The Cross Walk Part 9: Virtues that Enable Self-Denial Part B
Poverty: We encounter Jesus’ Sermon on the Beatitudes in both Matthew and Luke. Jesus proclaims, “Blessed on the poor [in spirit], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 and Luke 6:20). Jesus’ Beatitudes are actually a description of His life. So to embrace poverty as a path of Self-Denial is to not only embrace His Cross Walk but His very life.
In relation to Jesus’ Cross Walk, we are considering “poverty of spirit” more so than the Evangelical Counsel of poverty. Poverty of Spirit entails one’s interior detachment from material goods; humility in the midst of one’s material possessions or wealth and patience in the face of material loss or poverty without succumbing to despair.
Spiritual Poverty also keeps us ever mindful of our great weakness before God and how utterly and absolutely dependent we are upon Him for His graces to overcome sin and sin’s rootedness and wounds in our lives, for progress in the spiritual life, for whatever good we do or have, and more.
I think that we see Jesus model Poverty for us through His humility and simplicity of life; His seeking the marginalized, forgotten and reflected; and all that He endured throughout HIs Passion. I think that Jesus manifested Poverty a in a very unique but powerful way as He carried His Cross on the via Delarosa. We are told that Jesus falls three times. His falling shows his immense suffering and the immense toil His scourging, beatings and more have taken. Our Lord is in the midst of such great physical poverty. As we carry our Cross, we too are subject to falling because of our own spiritual, emotional, psychological poverty. Poverty keeps us ever vigilant of our spiritual lives and to our constant need for God and His grace in every step.
Poverty reinforces a detachment toward temporal things and an attentiveness to eternity. Poverty sees that all things of this world are passing. Jesus speaks to this poverty’s way of seeing this way:
30 All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Luke 12:30-31
But what about Poverty as part of the Evangelical Counsels? As a counsel, voluntary poverty is “depriving ourselves of material goods through love of the eternal good, which is God Himself.” As a counsel, voluntary poverty is just that - it is optional rather than commanded. It is a desire that exhorts and inspires. Still, such voluntary poverty needs to be in conjunction with that interior spirit of poverty (inward detachment) and especially supernatural charity.
Growth in Self-Denial: Examples of Self-Denial in Action or Practice
Being open to feedback, ideas or perspectives from others.
Fasting or intentionally forgoing a pleasure or good
Addressing a habitual sin or imperfection
Simplifying one’s closet to donate good items to a clothing pantry and not replacing items
As part of a morning offering to Christ, include one’s top 3 concerns as an act of trust.
When thinking about the faults of another, shift to giving thanks to God for 2-3 of positive attributes about the person and search oneself for a similar fault or related fault in one’s self to work on.
Begin watching your “listening to talking” ratio in key relationships
Closing
A great paradox of self-denial is this: The more we deny ourselves, the more we come to be ourselves, to know ourselves, to find ourselves, to save ourselves!
Before we close, let’s pause and see if there are any thoughts, insights or questions.
Reflection Questions:
What do you find yourself reflecting upon from this formation session? What keeps knocking on the door of your heart?
Where in your life is Christ asking you to deny yourself and what would a simple, small step look like?
What do you need most from Jesus in this dimension of the Cross Walk? How can you ask Jesus for what you need from Him?
Prayer - Saint Francis de Sales
Be at peace. Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life; rather look to them with full hope as they arise. God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them. He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering, or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.
