May 23, 2024 Reflection – Blessed are the poor in spirit…
Blessed are the poor in spirit… May 23, 2024 Dear Family of Mary! The Psalm Response for Holy Mass today is from the Gospel of Matthew: Mt 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs! This is the first beatitude in Jesus’ list in Matthew 5! It must be the most important! But it might be difficult to describe this beatitude. I found this definition on LifeTeen.com, which is a Catholic website for teens. It is a good one, I think: “Now, the phrase ‘poor in spirit’ speaks to an even deeper reality … beyond physical poverty … but to true spiritual poverty. To be poor in spirit means to acknowledge our deepest human need for God and to grow in that longing and that dependence on a daily basis. It’s only when we realize how badly we need God and how we are nothing without Him that we become worthy of the Kingdom He promises us (Matthew 5:3); when we realize we are the beggars, our gratitude to the Giver (of life) becomes that much greater.” (LifeTeen.com) This radical dependence upon God is the key to joy and peace! Because He is the true source of all good! Our Lady has spoken to us about this radical dependence upon God often in her messages. Here is one message: March 18, 2016 “Dear children, with a motherly heart filled with love for you, my children, I desire to teach you complete trust in God the Father. I desire for you to learn by an internal gaze and internal listening to follow God’s will. I desire for you to learn to boundlessly trust in His mercy and His love, as I always trusted. Therefore, my children, cleanse your hearts. Free yourselves from everything that binds you to only what is earthly and permit what is of God to form your life by your prayer and sacrifice so that God’s Kingdom may be in your heart; that you may begin to live proceeding from God the Father; that you may always strive to walk with my Son. But for all of this, my children, you must be poor in spirit and filled with love and mercy… You must have pure and simple hearts and always be ready to serve. My children, listen to me, I speak for your salvation. Thank you.” Thank you, dearest Mother, for so gently guiding us into a relationship with the Father in which our littleness and poverty of spirit will keep us close to Him. May we grow more every day as His little ones who are poor in spirit! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan (c) Mary TV 2024