MIDTERM EXAM REVIEWER

MODULE 1
Reading Material 1: XAVIER ATENEO VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT
Vision
To be a leading ASEAN university forming leaders of character by 2033.
Mission
Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan) is a Filipino, Catholic and Jesuit educational community dedicated
to the integral development of the person for the needs of Mindanao, the Philippines and Asia-Pacific.

As a University, Xavier engages in the authentic search for the truth through teaching, formation, research
and social outreach; it is dedicated to the renewal, discovery, safeguarding and communication of
knowledge and human values; and it trains men and women to think rigorously, so as to act rightly and serve
humanity justly.

As a Filipino University, Xavier is devoted to the appreciation, preservation and enrichment of the Filipino
culture and heritage; to the sustainable development of the nation; and to the pursuit of the common good.

As a Catholic University, Xavier is committed to the proclamation of the joy of the Gospel; its commitment
is rooted in a deep personal friendship with Jesus Christ manifested by loyalty to the Church characterized
by a preferential option for the poor; it shares in the privileged task of fostering the interdisciplinary and
integrated encounter between faith, reason and the sciences.

As a Jesuit University, Xavier participates in the Jesuit mission of reconciliation with God, with others and
with creation; it seeks to serve the faith, promote justice, dialogue with culture and religions, and protect the
environment; it upholds the Ignatian values of magis, cura personalis and finding-God-in-all-things.

In sum, Xavier University forms men and women of competence, conscience and commitment in service of
the Church, the global community and the Filipino people.

Reading Material 2: THE PROFILE OF THE IDEAL XAVIER ATENEO GRADUATE

Academically Excellent
A Xavier Ateneo graduate possesses a high level of competence in his/her field of specialization allowing
him/her to think and act critically and creatively, and conduct research for the advancement of knowledge in
his/her discipline.

Holistically Formed
A Xavier Ateneo graduate does what is right in the context of his/her religious faith and convictions,
respects diversity among peoples, serves as good stewards of creation, while upholding the Ignatian values
of magis, cura personalis and finding-God-in-all things.

Socially Engaged
A Xavier Ateneo graduate possesses a deep sense of leadership and service allowing him/her to engage
actively as an agent of change to achieve sustainable development of the people in Mindanao, the
Philippines and the global community.

Globally Competitive
A Xavier Ateneo graduate is a life-long learner equipped with the competencies that enable him/her to
operate professionally, confidently and comfortably across borders, cultures and languages, thereby
transforming him/her into a global citizen committed to shaping a just and peaceful world.
DEEPENING ON XAVIER ATENEO’S VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT
https://youtu.be/DzHYuNwwkRQ
READING MATERIAL – THE CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUIT EDUCATION
http://www.sjweb.info/documents/education/characteristics_en.pdf (pages 6-29 only)

STORY OF THE THREE HOLY JESUITS

http://www.sjweb.info/documents/cis/pdfenglish/200611203en.pdf
Summary Reflections
In this year designated for the Ignatian anniversaries, we can come to a renewed and deeper appreciation for
these three of our founding members who shed their own special light upon our Ignatian charism and give
insight into our own living of Ignatian and Jesuit spirituality.
Ignatius Loyola, the founder and leader of the fledgling Society of Jesus, shows us that the way of an
evangelizing leadership is through communication. Ignatius facilitates communication by giving us an
important key, his way of contemplating the Gospels. And he expands our outlook on communication
through his use of the Spanish word comunicar to make sure that we understand about lovers—that in their
very being and in their gifts and actions they are trying to communicate. In addition, Ignatius uses the
Spanish word conversar in an inclusive way to describe the fullness of our relationship with God, with our
community and support persons, and with all those to whom God sends us. We rejoice in our responsibility
of being communicators because we make real that we are created in the image and likeness of our
communicating God.
Francis Xavier, one of the great missionaries of the Western Church, brings home to us the importance of
living one’s dreams and ideals—always being shaped by our working with Christ. To be called by Christ, to
be sent by Christ, to work with Christ, and to rejoice with Christ sum up the busyness of Xavier’s life. With
Xavier, we are to be people alive with our ideals and dreams, but always a people busy, with a busy Christ—
the Jesus who identifies his Father as One who works, the One being busy about the Kingdom.
Peter Faber, the first priest, the quiet companion, emphasizes for us the centrality of the Eucharistic Christ
for living an Ignatian spirituality. We might be tempted to say that Faber represents the life that is hard and
painful.
Faber would not deny that hardship and suffering are a part of this pouring out of one’s life after the manner
of the crucified Christ. But we look to the generosity of love, to a life of loving surrender that mirrors the
Eucharistic Christ. We become what daily nourishes us. Faber shows us that the relation to the Eucharistic
Christ is the foundation of all our ministries—of counseling, of preaching, of dialoguing, of teaching, of
pastoring, and so on. For us, Faber points to the sacramental center of Ignatian spirituality—our relationship
to the Eucharistic Christ. To live the Eucharist is to live each day in gratitude to God.
We celebrate this year these three holy Jesuits—models, intercessors, and brothers (in a special way for us
Jesuits). Each of them highlights for us the integration of our relationships with God in the living of our
Ignatian spirituality. Let us celebrate and let us help our sisters and brothers in the church and beyond to be
inspired and to rejoice with us.
DEEPENING ON THE LIVES OF STS. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, FRANCIS XAVIER, AND
PETER FABER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1pTyEPJFf0
A SHORT FILM OF THE MOTTO OF TH SOCIETY OF JESUS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oeq8p687RIY&t=259s
 MODULE 2
VIDEO MATERIAL: The Ignatian Way: Ignatian Spirituality, An Overview
https://vimeo.com/279134627
Reading Material: Ignatian Spirituality: Faith for a Lifetime
https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/ignatian-spirituality/introduction-to-ignatian-spirituality/
ignatian-spirituality-faith-for-a-lifetime/
Video Material: The Ignatian Way: The Spiritual Exercises
https://vimeo.com/279141714
Video Material: The Principle and Foundation: Ignatian Spirituality in a Nutshell
The First Principle and Foundation (P&F) (our opening prayer in this lesson) can be found in the beginning
of the Spiritual Exercises (SpEx). In this short but very important document, St. Ignatius of Loyola
expresses how he views our ultimate goal in life and gives us a suggestion on how to live it.

Please note that this version of the P&F is the contemporary (concurrent) version as translated and
interpreted by David Fleming, SJ. There is also a traditional version of the document. You can research it in
the internet if you want. For now, let us focus on the contemporary version.
https://godinallthings.com/2019/03/04/the-principle-foundation-ignatian-spirituality-in-a-nutshell/

March 25, 1522, while in the Monastery of our Lady of Monserrat in Catalonia, Spain, Iñigo knelt in front of
our Lady of Monserrat for a whole night vigil. While praying, Ignatius offered his sword, signifying one of the
most important decisions in his life - leaving behind his privileged and prestigious past and living a new one
completely in accordance to the will of God.

Suscipe  is a latin term for "receive". In the context of Ignatius, this act of giving up everything means an
absolute trust in the Lord. The act of total "surrender" to the will of God is one of the hallmarks of Ignatian
Spirituality and it is a very radical thought, not only during Ignatius' time but most especially in our time
today. Who would be willing to give up all the luxuries, prestige, honor and riches this world can offer in
exchange for the opportunity to serve God? Exactly 498 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola did.

Ignatian Values and Principles

1. Creation - God’s act of creation is not a one-and-done thing; it is ongoing. We experience that creative
act of God with every breath we take. God is always with us because, in creation, God is always working
out the divine purpose or intention. But we are mostly unaware of God’s presence and of the fact that we
exist at all times because God keeps creating. People have, however, felt that creative presence of God in
nature. I suggest that on some fine morning, you ask God’s help to experience that creative presence.
Then step outside and enjoy the day. Sense the sun on your body, smell the air, feel the breezes.

2. Ignatian Discernment

3. Tantum Quantum - Tantum Quantum defines "As much as things e.g. wealth, talents, etc. Help with
this cooperation and loving God, so much does one use them, insofar as things hinder this they are
avoided."
 Tantum Quantum (as...so much) "Other things on the face of the earth" --- material 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. 

4. Cura Personalis - Little is written about the Ignatian-Jesuit characteristic of cura personalis, which is
Latin for “care for the whole person.” Cura personalis comes down to the respect for all that makes up
each individual. As St. Paul reminds us, “the body is one and has many members, and all the members of
the body, though many, are one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:12)

Our talents, abilities, physical attributes, personalities, desires, hearts, faith, and minds are all equally
worthy of care and attention. The term cura personalis is typically heard in Jesuit universities and
institutions. Why? Because their mission and purpose goes beyond the intellect of the head. When I
worked at Georgetown University Hospital, cura personalis was a reminder to staff and patients that the
hospital’s mission included not just the health of the body but also the health of the entire person.

In the same way, our Christian faith ought to involve not just head but heart, not just soul but body.
Spiritual exercises are as important as physical exercises. Learning is as important as a good diet. We
pray, learn, and eat healthy as ways to glorify God and care for our entire selves. Sadly, there is often
great disregard for our minds and bodies, which are gifts from God. Obesity is an epidemic, religious
involvement is minimal, and school dropout rates are too high.

St. Ignatius once wrote a letter to a Jesuit ordering him to take better care of his health after learning that
he was not eating properly; his ministry was taking away from the proper care of his body. Ignatius
wrote, “For the next three months, from now until September, you are to do no preaching, but are to look
after your health.” Ignatius implored him to follow doctor’s advice under the vow of obedience.

The Benedictines have a deep spirituality of work and prayer. They know that the proper balance
between work and prayer is necessary in the spiritual life. You cannot healthily have one without the
other. In turn, they recognize that body and soul are both gifts from God.

Originally a call for the kind of care Jesuit superiors were to give to their subordinates, cura
personalis is a call for you and me to love ourselves and others: the entire person, the entire gift of
life from God given to us.

5. Ignatian Indifference - Often, we think about freedom as freedom from interference from others, but St.
Ignatius understood freedom differently. For him, human freedom is a freedom to grow in relationship
with God and share in God’s redemptive work. This requires internal freedom or what Ignatius called
“indifference.” Indifference means being detached enough from things, people, or experiences to be
able either to take them up or to leave them aside, depending on whether they help us to “to
praise, reverence, and serve God” (Spiritual Exercises 23). In other words, it’s the capacity to let
go of what doesn’t help me to love God or love others—while staying engaged with what does.

Indifference does not mean not caring. One can be indifferent and yet be deeply passionate. In fact, since
God is love and God’s redemptive work takes place through love, we cannot be indifferent in the
Ignatian sense unless we love and love deeply. Each time that I became a new mother, I fell in love with
my baby, in a way that led me to feel great reverence for the giftedness of this child’s existence.
Contemplating the beauty of sunlight sparkling off ocean waves often leads me to a sense of wonder and
praise. The delight that I feel about prayerful, mutually supportive friendships leads me to
feel gratitude. But indifference means that when the baby grows up, the friend moves away, or a day at
the ocean is cloudy, I can still find ways to love God and people.

This is not always easy. I have been pulled off-course often. Ignatius names attachment to wealth,
health, long life, and status as obstacles. Lately I have been noticing how much the stories that we tell
ourselves can limit our freedom too. For example, consider how often we think, “If only I were not sick
 with this illness (or received this promotion, or healed this broken relationship, or…), then I would be
happy.”

But when was the last time that any of us said, “I am so happy because I have never had cancer,” or,
“Because I am grateful to have a steady job, I will never complain about any of my coworkers again”?
Probably we ought to practice such gratitude. As a spiritual director once emphasized to me, everything
is a gift. Nothing and no one belongs to us. Every beloved person and every good creation belongs to
God, including me. And there can be a kind of delightful freedom available in learning and accepting
this—even if sometimes I resist!

But I suspect that gratitude alone will still not get us all the way to Ignatian indifference. For me,
freedom nearly always comes from getting back to knowing that God loves me as an unrepeatable,
unique creation. From that basic knowledge of being loved, two things become possible. First, I learn
that I have worth apart from any of the things or people in the world that are present or absent from my
life. God loves me as I am—with all my talents, quirks, and failings. I am enough for God, and God is
enough for me. Second, when God’s love is at the core of my identity, then I am attentively aware that I,
too, have the capacity to love, no matter where life takes me.

When we are grounded in God’s love, then we can love when our relationships are flourishing, and we
can love when we feel grief. We can love when we are well or when we are ill. We can always choose
to love, because we are never undertaking love alone, but always in friendship with God, who always
wants to create something new and good. God’s love and friendship are the foundation of indifference.

6. Non Multa Sed Multum - A Latin proverb adds a spiritual dimension to the point: non multa sed
multum, or “not many things but much.” Jesuits didn’t coin that phrase, though I’ve heard it attributed to
them, probably because its spirit so closely aligns with other Jesuit ideals.

The quality with which a work is done—the “muchness” of it—can be more important than the sheer
quantity of tasks a person completes. What value, for example, that a social worker counsels fifty people
a day if each feels like a processed can rolling through an assembly line? Or what value is there in
people parroting hundreds of prayers without real conscious engagement? We earlier quoted Archbishop
Oscar Romero’s take on this theme: “We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in
realizing that. This enables us to do something and do it very well.” Or as Mother Teresa put it: “We
cannot do great things on this earth; we can only do little things with great love.” —Excerpted
from Heroic Living by Chris Lowney

7. Love is shown in Deeds - “Love is shown more in deeds than in words.” Many of us have heard this
Ignatian idea, but what does it really mean? At the simplest level, St. Ignatius Loyola means that love is
not simply about how we feel inside or what our good intentions are towards another person, but what
we do, in action, to demonstrate love.

Perhaps Ignatius had in mind the first letter of John, which says, “Little children, let us not love in word
or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). The line just before this one gives us a clue as to what the
author had in mind, as John asks, if someone sees another in need and doesn’t help, can that really be
God in the person? John’s point is that brotherly or sisterly love is best shown in what we do for one
another, not in the words that we proclaim, especially if our actions are at odds with our words.

Ignatius, too, was interested in how we can show love in light of God’s love for us, and his emphasis
was also on deeds: God’s deeds and our own. In the Contemplation to Attain Divine Love, he invites
retreatants to pray over all of the good gifts that we have received—in a sense, God’s deeds of love for
us. Whether it is a talent or gift that we possess, or the material benefits of food, shelter, or a good
income, Ignatius reminds us that it is God who created all of this in the first place and who is the
ultimate source of everything that we have, even ourselves. What is our natural response to recognizing
this gift? Gratitude.
 Gratitude naturally flows into a desire to give love back. I know that when a family member or friend
does something kind for me, I want to do something in return. But sometimes this is not possible; for
example, I think of some loving actions of my now-deceased grandparents. They are no longer in need
of anything that I can give them, other than remembering them in prayer. But I can “pay it forward” and
offer care to others that responds from a sense of having been well-loved. Maybe it is taking care of a
family member with a chronic health issue, because I can recall times when my health was not good, but
I was cared for. Maybe it is through how I treat others I meet every day at my job, as I recall how others
have mentored or cared for me.

The situation is similar with God: God is already perfect and lacks nothing. But God does still want us to
love, because we are made by Love and for the purpose of loving. So how do we love God? In part,
through loving one another, as Jesus asked us to do. We can “pay it forward” through considering the
ways that we have received love, dwelling a while in gratitude, and deciding how we want to spread love
in the world today.

Where have you known love? How do you want to show love in deed today?

8. Contemplative in Action - There was an old Jesuit vocation poster that showed a cartoon of a Jesuit
with his nose in a book while he was sawing a piece of wood with the teeth of a crocodile. The copy
said, “Contemplatives in Action.” This is a bit of a caricatured understanding of what it means to be
a contemplative in action, where your intellect is engaged as you go about doing the nitty-gritty work
of the world. Being a contemplative in action is more than that, and it’s certainly not just for
intellectuals.

In the Gospels we hear about Jesus and his disciples retreating every so often to pray. Their ministry
didn’t seem to allow much time for it, but if they hadn’t stopped every so often they might have become
mindless in their activity. This is the first step in being a contemplative in action: stopping.

Stopping gives you a chance to pause and acknowledge what you’ve been doing, whether in your work
or personal life. It not only offers needed rest but also helps you move into the next stage: reflection.

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” (Mark
6:30)Jesus and the apostles spoke to each other about all they did, they prayed and pondered, and
examined their feelings and experiences. Reflecting on our daily experiences and our major ones helps
us delve into their deeper meaning. This can be done alone using the Examen prayer, or it can be done
as a group in intentional faith sharing. What did you learn from your experiences? What might God be
telling you through them?

Next the disciples went back to their busy work, as we must do. The key here is letting your reflection
and prayer time inform how you approach your work when you return to it. Perhaps you discover the
need for more rest time or that you need to focus more on a particular relationship. Or maybe you find
that the activity you’ve been up to has become dissatisfying. Or perhaps you discover a desire to
reinvigorate your job.

Contemplation allows us to renew our active lives (work, play, relationships) so that all we do does not
become mindless action but rather glorifies God. Then the cycle repeats. Your activity leads you again
into a time of stopping, resting, reflecting, and then returning to activity with greater zeal and purpose.
Being a contemplative in action means that your active life feeds your contemplative life and your
contemplative life informs your active life. That is what contemplation in action means, and the cycle
never ends.

9. Magis - The yardstick of St. Ignatius was always to undertake that which was the "better choice", the
"more effective enterprise", "meeting the greater need", not simply because such a course was harder,
but because it would yield the greater good, making it more loving choice. 
10. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - This is the motto of the Society of Jesus. “For the greater glory of God”

10 REASONS TO CHOOSE IGNATIUS

1. He had a cool sword. It’s true. It’s still in the little church of Sagrat Cor in Barcelona. It’s beautifully
ornate. And, generally, having a sword makes a saint cool.
2. He was a real person. Before he was a saint, “he was no saint,” a fact alluded to in the subtitle
of Ignacio de Loyola: Soldier. Sinner. Saint. Some saints seem to be nearly perfect from birth—not so
with Ignatius. Before he gave up his life of privilege as a Spanish noble, Ignatius had been a playboy and
had killed men in battle. These imperfections make him relatable to those of us who aren’t yet saints.
3. He was brave. Ignatius demonstrated great bravery throughout his life, from his days as a soldier to his
recuperation from his battle injuries, to his appearance before the Inquisition and when he went to the
pope to request permission to found the Society of Jesus.
4. He was resilient. When the cannonball shattered Ignatius’s leg, it also shattered all of his dreams and
aspirations. Although Ignatius was initially devastated, he was not defeated. He adapted in the face of
adversity.
5. He persevered. Many people would have lost their desire to share their faith after having been
interrogated three times by the Inquisition. Ignatius, however, remained solid in his convictions and
undeterred by these trials.
6. He was determined. In whatever he did, whether it be in recovering from his wounded leg, getting an
education, or finding God, Ignatius was determined to succeed.
7. He gave solid advice. Ignatius learned from the excesses of his youth and his early penitential practices
of self-flagellation and fasting. As such, he prohibited extreme practices among his brothers in the
Society of Jesus. He instead encouraged a more balanced approach promoting the health of the body,
mind, and spirit.
8. He knew God. Ignatius powerfully experienced God’s love and mercy. He was on fire with God’s love,
and his joy in Christ was contagious. When he offered Mass, he was so often moved to tears by the
beauty that his doctor advised that he must stop crying or he would lose his eyesight!
9. He was a master at teaching how to pray. Long before it came into vogue, Ignatius taught anyone who
would listen how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. His concept of conversing directly with
Jesus through the use of the imagination is now a time-proven method of deepening one’s Christian
faith. His insights into the spiritual life in his Spiritual Exercises are unparalleled in helping to bring
people into closer relationship with God.
10. He gave the glory to God. When Ignatius was young, he sought glory for himself, his family, and his
country. As he progressed along his spiritual journey, though, he realized that God should always be the
recipient of our praise and glory. So, when he founded the Jesuits, Ignatius chose the motto, “For the
greater glory of God,” to ensure that all that he did and all that his order would do in the future would be
undertaken for and dedicated solely to the glory of God.