10 Signs You’ve Been Educated By The Jesuits

1. You know the entire life story of St. Ignatius of Loyola. You know this man. His teachings have truly been the background of your entire education. You know his prayer for generosity backwards and forwards. The Spiritual Exercises are nothing new to you, and you’ve taken part in an Examen or two.

2. You know what S.J. and AMDG stand for. You know that if someone’s name has an S.J. after it chances are they’re important, and you should probably behave in their presence. Also, AMDG has probably been engraved on a building on your campus along with all the other meaningful quotes that are ever so strategically placed.

3. You’ve been on a service trip or two, and loved them all. It’s true. You’ve put out a nice chunk your own (your parents) money to get on a plane, to go help someone else, and it was everything you’ve ever wanted. After your first service trip, you realized how fortunate you are, and that you have endless opportunities that aren’t given to everyone. You now understand why you were required to do service, and it has most likely become a part of your life.

4. Latin and Greek were once offered to you as class choices. Let’s face it, the Jesuits really enjoy the classics. Greek and Latin were a part of your education, and you just learned to accept it through all the pain and tears.

5. You can still pray in Latin. “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti.”  You know more, but who wants to brag….

6. In your eyes, anything less than 2 weeks is not a sufficient Christmas/Easter break. As expensive as your Jesuit education was, you really never spent that much time there. Along with Latin, the Jesuits enjoy some time off in excess amounts. But let’s be honest, you didn’t complain.

7. You have a favorite priest who has taught you some of life’s most important lessons. This man is the absolute shit. You go to him when you know no one else will understand/listen/care. He always knows what to say, and you know he genuinely cares about you to this day. He is like your own personal Aristotle.

8. You’re actually slightly confused/offended when people don’t know anything about the Jesuits. “What? I don’t understand.” *** In Talk Dirty- Jason Derulo Asian’s woman voice *** How could someone not know about something that has been such a big part of your life? This is a problem in your eyes. To fix this issue, you do as the Jesuits would ask of you and “go forth and set the world on fire” every day. You truly think it is important that everyone knows about the Jesuit mission.

9. You’ve been on a countless number of retreats. The Jesuits also seem to love retreats. There’s literally one for everything. The important ones probably made you cry and think that you “found yourself”. (They’re also more days not spent in class, but again, you didn’t mind).

10. You know what it means to be a good human being. Your parents literally spent tens of thousands of dollars so that you had the best education possible, but it means more to you than that. Yeah you’re pretty smart, but you also know what it feels like to do something for someone else, and you know importance behind it. You know what it means to live to serve others before yourself, and you have the Jesuits to thank for it.