In some way our poverty is all we have to
offer the Lord. There is too much- so many things exteriorly, more so
interiorly; and we may feel like we are stuck with it all. In the monastery we
become more and more keenly aware of the reality of our very real inner
woundedness and poverty and our desperate need for Christ, a need, a longing to
be mercied continually.
But this poverty is everything to us;
it is all we have to offer Christ, offer the Church -
the reality of total dependence on the mercy of God from moment to moment. Ours is certainly not the crushing poverty of
the economically poor and destitute; we dare not compare it. Still it’s all
we’ve got- all the stuff we’ve got no choice about. And we believe it’s the
very place where blessing and mercy can intrude and take root- poverty as blest
by God’s loving regard. We are truly blessed, when our poverty is blest as an
emptiness to be filled to overflowing with Christ’s peace and most affectionate
compassion. This is everything for us as monks. And what is more, we believe
that our true blessedness depends upon our willingness to become ourselves
mercy-doers, mercy-makers for all who are poor.
And so we hope, and each morning we go to the altar of God, the God in Christ who
alone gives us joy and freedom and peace- his very self as food. So much needs
yet to be accomplished and prayed through. Our lives lived together in this
monastery help to notice and watch and pray.
Photograph by Brother Daniel.
*Daniel Harrington
