A helpful thought on Ignatian education for the upcoming academic year from the former Superior General of the Jesuits, Peter Hans Kolvenbach:

Intellectual development of each student’s God-given talents is a prominent objective of Jesuit education, but it is not the ultimate goal. That can only be the full growth of the person which leads to action – action suffused with the spirit of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the Man-for-Others. All are called today not just to analyze the problems of the world community, but to help build up that community. This demands of students self-discipline, initiative in study, integrity, generosity and critical thinking. In Ignatian terms, it demands that they be “contemplatives in action.”

Matt Emerson is the author of Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press, 2016). His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including America and The Wall Street Journal.