When I joined the Congregation of Holy Cross as a seminarian, our formation staff, composed of two Holy Cross expatriates, was deeply involved in the social teaching of the preferential option for the poor. They opted to place our formation house in one of Nairobi's largest slums.
They emphasized the importance of living a simple life, identifying with the poor and the needy. We barely had any amenities for a student studying theology. One day, one of us, who was accustomed to stirring the waters with his provocative utterances, confronted the rector; we Africans come from poor villages, humble beginnings, lived all our lives in poverty, why do you force us to glorify poverty, or push us into even more unfortunate and miserable situations again? What is there to learn that we haven’t experienced? Don’t ask me what happened to him later.
From the Gospel today, to many, it may sound strange that Jesus should declare the poor, the hungry, and those who weep as happy and blessed, and then a hopeless future for the rich. Probably many of us might find it disturbing, who does not need comfort, safety, and a good life!
Reflection on Jesus’s words suggests that the notion of blessedness here is not tied to material wealth or physical well-being, but rather to a state of being in the right relationship with God. If we want to be filled with blessedness and true happiness, then we need to empty ourselves of all that would shut God out of our hearts. Poverty of spirit finds room and joy in possessing God alone as the greatest treasure possible.
Conversely, Jesus highlights that those who choose earthly comfort at the expense of faithfulness to their relationship with God are unfortunate because they have disconnected themselves from God; they don’t recognize how much they need to rely on God’s grace each day.
Maybe we can pick a leaf from St Augustine, who interprets the poor as those who live with a spirit of humility and detachment from worldly goods. Detachment is not merely a lack of physical possession, but a total inner freedom from all that distracts us from focusing on deepening our relationship with God. It is by recognizing our vulnerability, our limitations, and our need to depend on God that we shall be able to create a space for God to work in our lives. Jesus knew that attachments to anything this world has to offer only get in the way of the beautiful peace and joy that life with God the Father gives.
It is clear that Jesus is not teaching that poverty, hunger, sorrow, or rejection are inherently virtuous, nor that wealth or comfort are inherently sinful. Rather inviting us to pay attention to the demands of our relationship with God. Jesus insists that God will certainly provide for us in our poverty, affliction, weakness, and vulnerability if we are open to his presence.