The Birth of Our Lord - Poverty in Spirit

 

The Birth of Our Lord

Fruit of the Mystery: Poverty in Spirit

The circumstances of the birth of Jesus were far from ideal. After making the journey to Bethlehem while heavy with child, Mary has to give birth in the place where the animals lived because “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). A manger was the Lord’s first bed.

Mary no doubt would have preferred to give birth at home, perhaps with her mother to help her. Instead, she is in a strange place in the most meager of circumstances. Yet, she does not complain.

Poverty in spirit means that we have a complete reliance on God and a detachment from material things. We acknowledge that all that we are and all that we have comes from God. Without God, we are nothing.

How often do we lose sight of that fact? How often do we instead value people and things as ends unto themselves rather than gifts from God? How often do we feel we have earned and therefore have a right to all that we have?

It is easy to fixate on the things of this world. After all, we do need to provide for our families. We need shelter and food and clothing and health care. None of these are bad things. Even money itself is not a bad thing. Rather, we need to learn that regardless of our circumstances, God is the source of all good things. We need to accept the blessings he has given us with a thankful heart. As St. Paul states, “I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance” (Philippians 4:12).

The problem comes in when we make things, or even other people, our reason for being. We suffer when we are never satisfied with what we have and are always striving to earn more and get more. When we forget that we live to serve God and that we are utterly dependent on him for everything, even our next breath, we have lost our poverty of spirit.

In meditating on this mystery of The Birth of Our Lord, let us pray that we may love God above all else and acknowledge our complete dependence on Him.

 

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