Mary’s Poverty

We all have areas of poverty in our lives. These are areas where we seem to lack something. Areas of deep emptiness and deep suffering. If you need help identifying these areas in your life, consider one where you feel as though you have no control. If you feel out of control, you are likely suffering deeply in this area. This is an area of poverty for you. This is also an area of great promise and potential. Why? Because God works most fully in and through our nothingness.

Being in a position of need reminds us of who we are before God – beggars. It reminds me of a quote I have in my prayer space by Fr. Jacques Philippe. He says, “I am what I am in the eyes of God, a poor child, possessing nothing, given everything. Infinitely loved and totally free.” We see this in a special way in Mary’s poverty.

Mary’s life was one of deep poverty. She emptied herself, let go of control, and submitted herself to untold suffering. She was able to give her whole being, body, mind, heart, soul, her whole yes to God. 

In her complete and utter nothingness, however, our good Father bestowed upon her everything. In her nothingness, she was given everything that she had given up and more.

Yet, to the world she was still poor. She was a woman of scandal. A betrothed woman, legally bound to Joseph yet not living with him. She should not have been pregnant. She had, by all outward appearances, committed the gravest of sins punishable by stoning. In her poverty, she remained silent. She did not rely upon herself and she felt no need to defend herself.

Do we seek to be like Mary? 

If we are anything alike, we seek not the poverty in which we can possess all things. We seek what the world offers, not this paradoxical poverty of Christ. This paradox of Christ tells us that strength can be born of weakness, wealth can be born of poverty, freedom can be born of obedience, and victory can be born of suffering. 

There is beauty that rises from the ashes of poverty, but our tendency is to avoid it at all costs. We still seek the wealth of this world, not the riches of heaven.  We seek the success of this life, not the eternal glory. Yet when we seek strength in ourselves, we lose him. We lose Christ. 

It is precisely through our poverty that God is made manifest. Look at the example he gave us:
It was in poverty that Jesus was born. 
It was in poverty that Jesus lived.
It was in poverty that Jesus died.
But it is in glory that he lives and reigns for all eternity, next to his beloved Mother Mary, arrayed in gold as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

So, where is the poverty in your life? What is the suffering that you are running from? Stop running. Turn to him like Mary. Know that this is the very place in which God desires so deeply to draw you to him, to make his power known in and through you, and give you so many good and beautiful gifts because you need him desperately.

For prayer and reflection…

Consider this Advent the ways in which you lack something. Allow this to be a place where Jesus can be born anew by praying on this area:

• Where is the poverty in your life? 
• How do you respond to it? 
• In a safe time and pace, preferable before the Blessed Sacrament, speak to God. Ask him to speak truth into the lies that surround this area of suffering. Ask him to bring light into the darkness and strength into the weakness. 

He means to bring good out of your suffering, so give him the time and space to do so. 

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Note: I was inspired to write this post after listening to and praying with last week’s Abiding Together Podcast, The Light Shines in the Darkness. It’s so awesome, I’d highly recommend listening to it!