Antonio had been a wealthy man once. Now he lived as a beggar in the streets of Lisbon. His appearance was unappealing, his clothes old and many-layered. He used plastic carrier bags to carry his worldly possessions and often he would be seen going barefoot. His days were spent hanging out and asking for help from tourists and the locals alike. At times he would do well and was able to afford something to eat and drink. Most nights though he would find his old cardboard boxes and make for himself a shelter in one of the shop doorways. As long as he did not oversleep this appeared to work, as few would bother him once it grew dark. At times some good Samaritan would offer extra help, for which he was grateful.
Isabella was a local shopkeeper and would frequently see Antonio and would occasionally and cheerfully buy him breakfast along with a hot drink. Antonio really had no one to speak with and so he would enjoy the exchange of a few friendly words with Isabella. Late one summer morning Isabella was coming out of her store and was surprised to see Antonio’s makeshift shelter still in place, for he would typically take it down before the shops opened. Having bought breakfast she went over to deliver it only to find that Antonio was unresponsive and had quietly passed away. An ambulance came and took him, and the Police cleared his cardboard house and removed his bags from the doorway. In speaking with one of the Policewomen, Isabella would learn to her great astonishment that Antonio, far from being poor, was astonishingly wealthy, for thrust deeply into one of his pockets was a diamond of such caliber and beauty that, if he had chosen, Antonio could have lived quite a different and comfortable life. For whatever reason Antonio had left his wealth untouched.
So many of our baptized brothers and sisters live in ignorance of the riches given to them which, like that diamond, remain untouched. For others it is not ignorance but a personal choice to live in poverty, in shop doorways, alone, shoeless, and cold at night.
As the baptized we are all profoundly rich and are further doubly blessed to be in the catholic family. God gives us his word so that we can grow in his love and knowledge. Jesus gives us the sacraments so we can pursue holiness. The Holy Spirit, poured out upon us, motivates, and guides our hearts, minds, and spirit so we can remain in Christ as Christ remains in us. We are rich – and our ultra wealthy portfolio rests on a rock. A diamond of such caliber and beauty that so many do not believe it. The infinite God has humbled himself and taken on a form by means of which we can consume him and bring him into us. Many remain poor, struggling to believe this central tenet of catholic teaching.
I suppose all surveys need to be looked at closely but while a 2019 Pew Survey found that only one third of US Catholics believed in Transubstantiation, a more recent Georgetown study has noted that two thirds now do. This is good news as we prepare for the National Eucharistic Revival to be held this July (2024) in Indianapolis. 80,000 men, woman and children are expected to converge and together pray, praise and worship. Can you imagine 80,000 voices all together and as one praising God and acknowledging the truth of the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ with us in the Holy Eucharist. Can you imagine the loud and united AMEN!
We are to die to ourselves; we are to die to a life that is selfish or spiritually bankrupt, we are to die, but let us not die poor, cold and hungry for we are given all we need to live full, complete, purposeful, and rich lives.
Our friend Antonio would live and die poor while carrying a diamond deep in his pocket, untouched, unused, far from the light that would make it sparkle with life and that would make him a very rich man. Let us dust off the diamond of our baptism and polish this gem by way of a faith driven and sacramentally rich life. As we continue with this Mass, and in accordance with His instructions, we prepare ourselves to consume His body and His blood. By this He makes us rich, gives us life, light, comfort, and peace.
The
answer to true poverty is only Jesus Christ, fully and completely present here in
the sacrament of the Mass – body, soul, and divinity, fully present, all
loving, and simply and deeply desiring you and me. AMEN
Deacon Peter Bujwid, Saint Agnes
Arlington, MA.
Sunday 2nd June 2024
