(pronounced "màh-gis") is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word that means "more" or "greater". It is related to , a

phrase meaning "for the greater glory of

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

", the motto of the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

. refers to the

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

of doing more for

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

, and therefore doing more for others. It is an expression of an aspiration and inspiration. It relates to forming the ideal society centered on

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

From Ignatian retreat

Modern use of the word is often traced to St. Ignatius's

Spiritual Exercises The ''Spiritual Exercises'' (), composed 1522–1524, are a set of Christian meditations, contemplations, and prayers written by Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th-century Spanish Catholic priest, theologian, and founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesui ...

or retreat, where he would have the exercitant ask: "What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? and What ought I to do for Christ?" The ''more'' intimately the person comes to know Christ, according to St. Ignatius, the ''more'' the person will love him and the ''more'' closely the person will follow him. Throughout the Exercises, a grace the person asks for is to follow Christ ''more'' closely or to do what is ''more'' pleasing to God. This is frequently mentioned in the "points" for contemplating Christ's life which Ignatius proposes. Ignatius calls it the highest degree of humility for people to always want to be ''more'' like Christ in matters of poverty and worldly honors. Also, in what Ignatius calls the "First Principle and Foundation of the Christian life", he concludes with the admonition: "our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created". This concept of doing "more" occurs frequently throughout the Ignatian Exercises.

Impact

Contemporary uses of often have Ignatian roots. Beginning in 1997 Jesuits have invited students to a " gathering", as before

World Youth Day World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for the youth organized by the Catholic Church that was initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1985. Its concept has been influenced by the Light-Life Movement that has existed in Poland since the 1960s, where dur ...

celebrations, to share the ideals which they learned in the Jesuit tradition. Additionally, the name "" has been used for a Jesuit journal and newspaper and on banners heralding Jesuit education. The term is frequently central to the mission statement of Jesuit schools and can serve as a name for a voluntary service program or for an educational enhancement program for needy students. A video produced by Jesuits points out that the "more" is a matter of depth and quality, rather than of quantity.

Usage in Jesuit higher education

The concept of as an ideal of life is emphasized in many of the Jesuit universities across the globe. One of the 10 service organizations on campus at

Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. LMU enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, making it the largest Catholic university on the west coast of the ...

uses Magis as its name. The organization stands to allow students to be leaders and contribute in the greater Los Angeles Community in the areas of Homelessness and Education, citing their three pillars of Service, Diversity, and Spirituality on the strive for "The more" that is emphasized in the contemporary definition of the term.

References

{{Jesuits Ignatian spirituality Latin mottos Latin religious words and phrases Ignatius of Loyola