Go forth and set the world on fire – wise words of St.

Ignatius of Loyola as he advocates

everyone to leave a significant mark for the betterment of the world. Born in the mountainous Basque
region of Northern Spain in 1491, St. Ignatius of Loyola was once a knight grounded upon pride and
arrogance but have suffered a life changing injury that made him draw closer to God as he dwells into
reflection and spirituality. His story of excellence and spirituality should be an inspiration to everyone for
he is a living testament as to how we can use our influence for the betterment of society. Moreover, an
image of resiliency and love; being able to recuperate with grace as he overcome circumstances in the
pursuit to serve God and his people. Among his notable principles are Magis and Cura Personalis; values
that an Atenean should uphold at all times. Magis in the sense of excellence – deprivation from
mediocrity grounded upon love for other people. Cura Personalis on the other hand, emphasizes on
compassion and personal care for others. It is to every Atenean’s delight to witness St. Ignatius’ story
illustrated in a film in the hopes to spread inspiration and motivation to leave a wonderful mark in this
world. I am indeed privileged to watch such an inspiring film for it encouraged me to aspire more and to
achieve my dreams in the service of God and His people. Being a future Registered Nurse, I stand
between the fine line of life and death, hence I am motivated to work to the best of my abilities with
love and compassion for others – in line with St. Ignatius’ mission to the world.

As I watch the film last June 24, 2019, I was amazed by the technicalities of the film. Moreover,
the scene that struck me the most was one of the major turning points of his life; the choice of leaving
his possessions to live a life grounded upon humility and simplicity. Being blessed with a supportive
family, beautiful house, and other abundant resources is a privilege that anyone dreams of. In the case
of St. Ignatius, after thorough reflection and realization, he made a choice to leave all of these behind to
go for an adventure of finding God in the most mundane things. It is an act of humility and bravery that
serves as an inspiration to everyone, a message of hope that we should never put material things in the
center of our lives. I was struck because the profound message of the scene moved me and made me
realize that it is only God that can fill in our satisfaction. It also tells us to use our talents to the
advantage of others; sharing them and upholding their dignity. St. Ignatius of Loyola has always been an
image of resiliency – one of his major characteristics where I can resonate to the most. Like him, I have
been through a lot of emotional, physical, and financial challenges in my life. With the grace of God, I
have fortunate enough to recover with grace as I chose to perceive such challenges as lessons; an
avenue for me to grow as a person. Similar with how St. Ignatius recovered from the injury he suffered.
He took advantage of such circumstance to reflect and realize actions that could make him a much
better person. During those times he was able to establish his own way of proceeding, his own
spirituality, and his own way of understanding man’s relationship with God. With these, I define
Spirituality as a way of proceeding. It is a connection that aims to establish a communication between
God and man. It seeks to understand the profound meaning of God’s relationship with the rest of the
world. Moreover, Spirituality for me is a way of life; a commitment of constantly finding God in all
things, finding the origin of how a thing works and its interdependence with other things. Therefore,
Spirituality for me is a way of life that seeks to understand the interdependence of all things with God in
the pursuit of establishing internal cohesion.
 Overall, watching the film made me realize a few things. First, material things are simply facades
of something that is greater. It is our choice to seek for it in order to achieve satisfaction in a profound
level. Second, resiliency is one of the greatest principles that everyone should embrace. As we face new
challenges everyday coping with the fast-changing world, we should be able to recover with grace as we
seek for the brightest things in the darkest situations. Finally, to leave a significant mark for the benefit
of everyone is man’s greatest mission. To be able to contribute to existing knowledge, to be able to
work to the best of our abilities, and to be able to love everyone regardless of hindrances would mold us
into the best version of ourselves. Let the story of St. Ignatius of Loyola be an inspiration of hope,
aspiration, and resiliency for all of us. Let us live a life grounded upon reflection and spirituality,
constantly seeking for God’s presence and understanding his profound relationship to everything. Go
forth and set the world on fire, let us make every single step of our journey memorable enough for
every step has an impact not only to our story, but also to the story of others.