I’ve been reading Pope Benedict XVI’s new book, Jesus of Nazareth: From Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration (Doubleday, 2007). Of the book the pope himself says, “This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’”
I’ve been quite impressed by this book … some very excellent reflections on who Jesus is and how to understand Jesus in light of today’s world and concerns. It’s got an academic and apologetic edge to it, and yet also has some truly inspired pieces that make you feel like you are praying.
I recently read chapter 4, “The Sermon on the Mount” and spent some time reflecting on the part about the “poor in spirit” from the Beatitudes. The Pope connects this saying with the piety of the psalms which reflected people’s sense that even in the midst of their poverty and oppression, God did not abandon them but was working toward their salvation. This, the Pope writes, “developed that generosity of heart that was to open the door for Christ.” (page 75; emphasis mine) I think this sense of generosity of heart is something that should characterize the vow of poverty for us religious.
“[Persons who are poor] know that their poverty also has an interior dimension; they are lovers who simply want to let God bestow his gifts upon them and thereby live in inner harmony with God’s nature and word. The saying of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux about one day standing before God with empty hands, and holding them open to him, describes the spirit of these poor ones of God: They come with empty hands; not with hands that grasp and clutch, but with hands that open and give and thus are ready to receive from God’s bountiful goodness.” (page 76; emphasis mine)
“… in order to be the community of Jesus’ poor, the Church has constant need of the great ascetics. She needs the communities that follow them, living out poverty and simplicity so as to display to us the truth of the Beatitudes. She needs them to wake everyone to the fact that possession is all about service, to contrast the culture of affluence with the culture of inner freedom, and thereby to create conditions for social justice as well.” (page 77; emphasis mine)
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Sister,
I find it interesting that those with a middle-class life, can convince themselves that they have taken a vow of poverty. No you don’t “own” anything, but you are not living a life of poverty. No sister I know actually live in poverty. There is always enough food, there is always enough shelter, there is always a chance to get an education, there is always opportunity. This is not poverty. There may be renunciation on the part of some who are claiming poverty as a vow, but renunciation isn’t poverty either. Just as owning doesn’t mean you live abundantly, not owning is not the same as living in poverty.
This is not to take away from your good works. This is also not to say that the only way you can do this work is through poverty, or renunciation even. It is to simply take issue with words used. Words are powerful things, and how they are used matters. Chastity means something very specific and particular, it is a concept and definition we all understand. But if we continue to muddy the waters about what poverty is and means, we will never really be able to address it and solve it’s inherent inequities.
Given the extreme amount of poverty in the world today, I believe it does a disservice to those who are actually living in poverty, and to those who struggle day to day for existence, opportunity, and access to call how those in a religious life actually live, to be poverty.
Hi Julie -
I read this post yesterday and it really set me to thinking about some things.
The first thing is that I’m moved to get a copy of the Pope’s book and picking it up at the library tonight on my way home.
The second though, is pondering the vow of poverty, and how it differs from actual poverty. I am troubled by that. And, perhpas I do not have a good understanding of how religious people actually do live out this vow, so forgive me if anything I say sounds ignorant. I have very little knowledge myself of religious life, and I do not belong to any religion. I do believe in God in my own way and have my own spiritual practices which connect me to my source. I’m only saying this because I don’t really have knowledge of religious life. But, here is what I have been thinking about…people who live in povery…not because they have taken a vow, but because this is what life has dealt them at the moment. I’m thinking of some of the refugees our city houses for example – they have little in the way of possessions and the constant worry about having the money to pay the rent, buy food for the kids, fix the car because it broke down again…it’s a constant stress, and I’m sure not a life they would choose to live, given a better opportunity.
And so when I hear about the vows of poverty, I see that in a different light. In the limited experience I have had knowing women who are, or have been nuns, they have lived in communities where they live simply, but there is never a question of not having food to eat, or choosing between paying all the rent, or paying the electricity so it doesn’t get turned off. If your basic survival needs are met on a daily basis, I don’t think that is either poverty, or being poor. I’m probably missing something here and would love to hear what others think. I guess there is more to the vow of poverty perhaps than I really understand? And I also want to say that I find this “The saying of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux about one day standing before God with empty hands, and holding them open to him, describes the spirit of these poor ones of God…” absolutely beautiful – it moved me on such a deep level and has inspired me to read this book.
As always, thank you for writing the things you do – I learn much from your blog and the others who share here.
Melissa
I, too, had a moment when I read the first quote. I have lived in poverty all my life and am just now starting to have the income which does not demand me to decide which necessity I can live without. Maybe (probably) it was just a slip of the keyboard… were you talking about “people who are poor” because they choose it? or people who are poor in general?
I understand that *choosing* to live in simple conditions is different than people who do not have the income to maintain themselves. I also understand that there is a altogether different appreciation for small things when one has to decide between Top Ramen noodles and electricity. One or the other… but not both (and yes, it takes electricity to cook the Ramen).
Living in these conditions has given me a different perspective on Faith and the Knowledge that the Divine is not vindictive and that, contrary to all information, there are blessings. Even when I was homeless and abused, I still had a tent to live in and I was never hungry for long. I have an unshakable Faith in the Divine. Everything will be fine… because things always end up as they should… even when it doesn’t look that way from where you are.
I too have never known any sisters who go without food, shelter, transportation, etc. (although I’m sure they exist somewhere.) Many religious actually have a very secure life. But their lives are very simple in terms of material possessions. If all lived as simply as most sisters do, there would be enough of everything to go around.
Having said that, it was my impression that the meaning of “poverty of spirit” was that we are humble of heart and realize how dependant we actually are on God. I didn’t think “poverty of spirit” had much to do with a lack of physical resources. Many folks do seem to interpret it that way too though.
I’m looking forward to reading “Jesus of Nazareth.” Our pastor is going to do a book study on it in the Fall.
deerose
I have also been enjoying Pope Benedict’s new book. Even my mom picked it up and said she wants to read it when I am done after she scanned through it. I say that because I have my Masters in Theology and she has no theology background. I do believe the book could be read by people with a lot of theology and someone with none… and both could get a lot out of the book.
I’m not far in the book, but it is excellent so far!
I’m also interested in the vow of poverty discussion! I struggled with many sisters not really knowing what it was like to pay bills because they have been provided for most of their live (they entered at 17). So they didn’t quite understand things such as turning the heat to lower than 75 and putting on a sweater in the winter to save money instead of wearing their short sleeve shirts in the winter! It was a struggle for me to make them realize things I grew up knowing.
Dee Rose … thanks for the clarification. That definitely helps!
Vincent, Melissa and RhC … you raise questions about the way “poor” and “poverty” are used here and in religious life.
The above reflection from the Holy Father comes in the context of his chapter on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) in particular. The first Beatitude is “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The Holy Father’s point is not necessarily to explain who is and is not “poor” but how this “poor in spirit” is a characteristic of who Christ is. Now I don’t have my book in front of me or I’d say a bit more about what the Pope is saying (perhaps in a future post). However my main purpose in pulling these quotes from the chapter was to say that the Pope’s reflection on “poor in spirit” has some value in reflecting on what the vow of poverty means in religious life. The Pope in no way is making a statement about religious life. Rather I’m simply taking his idea and saying, “is this a way we religious can understand our vow of poverty.”
Okay, now the terms. The vow of poverty is not meant to say that we religious are “pretending” as if we are poor. To do so would be a major insult to people who struggle every day for lack of a decent home, income, medical resources, etc. No, those who profess a vow of poverty do so with the desire to live simply and to be poor of spirit meaning total reliance on God (there are so many ways to talk about this; how I’m articulating it here is one more or less adequate way). The fact of the matter is that even though we are not well-off by any means, we are still privileged to have our community of sisters and our education. We can never really be destitute poor. But by our vow of poverty we commit ourselves to own nothing personally, to be always attentive to the common good and our mission, to live simply, and to stand in solidarity with those who are truly poor.
Does this help clarify a bit of what the vow of poverty means? Let me know because I can try to develop my explanation and others can certainly jump in with their nuances!
Dear Ex-Candidate … glad to hear you are enjoying the book too. Yes I think it can have broad appeal. One of the insights I came to while reading it is that the Holy Father is not really writing to necessarily edify us, tell us how to live by following Jesus — those this is certainly part of it and happens nonetheless. His main point really is to tell us what Jesus Christ is like. The pope’s explanation of the Kingdom of God, the Sermon on the Mount, etc. gives us the contours of who Jesus is. It’s really quite cool.
Yes, it is true that many sisters simply never had the experience of juggling personal financial resources to just make it through the day. And other sisters have because their families were not well off or because they entered when they were older. In whatever case, we learn so much from the people with whom we minister. We work with and in many cases live side by side with people who are poor and they teach us about life, God, poverty, simplicity, grace, trust, etc. in such amazing ways. It is always a responsibility and challenge for us religious to stay particularly attuned to the experiences of people who are poor and those who are most vulnerable in our world.
There are three evangelical counsels, to be poor in spirit, to be chaste and to be obedient to the will of God. These translate into the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience which religious take. However it is good to remember that we are ALL called to the evangelical counsels.
As I began to try to live a third order rule while being in the world and owning all kinds of things, I began to train myself to live according the three promises I would someday make: to be poor in spirit (even though I do own many things), to be chaste according to the norms of my own state of life (which means monogamy for those who are married and celibacy for those who are not, but does not preclude marriage for those who are single) and to be obedient to the will of God, as I might discern it though the legitimate religious superiors of the Church and my community.
I hope I have made some progress in being poor in spirit, even though by the standards of many in this world, especially the third world, I am rich. Things don’t matter. I don’t need a new car until the old one wears out. I actually enjoy reusing and recycling, and trying not to waste food. Creatively making a good meal from leftovers is actually satisfying to the soul. So is periodically getting rid of clothes I haven’t worn in a while or books I know I won’t read agin, giving them to someone who will use them. I still don’t have cable, but I don’t feel I need it since I generally watch public television when I do watch television. I have a small townhouse, but I also have extra time that would otherwise be spent doing yard work, shoveling snow, etc.
What vowed religious really are, are Christian communists. They own nothing individually but their community may own quite a lot, or it may own very little. I have noticed that some of them are much poorer in spirit than others. There is a community of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity near my home. It is said that they rely on God, through other people, to bring them food every day. What is amazing to me it that they do not have a refrigerator; they give away all their surplus food to the poor in whose midst they live every day, trusting in God for tomorrow. That is poverty in spirit!
Cultivation of a spirit of poverty, to which we are all called, can be accomplished or not accomplished equally as a member of a Christian community holding its material goods in common, or as an individual who happens to own things. Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Mt. 5:3. He did not say “Blessed are the poor.” At first it’s harder to be poor in spirit than it is to be poor, because being poor in spirit involves a knowing renunciation, while most people don’t have much choice about being poor. As one grows, however, being poor in spirit becomes something joyful. That joy is part of the hundred fold one gets back.
Very well said, Anonymous. Thank you. Sister J
I live near a community of Jain nuns. They too have people bring them food everyday for their consumption. I don’t know whether or not they have a refridgerator, keep leftovers, etc., but they live in extreme simplicity and are committed to absolute nonviolence. They are strict vegetarians and wouldn’t even think to kill an insect!
BTW, from my understanding, most Indian (Hindu, Jain, etc.) religious are religious for only a part of their lives, i.e., I think 10-15 years is common. It’s usually sometime in their 50s or 60s+, once they have been married and raised a family.
deerose
I am grateful to Anonymous for the information on the three evangelical counsels…from now on I won’t be able to plead ignorance where that’s concerned.
If ever there was an issue that troubled me greatly when pondering the Church and the Church in the world it was when the word poverty or poor cropped up. I wrestled with it for years, got myself all angry and worked up about the furnishings in the Vatican etc; and the poverty in the Third World or often closer to home. Finally, I came to this conclusion: on judgement day God will not ask me why certain people spent extravagant amounts on luxurious items, or why a certain Pope or bishop did this or that. But He will most definitely hold me accountable for my spending, my wasting, my avarice and gluttony etc; And when I sincerely and conscienciously examine my attitudes to the poor, I find I have less time to spend criticising others. We take our lead from others in the Church, it is true. We are indeed bound to listen to and be guided by those leaders, who encourage us to love our neighbour and give generously to those in need. Church leaders in turn we would hope will listen to us. The rest in trust I must leave to God.
First, I would like to apologize for the intent of my comment. Where I did not state anything that I don’t stand behind, my tone and the spirit it was written in was much more a reaction from where I am personally rather than treating Sister Julie and the people who write here with the kindness and understanding I have received. I should not assume what has and hasn’t happened to other people. It is something I will work on. I apologize.
Learning how to really rest in the Divine even to the point of no storage for the future is, no doubt, a difficult and challenging road. But it doesn’t seem like it would be ‘poor’ having such absolute Faith and Knowing the Divine has ‘got your back’, to turn a phrase.
Blessings!
I have been meditating on this subject since I wrote my post above. In that post I said: “Jesus said ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.’ Mt. 5:3. He did not say ‘Blessed are the poor.’”
I was wrong. While the quote from Matthew 5:3 is from the Sermon on the Mount, in the Sermon on the Plain, Lk 6:20-49, Jesus very clearly says “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.” Lk 6:20. And a few lines later, at Lk 6:24, Jesus says “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” So I was wrong when I said that he did not say “Blessed are the poor.”
But does that mean we are to give everything away and become truly poor, destitute? In Matthew 19:21-22, the story of the rich young man who asked what he had to do to be perfect, Jesus said: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But “when the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” I have been thinking: What if the young man had done as Jesus recommended, would there have been a thirteenth apostle? How many others whose stories are not written in the Gospels received a direct invitation from Jesus and failed to respond? How often do I receive an invitation and fail to respond?
And yet, I think what Jesus really wants is poverty of spirit, not actual poverty. Were we to give everything away we would become burdens on society, especially as we grow older, and so much less able to give to others from our resources, both material and spiritual. So I continue to believe what I wrote above is good and true, but, as recorded in Luke, Jesus certainly did say “Blessed are the poor,” not “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Perhaps it is well to remember that, and keep it in mind in order to foster our own respect for the worth and dignity of every person, rich or poor.