“Men and Women
for others.” 
Pedro Arrupe, S.J.

After eight years at Saint Gabriel Elementary School in San Francisco, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, an all-boys Jesuit high school in San Francisco. I completed my undergraduate studies at Santa Clara University and earned my Master’s degree at the University of San Francisco. Traditionally, Jesuit schools had been all-male. Santa Clara went coed in 1961, followed by USF in 1964. SI made the decision to accept girls in 1989. 

During my four years at Saint Ignatius, I never heard the phrase “Men for Others.” I graduated in 1972, one year before the phrase was introduced by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), in an address to Jesuit high school alumni in Valencia, Spain. At that time, most Jesuit high school graduates were, in fact, men. In the years since then, the phrase has been adapted to recognize women educated in the Jesuit tradition: “Men and Women for Others.”

Fr. Arrupe’s message, now embraced by Jesuit educational institutions throughout the world, challenges us to make concrete actions of love and service a priority in our lives. This is consistent with Ignatius’ fundamental belief that we are all called to share in God’s work of healing in the world. Ignatius taught that we are most human, most fulfilled, when our lives are characterized by love, service, and compassion. 

Nelson Mandela, the first president of South Africa, echoed Ignatius’ message when he said, “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

Sadly, all too many people link the significance of their life with their job title, salary, the type of car they drive, professional honors bestowed upon them, the size and location of their home, and other such trivial factors. While these things may indicate, to some, the success one has achieved in life, none of these things determine the significance of their lives. Far more important are the ways in which we have loved, served, and showed compassion to others. These will determine the true significance of our lives. 

It’s important to recognize that such actions of love and service do not have to be done on a large scale. Some people, like Mandela and Mother Teresa, are called to make a positive difference in the lives of whole populations of people. Others, however, may be called to make a positive difference in the life of just one person or one family. 

The time has come for us to stop judging the significance of our lives by the accumulation of worldly possessions. Loving, serving, and showing compassion to others does not require a great deal of material wealth. It is through actions such as these that we truly become “Men and Women for Others.”