24th Week in Ordinary Time : Friday 22nd September 2023

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” To truly follow Jesus means to be poor in spirit. We follow the Christ whose whole attention was doing His Father’s will, depending on His Father at all times and trusting His mission into His Father’s hands. His prayer and preaching portrayed this, which is what He tried to pass on to His followers.

In his Letter to Timothy, St Paul urges his followers to teach these same attitudes because he tells them, “We brought nothing into this world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.” All we have is a gift, and being content with what we have can lead us to peace.

If what we teach differs from the words of Jesus Christ, this will often lead to envy, rivalry, and insults, and we will be deprived of the truth, for Jesus is the Truth. If our heart is set on money, gain and worldly desires, it can often lead us to unhappiness and suffering. If, on the other hand, we pursue righteousness and keep our minds on the Kingdom values of love, justice and peace, then we will be faithful to our Christian calling and gain eternal life.

Let us pray that we may learn to be poor in spirit, be counted among the blessed, and gain eternal life.