The Redemptorist Virtue for the month of May is...

Virtue: Poverty

Patron: St. Thomas

Text: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." Mt.5:3

Jesus identified with the poor. (See Mt 25:35-40.) Alphonsus insisted that we can begin to understand gospel poverty only when we begin to experience

"the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9).

Alphonsus' writings and preaching reveal his conviction that gospel poverty (what he calls "poverty of spirit and a spirit of poverty " ) demands detachment of the heart from material possessions and worldly power. He encourages us to gain perspective by meditating on death as "the day of loss," when riches and possessions will be no more. He used to encourage young Redemptorists to "clean out their closets " at the time of retreat so they would not clutter up their lives with extra things. Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this!

This month, why not go through your "riches" and choose one treasure to give away. If you find this too difficult, perhaps you can find a way to use that treasure to help another or to bring joy to someone.

Thanks to: www.redemptorists.com