Magis Pilipinas

05/03/2026

Carss shared that she was able to introduce Magis Circles into their org, ACMG, at Ateneo de Manila University. She launched a new project called Formation Walks, which aims to deepen not just the members’ sense of service in the Mass, but also their spirituality and relationship with God and with one another.

They visited the different apostolates they serve in, College Chapel, Radyo Katipunan Studio Chapel, and the Church of the Gesù. It felt like a mini pilgrimage. Along the way, they shared reflections, experiences, and some background about each apostolate, with moments of silence and personal prayer.

They ended the walk with the Examen at the LST Terraces, then walked to the Gesù while singing Taizé prayers. After another period of personal prayer, they had their Magis Circles.

Carss mentioned that she really tried to make it a “mini Magis experiment,” and she’s very grateful that the members found grace in the experience. It was heartwarming to see how Ignatian spirituality resonated with them.
AM+DG.

12/02/2026

A Magis Circle was held tonight at the Ateneo de Manila dorms, facilitated by Scholastics Jeff Miraflor, SJ and Lorenzo Zura, SJ. Students, faculty, and staff gathered for a deep and honest sharing centered on giving—especially the call to approach God in our poverty and places of lack.

Many reflected on the grace of giving even when we feel we have little to offer, recognizing that it is often in our emptiness that God meets us most intimately. While participants came from different journeys and carried varied struggles, a common thread emerged: the same invitation to trust in God, who works through our weakness and sustains us in generosity.

06/02/2026

From Carrs, Magis Delegate from the Magis JCAP gathering in Taipei 2025:

"I would just like to share that Chesco, Dan, and I met last Thursday to talk about our own experiences in Taiwan and our plans for "Magis de Manila." By God's grace I think it was really fruitful and helpful that we got to meet and talk things out after a month. We hope to join what Bro. Jeff who has been initiating in the dorms the Thursday Adoration and Fellowship and recently he introduced Magis Circles. From there, we'll be working to build our own circles and schedule it a more convenient time for other students, not just dormers.

Last Thursday, I was able to join them in the dorms and it was so beautiful. It felt strange since I was not a dormer but at the same time oddly familiar because the essence of our experience in JCAP Magis was there —the fellowship, the sharing, and ultimately the presence of God.

Hoping my fellow Magis delegates Chesco and Dan could join me next time to see how Magis de Manila could potentially be.

I always keep all of you in my prayers and pray for your own initiatives and endeavors in your respective spaces."

We pray that more young people from Ateneo de Manila University and young alumni can slowly be formed through our Magis program! AMDG!

01/02/2026

A group of students from Ateneo de Manila University regularly gather to grow in their understanding of Ignatian spirituality and to build a community rooted in faith and friendship. Through Magis Circles, they listen deeply to one another’s stories, reflect on their lived experiences, and support one another in their journeys of faith and discernment. Guided by Jesuits Rev. Bien Cruz, SJ and Scholastic Jeff Miraflor, SJ, these gatherings help the students learn to find God in all things and to respond more generously to His call, deepening their love for God and strengthening their commitment to live for others.

27/01/2026

23/01/2026

For several years, Sch. Jeff Miraflor, SJ and Rev. Bien Cruz, SJ have been accompanying students in the University Dorms of Ateneo de Manila through regular sharing and presence. Recently, this group was introduced to the MAGIS Circle dynamics, offering a more intentional Ignatian way of reflecting together.

The sharing invited participants to reflect first on their personal experiences of consolation and desolation, helping them name where God has been present in their joys, struggles, and daily lives. The conversation then moved toward deeper listening, as members reflected on how others’ experiences resonated with them or invited them to greater openness and understanding. Finally, the group discerned how the Holy Spirit might be leading them as a community, noticing shared desires and emerging invitations. This process of communal reflection strengthened their sense of companionship and helped them see their gathering as a shared journey of faith.

Ignatian spirituality was also introduced to complement and deepen their weekly devotion to Eucharistic Adoration. Enriched by these practices, the group expressed a strong desire to continue the MAGIS Circle more regularly and to invite other young people into spaces of prayer, spiritual conversation, and service. From these small beginnings, the community hopes to grow and connect with other MAGIS peers across the Philippines, the Asia Pacific, and beyond. AMDG!

22/01/2026

Eunice and Madel, delegates to the JCAP MAGIS Youth Gathering in Taipei, recently met with Sch. Renzo Akiat, SJ, to share the fruits of their experience. What began as a simple conversation soon became a space of recollection, gratitude, and renewed desire to serve.

They spoke about Taipei not only as a place they traveled to, but as a grace-filled experience that continues to shape them. They shared stories of prayer, moments of silence, deep conversations with fellow young people from different cultures, and the surprising ways God made Himself present in ordinary encounters. There was laughter as they recalled light moments from the gathering, but also sincerity as they named the challenges, questions, and inner movements that surfaced during the days of prayer, reflection, and communal living.

Together with Sch. Renzo, the conversation gradually turned toward discernment: How can these fruits be shared? How can the spirit of MAGIS be lived and offered to more students in Ateneo de Naga University? Rather than rushing into grand plans, they spoke honestly about starting small—through simple gatherings, intentional conversations, moments of prayer and examen, and creating spaces where students can pause and notice where God is at work in their lives.

In their sharing, Eunice and Madel witnessed to a truth central to MAGIS: that when young people take time to reflect, listen, and gather in God’s presence, something quietly transformative happens. And from these small, faithful beginnings, the fruits are meant to be shared. Hopefully, MAGIS will grow and spread in their community.

22/01/2026

Fr Hak-joon Kim, SJ, known as Lorenzo, presented to the Enlarged Council of Father General the progress in the preparation of MAGIS 2027, the Ignatian meeting of young adults. The meeting will take place in South Korea from July 25 to August 2, 2027, just before World Youth Day in Seoul.

“It will be the first time that World Youth Day will be celebrated in a country where Christians are not in the majority”, Fr Hak-joon said during his presentation. “This represents a unique opportunity for interreligious dialogue and to show how Christian hope can flourish in any cultural context.”

Fr Hak-joon Kim, SJ, known as Lorenzo, presented to the Enlarged Council of Father General the progress in the preparation of MAGIS 2027, the Ignatian meeting of young adults. The meeting will take place in South Korea from July 25 to August 2, 2027...

21/01/2026

Eric, a delegate of the JCAP MAGIS Youth Gathering in Taipei, is now sharing with other young people in Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan the fruits of his experience. Inspired by the gathering, he has begun inviting his peers into spaces of prayer, examen, and conversation, helping them reflect on the movements of God in their daily lives. He writes:

I am grateful that I was finally able to initiate a MAGIS Circle at my school. It was nothing spectacular and it was not loud. It was simple, yet sincere. I did not have a vivid plan on how to do it, nor did I expect anything big to come out of it. I genuinely just wanted to respond to what I felt God was inviting me to do. All I had was the passion to share the blessings and graces I had received with my fellow schoolmates.

It was funny because less than twenty four hours before the session, I posted a story inviting anyone who might be interested. When the moment came, I honestly thought that no one would show up. It was already the scheduled time of 12:30 PM and still no one was there. Then, one after the other, people I knew arrived, three of them to be exact. Since time was running, I invited them to do the MAGIS Circle with me. That became our first official MAGIS Circle, with a total of three participants. To be honest, I did not expect many people to join at all. I was ready to do it even if only one person came.

As we entered moments of silence and went through each round of sharing, I noticed a feeling that reminded me of my time in Taiwan during the JCAP MAGIS Youth Gathering. Strangers or acquaintances were coming together and slowly becoming closer and more comfortable, held together by the grace of God. Even though we were not very close to one another, we were able to be vulnerable. There was a sense of ease, and I believe it was because God’s love was present among us, moving through our hearts and connecting us. He was sending His whispers into our hearts and His comfort through each other’s presence.

At the end, each participant expressed their gratitude and shared that they were blessed by the experience. We concluded with a prayer, and it was beautiful. As for me, I give all praise to God for using me as an instrument of His love. I hope to continue these sessions in the future, trusting that God will guide me in the next steps. Perhaps, in time, more people will be enlightened and moved to join. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

14/01/2026

09/01/2026

Walking with the youth at JCAP MAGIS Taipei. For Rev. Bien Cruz SJ, Coordinator of Magis Philippines, accompanying young people at the JCAP MAGIS Gathering in Taipei was both a privilege and a grace. In the many conversations and sharings with the youth, one thing stood out clearly: their natural desire to share what they have received.

Graces, as he reflected, are never meant to be kept to ourselves. They are meant to be shared—with friends, with peers, and even with those who may not yet be drawn to prayer or faith. What matters most is simply beginning somewhere, trusting that God is already at work in their hearts..

Rev. Bien also shared his deep gratitude to the Chinese Province MAGIS Formation Team for their generosity, wisdom, and warm welcome. Through both their words and their witness, they showed what it truly means to journey with young people—patiently, attentively, and with hope.

"What a privilege it has been to accompany young people at the the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific MAGIS gathering in Taipei, Taiwan. One thing that deeply struck me in our many sharings and conversations with the youth is the natural inclination to share; since graces are never meant to be kept to ourselves. They are gifts to be shared, with friends and peers, even with those who may not yet be interested in prayer. 'What matters is that we begin somewhere, trusting that God is already at work in their hearts.'
Also also deeply grateful to the Chinese Province MAGIS Formation Team for their generosity and wisdom. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly and for teaching all of us, through both words and witness, how to journey with young people in ministry."

In walking together, listening deeply, and trusting the Spirit, the MAGIS journey continues—one conversation, one shared grace at a time.

09/01/2026

Choosing God in the present moment. For Eric, a junior from Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, the JCAP Magis Gathering in Taiwan brought a quiet but profound clarity: what truly matters is not something to postpone, but something to choose—here and now. In intentionally seeking God in the present, he encountered a love that is patient, constant, and faithful even amid uncertainty and struggle.

Through shared journeys, moments of reflection, and the growing peace within, Eric discovered deeper direction and consolation. In becoming more attentive to God, he found himself more grounded, more hopeful, and more at peace with where he is and where he is being led.

"The greatest grace I received during the trip was the clarity of what truly matters in my life. Through the JCAP MAGIS gathering I realized that seeking God is not something to delay or fit in later, rather it is something to choose intentionally in the present. This understanding helped me experience God’s love as patient and constant, meeting me even in my uncertainty and struggles. See, I felt God’s love through the people I journeyed with, the moments of reflection, and the sense of peace that slowly grew within me. This is because in choosing to be more attentive to God, someway somehow I found deeper direction and consolation."

When we choose God in the present, clarity and consolation follow.