Poverty of Spirit
My Jesus … You see that my heart is completely attached to the earth… Through your infinite mercy … destroy entirely … my poor heart, and give me your entirely spiritual, heavenly, and divine heart. (OOCC, X, pp. 366 - 367; STA, 393)
According to St. Vincent Pallotti, the spiritual attitude of the “poverty of spirit” touches the very foundations of our spiritual life. It consists of our always being conscious of who we are before God. It involves our child- like dependence on God and the recognition that God is the person essential to our spiritual life. In short, a person who is spiritually poor should give prime importance to God in his life. Giving God the first place automatically calls the person to be detached from other things and persons. St. Vincent Pallotti said that both the rich and the materially poor are called to practice the attitude of spiritual poverty. The rich are spiritually poor when they practice detachment from material goods and give their superfluous possessions to those who do not have them. The materially poor can practice the spirit of poverty by accepting God’s plan in their life and by not lamenting against the directives of divine providence. On his part, St. Vincent lived the attitude of the spirit of poverty wholeheartedly.
How do I live the attitude of the spirit of poverty in my personal life? Am I child-like and dependent in my attitude towards God? Do I give God the prime place in my life? Do I practice the spirit of detachment? If I am materially blessed with riches, am I generous towards those who have less in life? Am I content with what divine providence has decreed for me?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5: 3)