Back in February, we shared resources to help educators and students too to go deeper into the path of the acquisition of competence, and the transformation to commitment. This month, we are continuing with another key dimension of the 4C’s. We are delighted to share resources to foster growth in compassion. 

« Jesuit education promotes experiences that encourage students to put themselves in their fellows’ shoes, of the marginalized. Our educational reference for the compassionate person is the figure of Jesus, in his most human form: understanding of our weaknesses, but steadfast in denouncing injustice. » Human Excellence: CCCC. p.9. Jesuit Education: The Committed Person. 

In the SIPEI Vision Statement, the Person of Compassion is summarized as follows “Compassion does not imply simply feeling sorry for someone or a group of people. Anyone can feel sympathetic, but do nothing.” It also states that « Compassion is a prerequisite to positive action; it recognized human dignity, a person’s worth that stems simply and profoundly from being loved by God. Compassion, leading to solidarity, should compel us to address the structures of any institution so that we and our students can become agents of change, in order to go on dreaming God’s dream. »

But how can Compassion lead to Solidarity? Peter McVerry SJ, in « The Compassionate Person », explains, « Compassion is a spontaneous response of the heart. But the plight of those to whom our hearts reach out spontaneously in compassion must be reflected upon. The actions which result from that reflection are the expression of true compassion. » And he continues, « Reflection, then, is an integral part of the insertion experience. Reflection moves us from compassion (a spontaneous feeling of distress) to solidarity. A good insertion experience will produce in the student a feeling that « it is good for us to be here. » But unless adequately reflected upon, insertion experiences can be transitory and forgettable as the « it is good for us to be here » feeling fades or is pushed aside by other more pressing demands such as the pressure of exams. »

In this article, we would like to recommend some resources which have been shared by members which might help teachers, in the different Jesuit schools around the world, to go deeper into the path of reflection and awaken in their students a desire to do something or do more, to bring about change as persons of solidarity, with those in need.

These practical resources can be adapted to the context of each school or classroom.

To start, why not revisit Peter McVerry SJ’s presentation? This was shared in 2014 during the International Seminar on Ignatian Pedagogy and Spirituality (SIPEI), organized by the Secretariat for Education of the Society of Jesus. There is a summary video which we invite you to watch here or if you prefer you can read the full speech here.

Additionally, and after you have had some time to reflect on this lecture we propose integrating in your classroom some of the following lesson plans:

1. “Dignity of Every Human Being“. This lesson can be used for “asynchronous” class meetings (students access the course materials online at a time of their choosing and interact with each other over a longer period of time), Cora Antonio,  Theology Teacher at Bellarmine College Preparatory in the United States has created this Powerpoint Presentation on Human Dignity where she included voice-overs on some slides to assist students with their remote-learning. Also included here is a Word Document with some reflections for the lesson.
2. “CHANGE: Lesson Materials on Migration, Refugees and Inclusive Societies“. CHANGE, a project created by JRS Europe, aims to encourage students (12-18 years old) to think critically about the issues of refugees, migration, and creating inclusive societies.
3. « Walk a Mile in My Shoes – Refugee Simulation ». These are lesson plans and support materials for the ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes‘ Refugee Simulation, put together by Malia Bernards at Jesuit High School Portland.

We encourage you to reflect on and implement these great resources, and also to share with us what has your school done so far to promote Compassion and Solidarity among the school community.

You can find more classroom materials like the ones suggested above in the Classroom Materials section of Educate Magis.

If you have useful resources on the Compassionate Person please share them with us at info@educatemagis.org. Thank you!