Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
June 17, 2022

Today’s Readings:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061722.cfm

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Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, our Alleluia Verse blesses us with one of the Beatitudes

Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Poverty of spirit! The concept presents all kinds of questions:

• What does it really mean? 
• Must we be materially poor?
• Will material poverty make us holy?
• What other kinds greed, besides the love of money, can consume the soul?

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Michael Crosby wrote a book – decades ago now – that touched me deeply. It’s one of the signature books of my spiritual life. Here is a quote from it about being poor in spirit:

The Kingdom of God can only be received by empty hands. Jesus warns against

(a) worldly self-sufficiency: you trust yourself and your own resources and don’t need God; 

(b) religious self-sufficiency: you trust your religious attitude and moral life and don’t need Jesus.

Michael H. Crosby, Spirituality of the Beatitudes: Matthew’s Vision for the Church in an Unjust World

Our verse today leads to one of the most profound lines of the Gospel:

Let’s think on these simple yet power-packed encouragements as we examine our own possessions and poverties.

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Poetry: from Augustine of Hippo

Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, 
and our heart is restless 
until it finds its rest in thee.

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Music: St. Augustine’s Prayer – Ed Conlin