4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Written by Steven Joubert
As I sat down to reflect on today’s responsorial psalm, I had a good laugh. You see, as I’m writing this, I am just coming off the Homeless Awareness Lockout that I organized for the Catholic high school where I work. As I just finished being awake from 7 P.M. to 7 A.M. (after a full day of work) locked outside at the school, I endured the elements with 83 high school students with little more than a cardboard box. Throughout this experience, I had many opportunities to reflect on the state of being homeless, or in a word, poor.
So, immediately after this radical experience, I am greeted with the words “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” We often credit God with having sense of humor, and well, here we are again. This is a great line from one Jesus’s most iconic teachings: the Beatitudes. Gallons of ink has been spilled over the richness of the Beatitudes, therefore I doubt anything I’m about to say is unique. Nonetheless, reflecting on this for my own sake doesn’t hurt.
As I reflect on what the phrase “poor in spirit” could mean, my own interpretation is that it’s something like “the heart or disposition of one who is poor.” Someone who is homeless is utterly dependent on the generosity of those around them. For someone who can readily provide for themselves, this kind of dependence is almost incalculable. To beg for food, to beg for water, is a kind of dependence that some regard as abhorrent. It’s stooping down low enough in humility to know that your own existence hangs in the balance of someone else’s hands; you can’t, by your own capabilities, provide for yourself. It is a kind of dependence analogous to an infant who needs their mother - totally essential. For me, this captures the heart of this Beatitude.
To be “poor in spirit” is, at its core, to turn towards God with this very deep humility and embrace the fundamental truth: you are nothing and have nothing without the Lord. And upon embracing this truth, we find ourselves in the midst of the reward - to have the Kingdom of God. When we take upon ourselves spiritual poverty, we are blessed to be lavished with the spiritual riches of the Kingdom of God.
How is God calling you to become poor in spirit, or in other words, to recognize and reflect on the dependence of His grace?
Steven Joubert is a high school campus minister in Florida. He is a singer-songwriter and NOVUM RECORDS artist. You can find his music on Spotify, Apple Music, and/or wherever you stream your music. To keep up with Steven, follow him on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.