MARFAM WEEKLY FAMILY MATTERS E-NEWSLETTER 19 NOVEMBER 2025

The many faces of poverty. 

There are many faces of poverty for me in my personal relationship with the concept of poverty, just as there are for everyone. Pope Francis instituted the World Day of the Poor 9 years ago, highlighting the importance in the Church’s mission of “the preferential option for the poor.” Each year the World Day of the Poor on the Sunday before the triumphant celebration of Christ the King has been a significant day for me on my spiritual journey, in part because in the Thoughts for the Day which I post out, I need to reflect on the subject. But already very many years earlier the first of the Beatitudes has presented me with a strong challenge. “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”   

 Of course that is what we all want to achieve, but the poverty part is my challenge.  What is the deeper message for me, personally?  Where is the challenge? Who wants to be poor and to be blessed in that? Do I believe it?   Is our world-view not to be successful, to avoid and overcome material poverty. Amass enough money to be secure in your old age, have enough medical cover, all of which are a serious concern for me at this time. Don’t give too much away but, somehow, be as generous as you can.  Those are aspects of the way of the consumerist culture.

On a different level, there have been times in my life when I have almost felt guilty about not being “poor” or, at best, not poor enough to deserve a place in heaven. We’ve never been more than relatively well off, but comfortable enough most of the time.  Do I really need, or would like, to drive the nice car I admire or spend money on travel, beautiful things for the house or on jewelry?   Or do I need to identify with Jesus in his chosen poverty, and how he identified with the materially poor and the outcasts, the beggars and the homeless? Do I, a lay widowed woman, have that calling, never mind everyone else?   Am I willing to share enough, especially beyond my family?  

There was a time when I found comfort in relating to the “poor in spirit” as the attitude that I am not overly attached to possessions and think I rely on God’s providence.  But do I genuinely trust in God to provide?   Is that the correct attitude or conviction towards being truly poor in spirit?

Much of my reflection in this area has been around different material possessions, even a need for security and the ability to appreciate beauty and to enjoy the good things in life.   Does God really love the poor more than the not so poor.  Yes, no?  Ah!  Pope Leo states that  “This “preferential option for the poor” never indicates exclusivity or discrimination towards other groups, which would be impossible for God. It is meant to emphasize God’s actions, which are moved by compassion toward the poverty and weakness of all humanity. Wanting to inaugurate a kingdom of justice, fraternity and solidarity, God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest. Dilexi Te 16 (I have loved you.”  (His recent Apostolic Exhortation.)  

Another challenge is as a parent, family member or friend.  Pope Francis in Laudato Si challenges us on the issue of consumerism.  Use less, buy less and waste less as the earth cannot deal with the amount of waste we consumers create.  Don’t buy the latest fashion items and electronic gadgets, which are wants rather than needs.  Is it possible to instill that value into others, especially children.   Economics demands that more and more is produced and developed.   Even with COP30, and the move towards cutting down on fossil fuel and replacing it with renewable energy.  The intention there is to provide more energy and available water, rather than cut down on use, live more sustainably and preserve the environment for those coming after us.    

It was affirming for me, that Mother Teresa already said decades ago, that the greatest poverty is being unloved.  Right now in Dilexi te Pope Leo lists some of the many faces of poverty.  it is a multifaceted phenomenon. In fact, there are many forms of poverty: the poverty of those who lack material means of subsistence, the poverty of those who are socially marginalized and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities, moral and spiritual poverty, cultural poverty, the poverty of those who find themselves in a condition of personal or social weakness or fragility, the poverty of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom,  DT9    

He speaks of the needy, those who suffer neglect, hunger and want, but he notes too that poverty is loneliness – lack of love and relationships. That loneliness can of course apply to everyone and the wealthy may well experience poverty in a greater way of loneliness than the materially poor who may have much closer relationships.  That is an area where I think  I can deal with poverty and loneliness more easily than with the aspect of identifying and following Jesus’ self-emptying, a particular way of love and poverty as did St Francis.   Dare I ask, “Does offering a retreat for widowed persons make me worthy? “

Some years ago, on my journey, I composed a family activity around the theme of ‘Poor in spirit” which included a list of  stories of different faces of poverty, of lacks and losses, e.g. emotional – loneliness, relational – abuse, circumstantial poverty due to job loss, migrancy – loss of almost everything.  The stories shared in the activity, while recogtnising the poverty, also included gratitude where support was offered or where trust in God provided hope.   

I’m still on this journey. Someone mentioned the deserving and the undeserving poor. Have I resolved any of my challenges yet?  Some, and at times I feel almost content. But the fact that I am still embarrassed to look the dirty beggar at the robot in the face and genuinely believe, that I can love him or the poor addict who has failed in the school of life, tells me that my journey continues. Black Friday is a classic example and come Christmas will I still disapprove of the amount of money spent on presents? Unnecessarily or irresponsibly, or out of generosity and good will.   

On the World Day of the Poor Pope Leo invited all Christians to “seek the Kingdom of God by working to transform human coexistence into a space of fraternity and dignity for all, without exception.”  He prayed, “May Mary help us embrace the Kingdom’s new way of thinking,” he said, “so that in our Christian life the love of God, which welcomes, binds up wounds, forgives, consoles, and heals, may always be present.”  From one poor person to another different poor person. Amen

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.

November 19.  Bryan shared, “You know, I always used to think of the parable of the talents in terms of admiring the men who doubled their money and kind of felt sorry for the other who just kept his money safe.  But why should he be punished?  Did he really do something wrong, or did he just not do something quite right, like manage his master’s goods for profit?  Or how important is profit any way in the way we are now being asked to think?   What would be our task concerning our own talents from God? It does need confidence to be an achiever and there are times, like when we are depressed over difficult situations, that we are hardly able to achieve anything at all. Would God still be a hard taskmaster or the merciful Father we believe in?   

Reflect, share, Scripture: Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. Luke 19:11-28.   Pope Francis: The truly popular thing, since it promotes the good of the people, is to provide everyone with the opportunity to nurture the seeds that God has planted in each of us: our talents, our initiative and our innate resources.  LS 162   When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities  it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself. Once the human being declares independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion the foundations of our life begin to crumble.  LS117 Jubilee.  We need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil and violence. The signs of the times, which include the yearning of human hearts in need of God’ssaving presence, ought to become signs of hope.  SNC10.   Act and Pray for compassionate concern for those suffering loss in their families.