In today's responsorial we hear that the "Lord hears the cry of the poor!" It sounds nice, but really, what does it mean? What is poverty? Who are crying out in this Psalm?
the lowly + the poor + the just + the brokenhearted + those who are crushed in spirit
The Lord promises to these, bent by oppression and humbly lifting their eyes to heaven, that He is near to them and will redeem them from all their distress. This promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ as a tiny Babe in Bethlehem. There was no place for Him in the inns of the more wealthy. There was no place to call home, as the leaders of His government were out to kill Him. He came to serve in justice and truth. He came to piece together the crushed spirits of His children. The tiny babe came to say: "Here I am, with Me you have everything!"
Our holiness and ultimate happiness is not dictated by how much we have or do not have. Instead our holiness depends on what we do with what we have. Where do we place our happiness? Do we let the loss of material goods take away our peace or joy? Do we forget that everything is a gift from God, entrusted to us for the good of the Kingdom? Are we negliglent with His resources? Do we share from our necessity and not from our excess? Do we fear material poverty? Do we judge the poor or the rich by material standards? Do we complain about the gifts He's given us... the car that doesn't work quite right, the room that needs some work, the computer that takes a year to load? Do we compare ourselves to neighbors, families, friends, or own dreams, or to the Holy Family of Bethlehem?
We must become like the Holy Family: Poor in Spirit. Only then will we conquer material poverty and oppression, and bring Great Glory to Our God.
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