Poor in Spirit has nothing to do with wealth; it has to do with detachment from material things. Yes, it is pleasant to have a nice home, an expensive car, beautiful clothes, and a respected reputation in the community, but these things are only pleasures for this world and do nothing to advance our holiness and lead us to Heaven.
Detachment may seem difficult, but it is easy when we have the right mindset. I have known many people who received a cancer diagnosis and not one of them ever said to me, “I don’t want to leave my stuff.” On the contrary, they were worried about leaving children behind, or how their families would suffer. With all the fires in California in the last few years many people had to make split second decisions on what to take with them. They took children, pets, their cell phone (which connected them to family and friends), and family photographs if they had time. No one showed up at a shelter with their big screen tv or their trophies or awards. We really do know what is important when we have perspective; we just need to put it into practice on a regular basis. Recognizing these material blessings as temporary gifts intended to be shared, is where we begin. These material gifts only bring graces to us when we use them as God intended.
My father-in-law was a wonderful example of sharing his gifts with others. At his funeral, a man told my husband that his father had loaned him money for funeral expenses. Someone else approached and said, “Your father is the only person who would loan me money for my son’s legal expenses when he was in trouble.” My father-in-law never mentioned the debts to anyone, including his wife, and always treated these gentlemen with courtesy and respect. Both of these people eventually paid him back in full and were grateful for his kindness and generosity.
It is in true charity that we encounter the face of God. To see Jesus in the face of the one in need and be moved to reach out in love, is an encounter with God. To receive that gift knowing that our loving Father has sent this person to help us because He loves us, is also a grace. True charity is the virtue of love in practice.
“. . .For Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”
This is the great truth the world does not know. We gain all things in Heaven by being detached from the things of this world and using them for good. A paintbrush is merely a tool, but in the hand of Michelangelo it was used to create the paintings in the Sistine Chapel. For hundreds of years millions of people have contemplated God in that Chapel. In sharing our gifts with love, we open ourselves to intimacy with Our Lord and this is how we experience the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. God is love. Love is in the eternal now, so the only treasure we have on Earth that we take with us to Heaven is Love. This is the treasure we can store in abundance.
