The poor in spirit

October, 2026

Our Father in heaven

We confess that even as we try to follow you, we are worn down by compelling stories that go against your way. We try to reconcile your wisdom to the wisdom of the world, and in doing so, sully what you call good.

• We try to love and serve the poor, but find ourselves satisfied that we serve them, failing to see we are all subject to necessity — we are all pulled to our own sin, and we only contribute to the body as you cause us to.
• We try to share the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, but do so at the expense of the patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control that love requires of us.
• We try to channel our ambition toward work that serves other people, but it collapses into self-serving vanity.

Refresh us with a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, who welcomes the poor — even those of us who are only poor in spirit. Help us to walk in Him, remembering this wisdom.

And thank you for walking with us, even when we fail to walk in you.

Amen.