On poverty of spirit, good friendships and mortification

Introduction to the Devout Life

Part III, Chapters 15-29

Notes from Polish Group:
Tomasz Hawrylewicz, Jan Marciniak, Tomasz Lukaszuk

Jan, Tomasz L, and Tomek H.

28 November 2011

To have a rich Spirit even in the midst of real Poverty is possible only for those who entrust themselves to God. God is the One is continually giving strength, protection and freedom. In the company of our Dear Lord Jesus, His Mother Mary, Apostles and numbers of Saints, men and women find it possible to grow in true freedom of spirit. If you free your heart from the wealth of this world, and attached yourself more tightly to God in your spirit, you will discover a new sense of freedom.

St Francis is describing two kinds of poverty: secular and religious. It is important to choose poverty as a life’s option to be free and available for God and His mission. By personal witness and imitation of Jesus, you will find the best and easiest way to come close to God, and, as a result, to show God to others who are seeking Him.

Real and a good friendship is based on a pure love, charity, goodness, prudence, devotion and  Christian perfection, always  ready to please and help another person.  God knows how very  precious a friendship it is. Precious, because it comes from Him, because it tends to God, because He is the link that binds you, because it will last for ever. Truly it is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in Heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there.   Friendship based on the gospel values is always open to others, by helping, sharing by using talents and many other natural gifts to grow in better relation with God and one another.

Francis makes a distinction between good friendship and evil friendship. What he calls evil friendship is always looking only for a personal benefit. Therefore, it does not hesitate to make empty promises. In a such friendship nothing good will be seen but only egoism, selfishness   and bad values  which are not building  and uniting but only destroying  another person. Therefore It is a very important to dedicate your heart to God, and offer your love for Him,   to protect yourself from  such relation. Never hearken to any indiscreet conversation whatsoever – never mind if you see rude and uncourteous behaviour in others. Nor should you be afraid in rejecting any such company, because it will be not good for you or for your soul.

St Francis is also advising Philothea to practice of Bodily Mortification by fasting, prayer, discipline and austerity.  Fasting and labour both exhaust and subdue the body, but if your work is necessary or profitable to God’s Glory, he advises you to bear the exhaustion of work than to do a self-imposed penance of fasting. That is sacrifice enough!

Every kind of mortification must always be embraced with a consideration to one’s purpose in striving to do the will of God. In other words, mortification must be understood as a help to control the body and manifest one’s desire to come closer to God. This consideration, rather than other other pious aim, is the true purpose of prayer and fasting, penance and mortification.

Summary and in-text illustrations collected by Fr. Jan Marciniak
Class photos by Joe Boenzi

A deep discussion, and fun too