I have been following the discussion and talking with Julie as she posts here responses.
As a pastor visiting many homes in the North I have been given pause to think a great deal about true poverty. Many of the residents of Hay River and the reserve have been working two weeks /two weeks out from three diamond mines in the NWT. Besides the fact that the product produced almost not use for the poor ,its target is for the wealthy to buy. It has caused inflated family incomes and a great deal of jealousy between which native bands get hired on and which do not because of quota employment systems in NWT.
The effect on households of workers ahs been like agold rush..extravagent spending and then a crash of mortgage payments and repossessions . It is the glitter of money that blinds and impoverishes the whole family.
Matt speaks of a happiness that comes from the poor in spirit.
It is our parish goal and perhaps a franciscan initiative for the Assumptin parish to study the Beatitudes for Lent .
As St. Augustine commented in his first homily about the Beatitudes- it a journey of increasing commitment to our Lord that comes from His leading and guiding our decisions . It is built on our spiritual dependence on nothing of this world as our source and engine of the blessed life that our dependence on Jesus at work in and through us.
