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Blessed and Detached: Lessons from Jesus

By: Father Fulgens Katende, C.S.C. September 9th, 2026

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. Blessed Are Those 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!