SSJ Spiritual Resources
Prayer Resources
Our personal spiritual growth is nourished and enhanced by daily, or frequent, spiritual readings, prayers, and periods of quiet contemplation and reflection. Here we offer you a variety of resources from within the larger SSJ community to assist you on your journey.
Three Minute Retreat (Loyola Press) offers a new bite-sized retreat daily, filled with Scripture passages, soothing music, and reflection questions that you can pray at your own pace whenever you find time during your daily activities.
Sacred Space may be accessed directly from your computer or through an App on Apple/iOS and Android/Google Play devices. This resource helps make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day for prayer with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance. To learn more, click here.
Pray As You Go is an App available on iTunes and Google Play. It is designed for use on portable devices to help you pray whenever you find time during your daily activities. Learn more here.
Daily Reflections from Creighton University is a website offering reflections on the Scripture readings of each day. To learn more, click here.
“A simple life-changing prayer: Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Examen”, by Jim Manney.
This book introduces a 500-year-old form of prayer that St. Ignatius developed for the purpose of nurturing a reflective habit of mind that is constantly attuned to God’s presence. Available on Amazon as paperback or Kindle edition.
“Catholic Spiritual Practices: A Treasury of Old and New”, edited by Colleen Griffith and Thomas Groome.
This book contains a collection of respected Catholic authors writing about a rich variety of prayer practices, traditional and contemporary. Available on Amazon as hardcover or Kindle edition.
Spirituality Resources
Becky Eldredge Website — https://beckyeldredge.com/
Catholic Women Preach — Reflections on Sunday Scripture Readings – https://www.catholicwomenpreach.org/
Center for Action and Contemplation — Richard Rohr – https://cac.org/
Center for Christogenesis — Ilia Delio – https://christogenesis.org/
Contemplative Prayer Outreach — Centering Prayer Practices – https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/about-us/
Creighton University Online Ministries — https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html
Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox — https://dailymeditationswithmatthewfox.org/
Earth Literacies – Igniting Our Connection with Earth — https://www.earthliteracies.org/
Institute for Religion and Science — A Regional Center Exploring Science and Spirituality – https://www.iras.org/
Jan Richardson — https://www.janrichardson.com/
Ignatian Spirituality
ISC (Ignatian Spirituality Centre) Spirituality Centre, Glasgow — https://www.iscglasgow.co.uk/
Ignatian Spirituality Center in Geneva — https://sites.google.com/view/geneva-isc/home
Ignatian Spirituality – A Service of Loyola Press — https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/
Finding God in All Things – Loyola Press — https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/ignatian-spirituality/finding-god-in-all-things/
Ignatian Spirituality – Jesuits — https://www.jesuits.org/spirituality
Finding God in All Things/The Society of Jesus/Jesuits Global — https://www.jesuits.global/spirituality/finding-god-in-all-things/
Jesuits in Britain — https://www.jesuit.org.uk/
Jesuits East — https://www.jesuitseast.org/
Jesuits West — https://www.jesuitswest.org/spirituality/ignatian-spirituality/
The Jesuit Post — https://thejesuitpost.org/
God in All Things – Andy Otto Website — https://godinallthings.com/about/about-andy/
Additional Resources
Monasteries of the Heart – Erie Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister — https://www.monasteriesoftheheart.org/
National Catholic Register — https://www.ncregister.com/
National Catholic Reporter — https://www.ncronline.org/
Caroline Myss — https://www.myss.com/
A Modern Take on Maxims
Maxims of the Little Institute and the Maxims of Perfection
The Maxims of the Little Institute are extracted in various ways from a spiritual book composed by Father MédaiIle at a date unknown to us and eventually published at Clermont-Ferrand in 1657 under the rather lengthy title: Maxims of Perfection for Souls Aspiring to the Great Virtue.
These 100 short sayings helped the first Sisters of St. Joseph grow in virtue. We share them here, along with contemporary translations developed by Susan Wilcox, CSJ, Brentwood, and a group of her students.
MAXIM 12
ORIGINAL
Choose to bear all the evils of time rather than the least of eternity, all the evils of nature rather than the least deprivation of grace, since all kinds of reasons illumined by faith teach you to live according to this truth.
Original Maxim 12
as written by Fr. Médaille
MAXIM 26
ORIGINAL
Seek in everything God's contentment and not anything else, and the better to practice this, remember in the entire living out of your life, in desolation, in sick¬ness, etc., to desire God's greater contentment without giving a thought to your own interests.
Original Maxim 26
as written by Fr. Médaille
MAXIM 54
ORIGINAL
Empty yourself of all human respect and of the least blameworthy concession, and declare, with a generous heart, never to yield in anything that would be against God's will.
Original Maxim 6
as written by Fr. Médaille
MAXIM 81
ORIGINAL
Original Maxim 81
as written by Fr. Médaille
