Photo: Claudio Schwarz, Unsplash
Ignatian Wisdom
Anchoring oneself to reach out to others by Fannie Dionne
“
Men and women for others.” We often hear this Jesuit expression, especially in schools where students engage with people who are marginalized. But what does the phrase really mean? How do we embody it in our daily lives? For the always-enlightening Fr. Michel “Jim” Lefebvre, SJ, we are men and women for others, first of all, by listening to those closest to us.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD The popular expression “men and women for others” is a direct reference to all that relates to solidarity, but at the same time it is a call to go beyond oneself, to step out of one’s comfort zone and privileged physical and intellectual environment to realize that not all people enjoy such qualities and privileges. As Fr. Lefebvre notes, “It is an invitation to have a different, more interior way of looking at things, a perspective that goes beyond appearances. It’s not just about focusing on the person in front of you, it requires asking yourself: Who is this person? What is he or she living? What can I do for him or her?”
28 CANADIAN JESUITS
