However, after he was seriously injured in his leg
defending Pamplona, he started experiencing a
WHO ARE JESUITS?
Jesuits are a community of religious people (who
have promised some vows) that are ready to serve
God wherever there is a need. The specific charisma
of Jesuits lies on the mission to the frontiers:
wherever there is a limit (material, human,
educational, scientific, spiritual...) and other
communities of the Church are not capable to
attend that need, Jesuits are available to go. Thats
why we can find Jesuits in many different missions:
the JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service), in parishes, in
schools and universities educating tomorrows
generation, in scientific or technical projects, in
Spiritual Centers accompanying people to find God
in their lives... We explore the depths of MAGIS, an
Ignatian word to choose always the best among the
good options according to Gods plan: the one which
provides more help, is more universal, empowers
more people to spread the Kingdom of God. Jesuits
embody a true interrelationship between polarities:
contemplatives in action, faith that works for social
justice, loyalty to the Church and at the same time
exploration of new apostolic missions beyond its
limits... To become a Jesuit requires following Jesus
with real audacity and creativity.
THE FOUNDER: IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
This religious order was founded by Saint Ignatius of
Loyola (1492-1556). Ignatius was a knight defending
the interests of noble families and kings in Spain.
HOW IS OUR LIFE?
spiritual language of God: happiness and enthusiasm
after reading the life of saints and the Gospels, but
emptiness and lack of satisfaction after imagining
that he could conquer kingdoms and ladies. This
difference made him realize that Gods dream for
him was a different one. He started praying more,
and eventually took the big decision: to leave his
wealth and dignities and start to pilgrimage in
poverty until the Holy Land.
On the way he understood that God had other
plans, and through several Spiritual movements
specially in a cave in Manresa, he started
understanding a bit more Gods proposal. He
prepared himself to preach and help others to meet
with God by studying at several universities,
finishing in Paris (1534). There he had encouraged a
number of fellow companions with the same spirit
to serve God: starting with Francis Xavier and Peter
Faber, and later on welcoming others.
Eventually all of them were ordained priests, and
before the impossibility to reach the Holy Land
because of a war with the Turks, they made
themselves available to the Pope. Pope Paul III
approved finally the new religious order in 1540. In
addition to the three common vows (poverty,
chastity, obedience) they would promise a fourth
vow of special obedience to the Pope regarding
missions, as a body to reach those difficult places
where other people in the Church are not ready to
go.
Vows of Jesuits are a small no (Jesuits renounce to
something) for a big YES (to reach a wider
horizon). Jesuits promise POVERTY, meaning that
they dont have personal properties: they live in
communities and share everything. This small no
to material goods is a big YES to trust in God only,
and not to be slave of accumulating belongings.
Jesuits also promise CHASTITY, meaning that they
renounce to the exclusivity of having sexual
relationships or any commitment with women, in
order to embrace the inclusivity of loving and
serving everyone as Christ did. Community life as
true brothers, sharing the same spirit, is an essential
part of our lifestyle as companions of Jesus. Jesuits
promise OBEDIENCE, meaning that we sacrifice
having the last word or decision in our lives and
projects, in order to get something greater: thanks
to the availability of every individual, the whole
religious body can attend a huge variety of needs,
because members are ready to go elsewhere.
Finally, Jesuits promise SPECIAL OBEDIENCE TO THE
POPE ON MISSIONS, meaning a special fourth vow
that dispose us to be ready for any urgent need on
the frontiers of the world, where no one else is
willing to go. Jesuits can be Priests or Brothers. The
first ones receive the sacrament of Ordination in
order to use it in their ministry (celebrating the
Eucharist, confessing...). Instead, Brothers have a
special charisma of service in material or spiritual
needs. All of them live together in communities.
OUR FORMATION
Jesuits believe that in order to help the souls it is
necessary to receive a solid formation: our missions
are usually risky and challenging, so excellence,
knowledge and good quality of discernments are
necessary to reach the best decisions.
Jesuit formation starts with the PRE-NOVITIATE,
which is a period of one year where candidates are
asked to share several times with vocational
delegates to test them spiritually and
psychologically. If they seem to fit in the Jesuit
charisma, they are proposed to meet with Fr.
Provincial in order to be accepted in the Novitiate.
The following stage is the NOVITIATE, the
fundamental 2-years period of Ignatian formation
where Jesuits fix their spiritual roots through
learning from a Novice Master our Tradition and
ways of discernment, and where each member
grows up through six different experiments to setup
the Jesuit character. At the end of these years the
Jesuit promises perpetually the three basic vows:
poverty, chastity and obedience.
After the Novitiate, a 3-years period of PHILOSOPHY
is intended to teach the Jesuit in the deepest
existential questions of the human being. These
questions are going to be a key to understand our
surrounding reality. This period could be prolonged
for special studies (JUNIORATE) during some years
in order to study a civil University Degree.
The next stage is REGENCY, 2 years of commitment
in a practical mission, normally related to education
(in schools, universities, JRS...). During this time,
questions from Philosophy are to be put in contrast
with the reality.
Once finished, the 3-years stage of THEOLOGY
builds a solid ground of possible approaches to
questions collected from Philosophy and from
Regency. The main areas of Christian knowledge
(Bible, Christology, Liturgy...) are analyzed in depth.
During the last year of Theology Scholastics (Jesuits
in formation who are willing to become Priests) are
normally ORDAINED DEACONS. After half to one
year they may apply for a PRIESTHOOD
ORDINATION.
After some years of apostolic work, Jesuits do the
TERTIANSHIP, some months of digestion going
back to the roots of our Tradition with the
experience of the reality. After that, the Society of
Jesus may grant the Jesuit his FINAL VOWS, after
which he is accepted as a full member.
IS GOD CALLING YOU TO BECOME A JESUIT?
If in your prayers you constantly feel peace and
happiness when considering this option, if you are
willing to give your whole life to God without putting
any limits... probably the Society of Jesus is your COMPANIONS OF JESUS
vocation and home. MOST WELCOME!
PEOPLE OF MAGIS
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FORGING STORIES SINCE 1540