SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1

Best Things First

He began to teach them, saying “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:2-3

Sometimes, the order of a list matters greatly. In baseball a manager will usually put his most versatile hitter in the lead-off position because he’s most likely to get a hit and start a rally. Just so, when Jesus begins his preaching “Blessed are the poor in Spirit.”

For this phrase is more than just the first Beatitude. Its the one on which all the others are built, according to Dominican theologian Gustavo Gutierrez. The requirements of our discipleship begin with poverty of spirit, he says. That professed spirit demands, above all, that we let go of notions of independence and throw ourselves into the lap of God. To become poor in spirit is to become a child again. It’s a radical understanding of how much God loves us It’s where we must begin, always.

Lord give me the poor and trusting heart of a child.

Steve Givens, Living Faith Daily Catholic Devotions