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NOTE FROM CONNIE ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS ED
Blessed are those who follow Christ
“Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
In this
teaching Christ gives us insight into the quest for holiness. Each of us by
virtue of our Baptism should be on this quest. But how do we become poor in
spirit and what does that mean? St. Leo the Great, an early Church Father and
Doctor of the Church helps to shed some light on this passage from one of his
homilies. “When Christ says "blessed are the poor in spirit," He shows that the
kingdom of heaven must be assigned to those who are recommended by the humility
of their spirits rather than by the smallness of their means.” In other words to
be poor in spirit does not mean money or lack thereof. To be poor in spirit one
must be humble-one who recognizes their dependence upon God rather than their
own means. One who is poor in spirit recognizes that ALL that they have is God’s
gift: their very existence, families, health, talents, successes, money, and
situations in life. Pride cannot be at the forefront-humility must rule. If we
stop and reflect honestly we recognize our need for God. It is in our brokenness
and helplessness that we see God. Christ states that the poor in spirit are
blessed. How do we enter that state of blessedness? One becomes blessed when one
seeks heaven, not earthly treasures.
We are not alone in this quest for holiness. We are blessed to
have so many others to follow in their footsteps. Christ being first of course,
then the example of the Apostles. Our other examples are the saints, those who
lived out their faith and grew in humility and hence holiness. Today on All
Saints Day we remember and honor those named and unnamed saints that have been
blessed with the kingdom of heaven. A few of the examples of humility are: St.
Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Benedict, St. Beatrice, St. Juan
Diego, St. Gemma Galgani, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and most recently named
saint-Saint. Jeanne Jugan, founder of the Little Sisters of the Poor. I
encourage us all to read about the lives of these and other saints to learn how
to grow in humility.
Other ways to grow in humility are prayer, reception of the
sacraments, especially Eucharist and Reconciliation, and service to others. An
excellent way to grow in humility is to ask for God’s grace and desire to do so.
The following prayer (which can be prayed daily) is a powerful reminder of this.
Litany
of Humility Written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del
Val
O Jesus! meek and humble of
heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I
should…
Amen.
Happy All Saints Day and may each of us be
on our path to sainthood!
In Christ’s
service,
Connie
Anderson
Director of
Religious Education
“In order to
be saints, you have to seriously want to be one.” Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
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