SJA Community Prayer
Join the Redsticker family each school day for our Community Prayer, led by the students, faculty and staff of St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
SJA Community Prayer
Monday, March 30, 2026
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Monday's Community Prayer focuses on Maxim 83 - "Even our best intentions can be tinged with selfishness."
Today's prayer is led by Jade Spears, Director of Mission Integration.
Take a moment to quiet yourselves and prepare for community prayer.
In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Maxim 83: Even our best intentions can be tinged with selfishness.
Maxim 83: Even our best intentions can be tinged with selfishness.
At first, this maxim might sound a little discouraging; after all, we all want to believe that when we do something kind, it’s completely selfless. But this saying is really about self-awareness and humility. It reminds us that even when we mean well, there can still be a small part of us that’s thinking about how we’ll look, how others will see us, or how it might benefit us later.
For example, maybe we volunteer for a school event because we truly want to help, but part of us also hopes the teacher notices our effort, or that our friends will be impressed. That doesn’t make the action bad; it just means we’re human. Recognizing this helps us grow. When we notice those mixed motives, we can challenge ourselves to act more purely out of love or compassion next time.
This maxim isn’t meant to make us feel guilty; it’s meant to make us real. It calls us to check our hearts, to be honest about why we do what we do, and to keep striving for a deeper kind of goodness: the kind that doesn’t need recognition. True goodness shines quietly, even when no one else sees it.
Loving God, thank You for the gift of good intentions and the desire to do what is right. Help us to see our actions with honesty and humility, and to recognize the times when pride or selfishness may slip in. Teach us to serve others with pure hearts, to love without expecting anything in return, and to find joy in doing good quietly and sincerely. May everything we do bring glory to You. Amen.
St. Joseph, Pray for Us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.