At the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:
illustrate the prophetic leadership of Mother Ignacia
cite instances in Mother Ignacia’s life that manifest her prophetic leadership
apply concretely the prophetic leadership as shown by Mother Ignacia in their day to day living
At our baptism we were marked with an oil as a sign that we are consecrated to God and anointed by the Holy Spirit. Our anointing was also a sign that the baptized person joined Christ and shared in his threefold mission as prophet, priest and king.
A prophet is a messenger of God’s Word, a witness to God who calls people to conversion. Mother Ignacia was a perfect example of this. She was a living testimony of her faith. Throughout her life, she remained to be faithful to God by serving the community of beatas. She courageously took the mission when she left home, though she didn't know what kind of life awaits her. She surely trusted God for this. This is what characterizes Mother Ignacia’s true prophetic leadership. A kind of leadership patterned after the heart of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
Faith: Prophetic witness to the Gospel
“And now, O Israel, listen to the precepts and judgements which I am teaching you, so that, by doing these, you may live, and you may enter and possess the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, will give to you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1)
Mother Ignacia is a prophet of her time since she received the call when she underwent the retreat and was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Though promised by her parents to marry, Mother Ignacia followed what she believed God’s plan for her life - that is to serve her Divine Majesty by the sweat of her brow. She injured all the hardships and summoned all her courage and faith in God to go against the culture of her time which was dominated by racial prejudice and social injustice.
As a prophet, she proclaimed in her life what Jesus taught her in her deep communion through prayer and humble service with the oppressed, discriminated, and despised by society. She stood for what is right and disposed her fully without reserve to Jesus whom she considered her beloved Spouse. She made flesh what Jesus worked for when she was still physically present in this world. She welcomed all people in all walks of life in her Beaterio, she educated poor children, gave retreat to the recogidas and out priority to other’ needs.
Though Mother Ignacia is not physically present now, yet her spirit lives on. Her prophetic leadership is now seen in her present beatas who worked for the different ministries namely, education, retreat, care for the elderly, social ministry, dormitory, and special ministry.
Mother Ignacia is a true prophet addressing a certain need of her time based on the special call from God.
Mother Ignacia lived in a society that is full of division, domination, and discrimination. She witnessed how culture differs and how wealth, and power interplay. This was not her dreamed society. She dreamed a society of equality, full of love and patterned in the values lived by Jesus as she was inspired by the Holy Spirit. By the same Holy Spirit, Mother Ignacia courageously and faithfully responded to Jesus’ call – to stand for the truth and follow Jesus’ commandment: Love one another as I have loved you (Jn 15:11-12). This is the true mark of a true prophet. Love and faith to the one who called without reserve. These values are indeed seen in the life of Mother Ignacia and continue up to the present.
The Prophetic leadership of Mother Ignacia was shown in the following instances:
1. She left home and lived the sweat of her brow and became an example that women can be leaders and should not only be confined in the house.
2. She formed a congregation of sisters who are contemplative in action; this was in contrast to the monastic way of life which was prevailing during her time.
3. She gave retreats and catechisms to women and children
4. She accepted all women who wanted to join the beaterio regardless of their race and status in life.
IFP Module 7- Mo. Ignacia & Leadership Session 4
National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines 3146-147