Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: A Retreat Guide on the First Beatitude

The Sermon on the Mount is St. Matthew’s summary of Christ’s preaching, of the New Law Jesus gives us from this mountain of the New Testament, just as Moses gave his people the Old Law on Mt. Sinai. This New Law begins with the Beatitudes, the summary of the summary of Christ’s teaching. The Beatitudes offer a portrait of Christian life. And the first characteristic of that portrait is this: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). What does being “poor in spirit” really mean?