IT IS IN OUR POVERTY OF SPIRIT THAT WE RECEIVE THE RICH INHERITANCE OF GOD'S KINGDOM

Published on: Jun 13, 2013

One of my themes in the last couple years has been to try to live more out of my poverty, knowing that this is where God can work most powerfully and use me most fully.

It is a poverty of not having a security in anything of my own. But rather such an emptiness of myself, that in my vulnerability and surrender, God may increase. Like John the Baptist prayed, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:30)

And, of course, one of the beatitudes is, "Blessed are the poor in spirit. Theirs is the Kingdom of God" (Mat 5:3).

It's not easy to stay in my poverty because it is vulnerable, and feelings of insecurity do surface (though less often the more that it is practiced)

Our Heavenly Mother is the perfect model for this. She had/has security in nothing other than God in the present moment. Throughout her life she continually surrendered, and trusted in God's grace and providential care in the present moment.

Her sole concern was to love God and do His Holy Will.

If we are consecrated to Mary, one of her key roles is to foster in us this "poverty of spirit."

Mary reportedly says in MMP #115,

"True poverty of spirit is the gift I make to him whom I call. It is emptiness which draws my love. It is the wavelength on which my voice can be heard and understood.

"Be always poor in this way, that you may see each new day through my eyes and give me to him who, in poverty, has awaited me for so long." (mmp #115)

As I read this, I realize that I have experienced this in certain ways... In particular, I have been aware of some of those who have been placed in my path who are in "poverty" and have "awaited [her/the love of God] for so long." They can almost seem to have a deep crevasse of longing for God's love and grace, and they are just needing someone to draw them to the fount from which these graces flow.

I think this is what Pope John Paul II was referring to when he said, "Cast out into the deep!"

And certainly Pope Benedict, and now Pope Francis, have/are encouraging us in this same way.

May we all have the grace to more and more, "be still and know that [He] is God...", and truly invite Him to be so.