4TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

The Beatitudes confront us with a simple but unsettling question: what really makes a person great? Why do we assume that power, intelligence, success, or achievement are the true measures of human worth?

Not long ago, a friend of mine lost the brother, a man who lived his entire life on the autism spectrum. The man exuded enviable simplicity. He was born into a family of remarkable achievement—professors, doctors, and engineers. Yet this brother did not go to school, did not work, and did not accomplish what the world usually calls “great.” Still, he became the heart of the family. He was deeply loved—simply for who he was, devoid of ambition or competition. His death left the entire family broken. That story stayed with me as I read Jesus ' words: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Saint Paul helps us understand this paradox. Writing to the Corinthians, he says:“God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise… the weak to shame the strong… the lowly and the despised… so that no human being might boast before God.” Mark those words: so that no human being might boast before God.

The world defines greatness by achievement, education, influence, productivity, and success. But Paul reminds us that God’s standards are radically different. Those the world often overlooks—the weak, the lowly, those who seem to “count for nothing”—are not forgotten by God.

History shows how deeply flawed human standards can be. For instance, in many ancient cultures, including Greek philosophy, disability was seen as punishment. Even today, some societies still treat the vulnerable as burdens or signs of failure. By worldly logic, these are the ones who are weak, insignificant, or disposable. We naturally pursue titles, validation, and human affirmation because they seem to satisfy our human desires. Yet Jesus turns everything upside down.

He does not say, “Blessed are the most educated,” or “Blessed are the powerful, the accomplished, or the admired.” Instead, He praises the poor in spirit and declares:“I give praise to you, Father… because you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and revealed them to little ones” (Matthew 11:25).

Why? Because attachment to greatness—power, recognition, self-exaltation—is the root of so much human brokenness. Pride blinds. Self-sufficiency hardens the heart. The poor in spirit, however, understand in their poverty their need for God. They are God-sufficient. To be poor in spirit is not weakness—it is truth. It is living without illusion before God. It is not wrong to say that the poor in spirit embody all the Beatitudes: meekness, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, perseverance under insult. They rejoice not in what they possess, but in who they are in God. They are authentic witnesses to Christ.

The prophet Zephaniah captures this beautifully: “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth… seek justice, seek humility.” Humility, as Thomas Aquinas teaches, restrains our restless desire for self-glory and enables an honest self-assessment before God. It does not deny our gifts—but it refuses to make them idols. We hear the expression “down to earth,” which is rooted in "humus," the derivative word for humility.

The Beatitudes invite us to a new way of seeing the world and ourselves. Our true excellence is not found in what we achieve, but in belonging to the Kingdom of God. It is a demanding path, no doubt. But it is the path Jesus blesses. So, today, let us ask for the grace to see differently, to live humbly, and—yes—to dare to be poor in spirit. That is the way to the Kingdom.

Readings: Zeph. 2:3; 3:12–13 | 1 Cor. 1:26–31 | Matt. 5:1–12

Reflection Questions:

1.    Where might pride or self-sufficiency be quietly shaping my decisions?

2.    How is God inviting me to see, honor, or learn more deeply?

3.    Is there a place where I need to let go of control, recognition, or comparison and place my trust more fully in God?