Sisters of St. Joseph: Welcome to Maxim Monday

The Maxims of the Little Institute is a collection of 100 maxims, short statements typical of mid-seventeenth century France. They were composed by Fr. Jean Pierre Médaille for the early communities of St. Joseph. Before getting into specific Maxims, I thought I'd share a little about the history, spirituality, and structure of the Maxims.

A little History of the Maxims of the Little Institute:

As I explained yesterday, when I introduced the idea of "Maxim Monday," They are a different document than the Maxims of Perfection which are also written by Médaille. It’s believed that he wrote the Maxims of Perfection as a personal retreat journal and then published them for a wider audience. The Maxims of the Little Institute were written specifically for our first sisters.

Today, in book stores, you can purchase any number of collections of daily sayings. Many of us probably have our own favorites. These maxims, however define the heart, or core spirituality of the Sisters of St. Joseph. They reflect what the early sisters were already living; who they already were.

A little on the Spirituality of the Maxims of the Little Institute:
In her writings, Marcia Allen, CSJ/Concordia, says they hold the key to questions of identity and mission – that mission being the love and service of God in the love and service of neighbor.
You'll notice that these maxims bear the shape of relationship. They describe Love's relationship with us, with the dear neighbor, with creation.

The maxims are about a deep faith journey that goes beyond ourselves. They are a means to deepen our understanding of self and the mission of Jesus. In general, these maxims, sometimes clouded by their obscure 17th century language, describe one whose life is a mirror of the daily living and dying characterized by a love that is empty of self and full of God, when love of God includes love of neighbor without distinction.

Next week I'll share a little about the structure of these maxims.