Humility, Magis, and Discernment

Silent Examen
� Pause quietly and become mindful of God’s presence in you, and then thank Him for the
many gifts you have been given: life, intelligence, freedom, and family, friends, and
opportunities to share your many gifts with others.
� Pray for the light to see where God has been through the day- in what you experienced,
thought, decided, and acted upon...
� Look back and ask, “What happened? What did I do? To what was God calling me?”
And then, “Where was God in all this?” How can I best understand the situation?
� Evaluate: how well I have done? in recognizing God? in resisting evil?
� What actions should I take? What decisions must I make?
Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage,
wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in
your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink
the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My cup you will
indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left [, this] is not mine to give but is for those
for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became
indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them
felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall
be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son
of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Reading: “Humility, Magis, and Discernment: A Jesuit Perspective on Education for
Business Leadership,” by William Byron, SJ. Journal of Jesuit Business Education, Vol. 2, No. 1,
Summer 2011.
Questions:
1. Be Attentive: Recall moments in your career when your ambition has served you
and where it was a temptation. Recall moments when humility served you and
where it was a temptation. In these cases/moments, what were the personal
struggles and consequences for you and for your organization?
2. Be Intelligent: Look at how ambition and humility function in your organization.
What receives recognition and rewards? Why? What are the consequences?
3. Be Reasonable: How does Bill Byron’s way into an Ignatian strategy based on the
Spiritual Exercises cajole, entice you to reflect on these important values of ambition
and humility? Are you seeing application in your work/life?
4. Be Responsible: Are there current challenges facing you or your organization
where the discernment method would clarify and challenge current opinion? Are
you attending to emotional data as well as numerical and factual data in your
decision making practices? Do decisions lead to the “unintended consequences”
discussion? Is there an integration of head and heart to maximize good? Are you
and your organization practicing reflective and responsible leadership?
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