Fostering Reflection
There are many reasons why Jesuit education has been successful over the last 500 years. Some are well known. Cura personalis or care of the person, magis, or striving for excellence, and becoming men and women for others are all hallmarks of good Jesuit education. Yet, as equally important and somewhat overlooked is the importance of developing habits of reflection.
The act of reflecting, or stepping back to consider one’ s life, one’ s actions, one’ s challenges, and perhaps most importantly one’ s relationship to god goes back to St. ignatius and his Spiritual exercises. it is woven throughout the experience of Jesuit education in ways both implicit and explicit, and is key to identifying successes and failures, as well as the ways in which god may be calling us. Among the prayers that St. ignatius insisted be prayed by his Jesuits is a prayer of self-reflection entitled The examen to be prayed twice a day: once at noon and once at the end of the day. in it one considers the events of the day, both good and bad, and attempts to identify how god was at work in such events.
inspired by St. ignatius, the practice of reflection is a key element of the Fordham prep experience. From pedagogy to prayer, reflection is fostered at the prep. it is an essential element of lesson planning, particularly in considering the contexts of both subject material and individual learner. every Friday morning, the prep community prays the ignatian examen, and while the core elements of becoming aware of god’ s presence, expressing gratitude for gifts received, identifying both what moves us and calls us to greater love of god and neighbor, and asking for the Spirit’ s aid in all we do are always attended to, we have learned that such core elements can be adapted to certain situations. For example, we have prayed the examen in light of vocations, hunger, Advent, epiphany and Lent to name a few, and thus deepened our reflection.
These retreat experiences lead to greater bonds among the community’ s members as well as a deeper awareness of how god is acting in our lives. Starting in sophomore year, an integral part of the training of our student retreat leaders is the reflection and sharing of prayer and identifying where god’ s presence has been experienced in both the ordinary and extraordinary moments of one’ s life. As our sophomore, junior and senior leaders grow in their ability to recognize god, they are able to inspire and teach their peers to do the same.
perhaps an analogy from our Sophomore Discovery retreat can best express the importance of reflection in the life of the prep community. One unknowing volunteer stands within inches of a wall and with head and eyes straight forward is asked to describe what he sees with each step he takes back. His perspective and his vantage inevitably changes as he is able to see more. it is this seeing more accomplished through reflection that gives greater life to the Fordham prep experience.
Campus Ministry reflection plays a vital role within the prep’ s retreat program. The prep’ s four-year retreat program speaks to the value and importance of taking time to stop and consider one’ s relationship to self, god and others.
Michael Kravatz Director of Student ministry
Spring / Summer 2016 | 15