Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours

12 SEPTEMBER (Lk 6,20-26)

There does not exist in the Old Testament any blessing on poverty. However, there is a great truth: true wealth is not in the possession of the goods of this world; on the contrary, it is in possession of the fear of the Lord. The true wealth of a man is the fear of God.

“Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing. Whatever you have left over, give away as alms; and do not begrudge the alms you give. Be lavish with your bread and wine at the burial of the virtuous, but do not share them with sinners. “Seek counsel from every wise man, and do not think lightly of any advice that can be useful. At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him to make all your paths straight and to grant success to all your endeavors and plans. For no pagan nation possesses good counsel, but the Lord himself gives all good things. If the Lord chooses, he raises a man up; but if he should decide otherwise, he casts him down to the deepest recesses of the nether world. So now, my son, keep in mind my commandments, and never let them be erased from your heart. “And now, son, I wish to inform you that I have deposited a great sum of money with Gabri’s son Gabael at Rages in Media. Do not be discouraged, my child, because of our poverty. You will be a rich man if you fear God, avoid all sin, and do what is right before the Lord your God.” (Tb 4,15-21).

The fear of the Lord is the source of all wisdom and wisdom in turn is the root of the true good for man. The wise has God as his only true wealth. The things of the earth are always things for him, which his heart must never be attached. Attaching the heart to wealth, to material goods is real foolishness and ignorance.

My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, n My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will you assail a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah. My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath. Do not trust in oppression And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God; And loving-kindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work. (Psalm 62 (61) 1-13).

Jesus has before him a boundless army of poor, miserable, lowly, small, exploited, oppressed, dispossessed, humiliated, and despised. People that do not count in the world. What does he say to them? Stay in your poverty, humiliation. Stay in your nothing. God is your everything. He is your wealth, your honor, your boasting, your glory. He is your Providence and your daily bread. You stay in his justice and his holy fear, he will be the one to do everything else for you. He is the Father that will always take care of you, provided you always remain his true children.

And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.

To the rich, to the well off, the powerful of the earth instead he says that they have already received their reward. However, they will be in eternal misery and poverty, because they have not been able to share the goods of the earth with their poorer brothers. The poor does not need the rich. It is the rich who needs the poor to save himself. The poor is the key so that the rich can get one day into Paradise and enjoy God forever.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints give us the fear of God.