Poor In Spirit

Greetings on this the Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: 1 Tm 6:2c-12; PS 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-18, 19-20; Lk 8:1-3
Notes: Today’s reading highlights one of the Beatitudes:

Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.

The women in today’s gospel never sought the limelight.

They focused on the needs of those who serve so those in need are served.

First reading
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world,
just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows (defenseless and oppressed) in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world (Jas 1:27).

Responsorial Psalm
Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Alleluia Verse
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

Gospel Portion
In today’s gospel portion three women, and others, are called out for working with and providing for Jesus with his Twelve and the proclamation of the gospel.

I don’t know how to say this exactly without someone reading it wrong.

I thank God for the faithful women of faith.

Women who despite their ‘invisibility‘ tend to the Kingdom of God and the anointed.

For:

Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others

who provided for them [the Twelve] out of their resource.

Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

2 thoughts on “Poor In Spirit”

Post script… I posted this on LinkedIN as a comment on another’s post.

I remember… the beginning, when I was a child.

January 1, 2020 is 50 years since no-fault divorce.

Beginning in California in 1970 and its effect everywhere.

What I remember how many women and children were abandoned.

I remember how overwhelmed the Church was with a skyrocketing number of families in need and not having the resources or infrastructure to handle it. At least locally it was like a tsunami.

For my opinion, abortion is a symptom of the invisibility of women.

Today’s gospel portion we celebrate three women who embraced their invisibility and served humbly. This is the notable exception.

For most, they find their own way to self-preservation. At times that path has tragic effects. Until we put woman as the central focus of the abortion question, we make them more and more invisible. And we’ll be responsible for the path they select.

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