As we step away from the life of Ignatius, what view, personality characteristic, or aspect of his life did you identify with the most? Did you see any of yourself in him? Did you learn anything from him that you can apply to your own life?

Having learned Ignatius life, his mysticism is the first thing that comes up to my mind when i think of him. I identify myself with this characteristic because, like everyone else, I have goals we want to reach. Ignatius had the goal to help save souls and become the best saint and he followed his desire for these ambitions by doing the magis. I have a lot of goals, short term and long term. For short term I have to graduate and to get into graduate school. For long term I have to finish graduate school. But what am I going to do to get there? Like Ignatius, i have to be a mystic, in the sense that I see myself as capable of accomplishing my goals. This is easier said than done because I can have all the confidence in the world but I also need to work for my goal. It sounds corny , but by being a mystic I can believe in myself and do everything possible to work for my goal. This means doing the magis, never settling for the mundane. Being a mystic and doing the magis are not only for my benefit, but also for the community. With all the work I can do, It is only fair that I give back to the community in some way.

I have had these goals in mind since before I knew about Ignatius. But the story of Ignatius directed me to know exactly how to achieve my life goals. Ignatius’s life taught me that by having a goal and doing the magis I can achieve my goals. Being a mystic and doing the magis is not only for the sake of accomplishing life’s goals, but for the sake of becoming a person who works for that they want.