SHOWING THE WAY TO GOD
By Dean Wearmouth
Principal, St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College, Auckland
I often hear feedback from within the college and the wider community that we are becoming known for high standards across the whole school experience. Whilst it is great to hear so much positive feedback about our standards, they all relate and stem from our one true standard. The word “standard” has an interesting history; its etymology helps us to unpack its meaning. It also helps us to unpack how St Ignatius of Loyola understood it and what our one true standard is at the college.
The word “standard” probably stems from the combination of two words: “stand” and “hard” in the Frankish language. The word would have been used to describe a flag attached to a pole and fixed into the ground. The term “standard” would have represented something like a kingdom or a city or a noble family and represented where people “stood”.
It is easy to imagine St Ignatius having a clear understanding of what a standard was as he went into battle in the name of the Loyola family. The Loyola family standard would have been carried by a standard bearer into battle, reflecting who the army represented and were fighting for, in effect, where they stood. We can see parts of the standard that St Ignatius and his family used because elements of it are contained in our own school crest.
During his conversion, St Ignatius left his old standard of fighting and fame and fortune for a new standard, and this was the standard of Christ. The words and actions of St Ignatius flowed from the new standard that he was adhering to: the standard of the Cross. So when St Ignatius talks about “two standards” in The Spiritual Exercises, we can understand that we have a clear choice to make in terms of how we live our lives. Do we look at material things as a standard and ask ourselves what we want and how we want to live or do we look at ourselves and ask how Christ lives within us and who we have been called to be? Christ calls us to follow him and when we are following him, we achieve the highest human standards.
The true standard at St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College is the standard of the Cross and when we follow Jesus and live in this standard, then we can become truly excellent and truly who we have been called to be.
Adapted from the original version published in a recent St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College Auckland Newsletter.
Banner image of St Ignatius statue by David McMahon.