At Jesuit schools we seek to develop our student’s full potential and that includes the oftentime neglected spiritual dimension of our lives. As such, we hope to pay special attention to the Faith Formation dimension of education, which is at the heart of the Ignatian vision and pedagogy. Below are some key concepts to explore:
Faith is belief in something (or Someone) accompanied by an interior conviction which leads to a personal commitment to live in accordance with that belief. Thus, faith entails two inseparable dimensions: a) intellectually understanding and assenting to the reality one believes in, and b) seeking to live in accordance with the values and the worldview that stem from that belief.
Christian faith can be summed up very briefly in the belief that God revealed Himself and was fully present in Jesus Christ, who taught us how to be free from the power of selfishness (sin) and whose love, expressed fully in His death and Resurrection, can save us even from death. If this is true (believed in faith) then it follows that we must seek to live out the teachings and example of Christ in order to receive the fullness of God’s salvation.
Catholic faith includes all the central Christian beliefs plus some truths about how the presence and action of God continues to manifest itself in history in a special way though the Church, the sacraments, and several other spiritual practices.
It is important to notice that faith is not necessarily contrary to science or reason. Faith and reason or science offer complementary explanations to different dimensions of reality. Scientific belief rests on empiric evidence to reach its conclusions, while religious faith relies on the testimony of a vast community of witnesses, as well as personal experience. Unlike science, religious faith offers answers to the most important questions that humans inevitably ask, such as: what is the meaning and purpose of life? How can we be free and happy? What happens after death? How should we live? Etc.
Faith formation is the work of helping people deepen both dimensions of faith mentioned above. It includes an inytellectual dimension: teaching and learning about the contents of what Christians believe in an effort to increase our understanding of these realities and of the reasons that make them reliable. And also an affective, experiential dimension which including engaging with practices that help dispose ourselve to experience God and His love in more concrete personal ways so that our lives can be transformed for the better. Faith formation can take many forms: personal reading, catequesis, workshops, retreats, or any activity that meaningfully exposes us to the reality of God. In the Christian tradition, community has always been the prviledged space for learning about, and experiencing the presence of God. None of us can grow in faith alone, so it is helpful to find a group of people, where we can find support and company on the journey.
The promotion of faith formation among the youth was the central motivation which led St. Ingatius and the Society of Jesus to open schools. Education, Catholic or not, is about fostering each student’s potential to become the best possible version of themselves. In the Catholic and Ignatian tradition, we believe that for human flourishing to be complete, it must include intellectual, affective, moral, as well as spiritual development. Faith formation aims to integrate these different dimentions of the person in relationship to God, who knows, loves, and calls each student to complete fulfilment by discovering their unique gifts and using them to serve others.
Evangelization is the effort by those who have faith in the Gospel (the story, the message, and the ongoing action of Jesus) to make it known and experienced by people who, for whatever reason, do not yet believe or know it. It necessarily includes elements of faith formation, but it tends to focus on presenting the core beliefs of the Christian faith as well as addressing possible objections and difficulties that may be preventing people form believing in the Gospel. Since its beginning, evangelization was a central aspect of the mission of the Society of Jesus.
Spirituality, in general, refers to the particular set of practices (which presuppose certain specific beliefs) that a person or community embraces in order to deepen their life of faith and their relationship with God. Because God is such an inexhaustibly rich Mystery, and because believers and communities throughout history have been so different in their personality, contexts, and gifts there is room for multiple spiritualities (or approaches) within the same Catholic faith.
Ignatian spirituality refers to the specific approach to relationship with God and to faith development that stemmed from the experiences and writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the 16th century founder of the Society of Jesus. One central characteristic of Ignatian spirituality is its focus on discerning (prayerfully discovering) how God calls us each to a unique way of following Christ and being fruitful through service. Ignatian Spirituality is very practical and tends to emphasise Spiritual Exercises carefully designed to gradually lead a person into deeper freedom through friendship with Christ and greater awareness of one’s inner life.
Let’s talk about Prayer
Join us for a new series of online formation meetings, an opportunity for everyone working in the JECSE network of schools to deepen their understanding and personal experience of prayer. Each meeting is a separate entity dedicated to a different theme and everyone can choose which one(s) they wish to attend. The common moment of each meeting is a time of prayer and reflection following the prepared guidelines. For organisational reasons, we ask participants to sign up for a specific session each time.
