Day 327: Poverty of Heart

All Christ's faithful are to "direct their affections rightly, lest they be hindered in their pursuit of perfect charity by the use of worldly things and by an adherence to riches which is contrary to the spirit of evangelical poverty." CCC 2545

Today's reading from the Catechism is short, a conclusion of the Tenth Commandment and an In Brief. Poverty of one's heart, a preference for Christ over the riches of this life. 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes why Jesus calls for poverty in spirit and what the greatest human desire is:

Jesus calls his disciples to prefer him to everything and everyone. Detachment from riches – in the spirit of evangelical poverty – and self-abandonment to divine providence free us from anxiety about the future and prepare us for the blessedness of the “poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). The greatest desire of the human person is to see God. “I want to see God” is the cry of our whole being. We realize our true and full happiness in the vision and beatitude of the One who created us out of love and draws us to himself with infinite love. (#532-33)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some great commentary on this:

All our learning about the Faith is directed to learning about God so we can be in union with God. Life in the spirit, life in Christ is not just so we can follow rules. It is so that we can be like him and that we can dwell with him for eternity. Our goal is not just a virtuous life but union with God himself... Our Faith asks us to die to ourselves so that domination over others, comfort, and worldly goods do not lure us away from our pursuit of God. (p. 170)

This concludes the Catechism's look at the Ten Commandments. Tomorrow will begin Section 4 on prayer, the last part of the Catechism.