Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph

The Spirit of Love is the Heart of Our JMJ Vocation

01 Oct 2026 - 31 Oct 2026

Fr. M. Wolff’s explanation of the Spirit of Pédagogie Chrétienne can be beautifully summarised in these words: “The Spirit at work in our community is the same Spirit that animated Jesus throughout His earthly life. We are a community set on fire by His love.” (Sent by the Lord, 17)

Love is at the heart of our Christian vocation and our belonging to the JMJ community. Love is not simply one aspect of our life; it is the very centre and foundation of who we are. It is our means and our goal, our purpose and our motivation, our source and our very existence as a community. Everything we are and everything we are called to do must ultimately flow from our love for Christ and one another. We are therefore invited to return to the wisdom and simplicity of Fr. Wolff’s teaching and rediscover his essential instruction on acquiring the spirit of love. It is a love, not merely spoken about but lived and expressed in our daily attitudes, relationships, service, and care for one another.

Here is Fr. Wolff’s reflection “about the sins against love” Overwegingen - XI. (Mathias Wolff, Overwegingen en Grondregels, ter Beoefening der Volmaaktheid, Opgedragen aan het Gezelschap van Jezus, Maria, Joseph, p.34-37)

Think of the Sins Committed Against Love - being negligent in performing acts of love, both in heart and in deed; failing to take care to avoid all sins; willingly harbouring envy towards others; being spiteful or abrupt towards others in words and looks; taking secret pleasure when things do not go as others wish; fostering special friendships and indulging in partiality; sowing discord among those who were living in peace with one another; speaking ill of others behind their backs and discussing their faults; insulting others by words or deeds; belittling or obscuring the good that others do; being unable to bear when others succeed better than oneself.

Think of How Shameful Such Behaviour Is - for sins against love are against the law that commands us not to do to others what we would not wish to be done to ourselves; they are against the law of grace, which requires that our hearts remain united for the glory of God; they are contrary to our Holy Institution (JMJ), which lays nothing so heavily upon our hearts as the command to love one another. By committing sins against love, one makes oneself equal to other sinners - to murderers, thieves, and servants of the devil, who are always stirring up evil. Sisters without love do not deserve to be admitted into the Congregation of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, for in this Society everything is done with love. Therefore, those who lack love should not be tolerated for long, for they are like arsonists, capable of causing harm and corrupting others as well.

Think of the Remedies for this Evil - you have entered the Congregation of Jesus, Mary, Joseph without any merit of your own, and this is a Society of pure love. It is a great honour for you to belong to a Society in which others are far more learned and capable than you; since it is a community, you also share in all the good it accomplishes. Nothing would be more shameful for the Congregation than to have the reputation that no sincere love prevails within it; this would bring about the ruin of the Congregation and its complete destruction. You are likened to the Angels, who always possess sincere love; therefore, strive to love everyone sincerely.

May this Wolff’s Month be a time of grace in which we pause, remember, reflect, and renew ourselves. May we learn once again from Fr. Wolff that the true spirit of our vocation is found not in great words or extraordinary deeds, but in the simple, concrete, and faithful living of LOVE. To be worthy members of JMJ and faithful instruments of God’s mission, like the first disciples, we are called to become a community whose hearts are set on fire by the love of Christ.

Personal Reflection:

When I struggle to love others sincerely within my community and ministry, in my thoughts, words, or actions, what concrete steps do I take to grow in genuine love?

A portrait of Fr. M. Wolff, being preserved in JMJ Archives, Sint Agatha, NL.