amsterdam counted out twelve cookies. He started to wrap them, but the woman
reached out and stopped him.
“I asked for a dozen. You have given me only twelve.”
“Madam,” said the baker, “everyone knows that a dozen is twelve.”
“But I say a dozen is thirteen,” said the woman. “Give me one more.”

Van Amsterdam was not a man to bear foolishness. “Madam, my customers get exactly what they pay
for—not more and not less.”
“Then you may keep the cookies.”

The woman turned to go, but stopped at the door.

“Van Amsterdam! However honest you may be, your heart is small and your fist is tight. Fall again,
mount again, learn how to count again!”

Then she was gone. From that day, everything went wrong in Van Amsterdam’s bakery. His bread rose too
high or not at all. His pies were sour or too sweet. His cakes crumbled or were chewy. His cookies were
burnt or doughy. His customers soon noticed the difference. Before long, most of them were going to other
bakers.
“That old woman has bewitched me,” said the baker to himself. “Is this how my honesty is rewarded?”

A year passed. The baker grew poorer and poorer. Since he sold little, he baked little, and his shelves were
nearly bare. His last few customers slipped away.

Finally, on the day before Saint Nicholas Day, not one customer came to Van Amsterdam’s shop. At day’s
end, the baker sat alone, staring at his unsold Saint Nicholas cookies.
“I wish Saint Nicholas could help me now,” he said. Then he closed his shop and went sadly to bed.

That night, the baker had a dream. He was a boy again, one in a crowd of happy children. And there in the
midst of them was Saint Nicholas himself. The bishop’s white horse stood beside him, its baskets filled with
gifts. Nicholas pulled out one gift after another, and handed them to the children. But Van Amsterdam
noticed something strange. No matter how many presents Nicholas passed out, there were always more to
give. In fact, the more he took from the baskets, the more they seemed to hold. Then Nicholas handed a gift
to Van Amsterdam. It was one of the baker’s own Saint Nicholas cookies! Van Amsterdam looked up to
thank him, but it was no longer Saint Nicholas standing there. Smiling down at him was the old woman with
the long black shawl.
Van Amsterdam awoke with a start. Moonlight shone through the half-closed shutters as he lay there,
thinking.
“I always give my customers exactly what they pay for,” he said, “not more and not less. But
why not give more?”
The next morning, Saint Nicholas Day, the baker rose early. He mixed his gingerbread dough and rolled it
out. He molded the shapes and baked them. He iced them in red and white to look just like Saint Nicholas.
And the cookies were as fine as any he had made. Van Amsterdam had just finished, when the door flew
open. In walked the old woman with the long black shawl.
“I have come for a dozen of your Saint Nicholas cookies.”
In great excitement, Van Amsterdam counted out twelve cookies—and one more.
“In this shop,” he said, “from now on, a dozen is thirteen.”
“You have learned to count well,” said the woman. “You will surely be rewarded.”

She paid for the cookies and started out. But as the door swung shut, the baker’s eyes seemed to play a
trick on him. He thought he glimpsed the tail end of a long red cloak.

***
As the old woman foretold, Van Amsterdam was rewarded. When people heard he counted thirteen as a
dozen, he had more customers than ever. In fact, Van Amsterdam grew so wealthy that the other bakers in
town began doing the same. From there, the practice spread to other towns, and at last through all the
American colonies. And this, they say, is how thirteen became the “baker’s dozen”—a custom common for
over a century, and alive in some places to this day.

King Midas and the Golden Touch

Many years ago there lived a king named Midas.

King Midas had one little daughter, whose name was Marigold.
King Midas was very, very rich. It was said that he had more gold than any other king in the world.
One room of his great castle was almost filled with yellow gold pieces.
At last the King grew so fond of his gold that he loved it better than anything else in all the world.
He even loved it better than his own little daughter, dear little rosy-cheeked Marigold. His one
great wish seemed to be for more and more gold.
One day while he was in his gold room counting his money, a beautiful fairy boy stood before him.
The boy's face shone with a wonderful light, and he had wings on his cap and wings on his feet.
In his hand he carried a strange-looking wand, and the wand also had wings.
"Midas, you are the richest man in the world," said the fairy. "There is no King who has so much
gold as you."
"That may be," said the King. "As you see, I have this room full of gold, but I should like much
more; for gold is the best and the most wonderful thing in the world."
"Are you sure?" asked the fairy.
"I am very sure," answered the King.
"If I should grant you one wish," said the fairy, "would you ask for more gold?"
"If I could have but one wish," said the King, "I would ask that everything I touch should turn to
beautiful yellow gold."
"Your wish shall be granted," said the fairy. "At sunrise tomorrow morning your slightest touch will
turn everything into gold. But I warn you that your gift will not make you happy."
"I will take the risk," said the King.
The next day King Midas awoke very early. He was eager to see if the fairy's promise had come
true.
As soon as the sun arose he tried the gift by touching the bed lightly with his hand.
The bed turned to gold.
He touched the chair and table.
Upon the instant they were turned to solid gold.
The King was wild with joy.
He ran around the room, touching everything he could see. His magic gift turned all to shining,
yellow gold.
The King soon felt hungry and went down to eat his breakfast. Now a strange thing happened.
When he raised a glass of clear cold water to drink, it became solid gold.
Not a drop of water could pass his lips.
The bread turned to gold under his fingers.
The meat was hard, and yellow, and shiny.
Not a thing could he get to eat.
All was gold, gold, gold.
His little daughter came running in from the garden.
Of all living creatures she was the dearest to him.
He touched her with his lips.
At once the little girl was changed to a golden statue.
A great fear crept into the King's heart, sweeping all the joy out of his life.
In his grief he called and called upon the fairy who had given him the gift of the golden touch.
"O fairy," he begged, "take away this horrible golden gift! Take all my lands. Take all my gold
Take everything, only give me back my little daughter."
In a moment the beautiful fairy was standing before him.
"Do you still think that gold is the greatest thing in the world?" asked the fairy.
"No! no!" cried the King. "I hate the very sight of the yellow stuff."
"Are you sure that you no longer wish the golden touch?" asked the fairy.
"I have learned my lesson," said the King. "I no longer think gold the greatest thing in the world."
"Very well," said the fairy, "take this pitcher to the spring in the garden and fill it with water. Then
sprinkle those things which you have touched and turned to gold."
The King took the pitcher and rushed to the spring. Running back he first sprinkled the head of his
dear little girl. Instantly she became his own darling Marigold again, and gave him a kiss.
The King sprinkled the golden food, and to his great joy it turned back to real bread and real
butter.
Then he and his little daughter sat down to breakfast. How good the cold water tasted! How
eagerly the hungry King ate the bread and butter, the meat, and all the good food!
The King hated his golden touch so much that he sprinkled even the chairs and the tables and
everything else that the fairy's gift had turned to gold.