Day 1 - Monday, March 16th

2020 Online Lenten Retreat
Monday, March 16

Today's Scripture

"There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest? … I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones….'  But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” (cf. Luke 12.16-21)

Today's Reflection

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

   The Gospel invites us to peer into the depths of our heart, to see where we find our security in life. Usually the rich feel secure in their wealth, and think that, if that wealth is threatened, the whole meaning of their earthly life can collapse. Jesus himself tells us this in the parable of the rich fool: he speaks of a man who was sure of himself, yet foolish, for it did not dawn on him that he might die that very day (cf. Lk 12:16-21).

   Wealth ensures nothing. Indeed, once we think we are rich, we can become so self-satisfied that we leave no room for God’s word, for the love of our brothers and sisters, or for the enjoyment of the most important things in life. In this way, we miss out on the greatest treasure of all. That is why Jesus calls blessed those who are poor in spirit, those who have a poor heart, for there the Lord can enter with his perennial newness.

   This spiritual poverty is closely linked to what Saint Ignatius of Loyola calls “holy indifference”, which brings us to a radiant interior freedom: “We need to train ourselves to be indifferent in our attitude to all created things, in all that is permitted to our free will and not forbidden; so that on our part, we do not set our hearts on good health rather than bad, riches rather than poverty, honor rather than dishonor, a long life rather than a short one, and so in all the rest”.

   Luke does not speak of poverty “of spirit” but simply of those who are “poor” (cf. Lk 6:20). In this way, he too invites us to live a plain and austere life. He calls us to share in the life of those most in need, the life lived by the Apostles, and ultimately to configure ourselves to Jesus who, though rich, “made himself poor” (2 Cor 8:9).

For Your Reflection

Take a moment to think about the words, phrases or ideas that struck you in today's reflection.
Then think about these questions:
-- On a scale of 0(low) to 6(high), how self-satisfied do you feel?
-- Has your sense of self-satisfaction changed over the years?
-- How important are material possessions, health, honor and money to your sense of satisfaction and security?
-- In what ways have you been forced or have chosen "holy indifference" or spiritual poverty?

Let us Pray

O Lord, if I encounter a person sleeping outdoors on a cold night, I can view him or her as an annoyance, an idler, an obstacle in my path, a troubling sight, a problem for politicians to sort out, or even a piece of refuse cluttering a public space. Or I can respond with faith and charity, and see in this person a human being with a dignity identical to my own, a creature infinitely loved by you, a brother or sister redeemed by you. That is what it is to be a Christian! How can holiness be understood apart from this lively recognition of the dignity of each human being?  Help me, O Lord, to accept this truth and allow it to reshape my life.