Raised by Jesuits: Reason, Conscience, and Complexity in the Modern World

A Jesuit Viewpoint of the First Toltec Agreement, Be Impeccable with Your Word When Don Miguel Ruiz published The Four Agreements , he drew on ancient Toltec wisdom , a tradition that sees words as magic, capable of casting spells of freedom or harm. His first and most foundational agreement, Be Impeccable with Your Word , asks us to speak with integrity, avoid gossip, and use language to create truth and love. I can’t help but hear an Ignatian echo in this teaching. Jesuit spirituality treats words as sacred tools, to be used with discernment, humility, and purpose. Both traditions remind us that every word we speak shapes the world. Truth + Discernment Jesuit teaching goes further than Ruiz’s invitation to personal integrity. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, encouraged discernment: asking not just Is this true? but Should I say it? How should I say it? When? Being impeccable isn’t just blurting out truth; it’s aligning our speech with love, humility, and timing...

The Strength of Gentleness One of my favorite saints, though one who isn’t as renowned as others, is St. Francis de Sales. Where our world equates strength with dominance and aggression, St. Francis de Sales offers a radically countercultural truth: "Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength." — St. Francis de Sales This single sentence captures the heart of his spiritual vision: that genuine strength is not loud, domineering, or forceful—but patient, compassionate, and grounded in love. A Life Shaped by Mercy and Wisdom Born in 1567 in the Duchy of Savoy, St. Francis de Sales was destined for a career in law before he felt called to the priesthood. He eventually became Bishop of Geneva during a time of great religious conflict, yet his pastoral approach was marked by calm and humility, not confrontation. In a time of theological polemics and political unrest, he chose gentleness over argument, persuasion over coercion. “There was n...