XV — BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

Presence of God. — O Holy Spirit, show me the way that leads to true poverty of spirit, and give me strength to follow it to the end.

Meditation

1 — When a soul follows the motions of the gifts, they produce in it such exquisite fruits of virtue that it begins to taste something of eternal beatitude, of which they are a pledge. For this reason they are called beatitudes. To each gift corresponds a beatitude; to the gift of fear corresponds poverty of spirit: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3).

The gift of fear, desiring to lead the soul to complete freedom from sin, aims to extinguish in it concupiscence for earthly things, the principal cause of sin. Therefore it urges the soul along a path of total detachment, stripping it of every claim of egoism and pride, every greed, every demand regarding earthly goods, and establishing it gradually in perfect poverty of spirit.

Before all that life can offer us — honors, satisfactions, creaturely affections, riches, comforts — the Holy Spirit repeats in the depths of our heart Jesus’ words: “If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast ... then come, follow Me” (Mt. 19:21). That is: do not seek to have more than what you possess; rather strip yourself even of what you have. Be not greedy for riches, pleasures, consolations, glory, or earthly affections, but let all these things go. Filling your heart with earth, they keep it from being filled with God.

The Holy Spirit presses the soul toward material poverty, teaching it to be content with little, to make no demands even concerning necessities of life. Yet He presses it even more toward spiritual poverty, because without this the first is worth nothing. “The mere deprivation of things,” says St. John of the Cross, “does not strip the soul at all if it still keeps appetite [attachment] for them. It is not the things of this world that occupy or harm the soul, because they do not enter it, but desire and appetite for them, which dwell in it” (Ascent I, 3, 4).

2 — Poverty of spirit includes not only detachment from material goods, but also detachment from moral and even spiritual goods.

Whoever nourishes claims regarding affirmation of personality, the esteem and regard of creatures, whoever remains attached to his own will, ideas, or independence, is not poor in spirit but still rich in self, self-love, and pride. “If you wish to be perfect,” St. John of the Cross exhorts, “sell your will; approach Christ in meekness and humility and follow Him to Calvary and the tomb” (Admonitions).

Likewise, one who still seeks creaturely affection, joy, and satisfactions creatures can give is not poor in spirit; nor is one who, in piety and in relations with God, seeks consolations and spiritual sweetness. Poverty of spirit consists in being wholly naked and empty of all these claims, so that the soul claims and desires one thing only: to possess God; and it remains content even when God lets Himself be found only in darkness, dryness, discouragement, and suffering.

This is perfect poverty of spirit, making the soul free from all that is not God; and herein lies the reason for its happiness: “The soul that strips itself of its desires, of its willing and not willing, God will clothe with his purity and his delight and his will” (G.C. PA. 19). The beatitude promised to the poor in spirit is precisely possession of God, a possession that will clothe them in God’s infinite riches.

This is the goal to which the Holy Spirit desires to lead us. Let us cooperate with his action, following docilely his invitations to detachment and total stripping. The more generous we are in depriving ourselves of all that is not God, the more we shall enjoy the beatitude promised to the poor in spirit.

Colloquy

“O Jesus, book of life and our salvation, your first companion on earth was continual, extreme, most perfect poverty. You, the Mighty One, Lord of all things, willed absolute poverty, so that we too might make one thing of love and poverty. You were poor in all things: poor in material goods, poor in your own will, poor in spirit, poor beyond all our imagining, infinitely poor, because infinite was the love with which You loved us. You were poor like one who has nothing, poor like one who does not even ask for what he lacks: poor in possessions, poor in friends, poor in power and human wisdom, poor in reputation for holiness, poor in earthly dignity, poor in everything that exists.

“Even with your words You glorified poverty. You said: Blessed are the poor. You said that the poor would judge the world.

“But alas, shame and sorrow! Today, Lord, this poverty of spirit so taught and exalted by You is rejected and fled by almost all; and even those who preach it and glorify it in words often deny it in fact by will, desire, and life.

“Truly blessed is he who, following your example, O Christ, has chosen poverty as his companion! Truly blessed, as You said, is he who, not in word alone but in will and in life, makes himself poor of every good, poor of friends, relatives, consolations, and vain knowledge; blessed is he who flees dignities, offices, and reputation for holiness.

“O Lord, if I cannot materially strip myself of all earthly things, grant me, I beg You, to strip myself of them at least in heart — and not once only, but every day, every moment. O truly blessed such a poor one, for the kingdom of heaven is his!” (Blessed Angela of Foligno).