SSJ Spiritual 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.
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.
Maxims — A Modern Take
More than 360 years ago, Father Jean Pierre Médaille, SJ, composed the Maxims of the Little Institute, 100 short sayings to help 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
Read all Maxims
Living a Responsible Lent – Be Protectors of God’s Handiwork
Living a Responsible Lent – Caring for Our Common Home – Week 1 “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” Pope Francis – Laudato Si 217 In 2015, Pope Francis published his Encyclical Letter, On Care…
what scent do you leave behind?
I have been thinking a lot about the anointing of Jesus as St. John describes it in his gospel. In John’s gospel, the woman who anoints Jesus is Mary of Bethany, Lazarus and Martha’s sister. Let’s start by saying that Mary got it. She sat at Jesus feet. She listened. She opened her heart to…
fourth week of lent
While I am in the world, am the light of the world. John 9:5 I have heard of this man, Jesus, the son of the carpenter Joseph and his wife Mary. Some say that he is the anointed one of God. I don’t understand how this can be, isn’t he just one of us? As I…
