I have two friends who are gifted musicians and composers. One uses her talents to sing in church. She is a prominent member of her church choir, has been its leader for extended periods at various times and has over the years, composed a number of religious songs.

It is very uncomfortable to be around her however. She is boastful and arrogant of her giftedness always talking bout “her” abilities and accomplishments as a musician and composer.

Whenever the choir appoints someone whom she considers to be “below” her own capabilities she refuses to co-operate with them and uses every opportunity to “show them up”.

My other friend is a secular calypsonian who is hardly ever involved in “religious activities”. His calypsos are all musical and lyrical gems that connect with his audiences and speak to the higher values and virtues of life and living.

He is a joy to be around as he always celebrates the musical gifts of others, encouraging them to explore, enhance and develop their talents.

For him, his talents do not belong to “him” but is a “gift from the Father”. The major difference between my two friends is that the first one is “rich” and “enjoying her consolation now”. The other is “poor” and so “his is the Kingdom of God”.

In today’s Gospel Jesus through the Beatitudes, teaches us the core values and dispositions necessary to be a disciple of his. Central to those values and dispositions is to be “poor”.

When Jesus teaches about “being poor” in this instance, he is not necessarily speaking about someone not having material wealth but rather of someone having to completely depend on another for their daily living. That attitude of complete and total dependence is at the heart of discipleship.

When we recognise that every day of one’s life depends on the generosity of another then whatever we obtain or are able to achieve is not “ours” but is a “gift” or “blessing from the Father”. 

We are then able to give thanks for whatever we obtain, cherishing it and sharing it with others. In that way because “we are poor”, “ours is the kingdom of God”. All the other beatitudes or ways of living as a disciple follows from this.

As we meditate more fully on today’s gospel we realise that to really live as a disciple will place us in opposition to the values and way of life of the world around us. Very often, when faced with this opposition we feel that it is something new and a phenomenon of the “modern world”.

Jesus teaches us that in fact it is nothing new for “this was the way their ancestors treated the prophets”.

As disciples then, we have no need to be discouraged in the face of such opposition but rather, because we are “poor” we will be completely dependant on God and so “ours will be the kingdom of God”.

Heavenly Father, We thank you for the various ways in which we have realised we are poor:
– We suffered a major illness and had to depend on health care workers and others to take care of us.
- We lost our jobs and finances and had to rely on the generosity of others, family or friends, for our existence.
At times as we depended on others, we came to realise our dependence on you for what you are and have given to us. That realisation made us more appreciative of all that we have as we recognise that all are gifts and blessings. At those moments, truly, “ours is the kingdom of God”. Thank You Father

Gospel Meditations for February are by Glen Cazoe, a member of the Maloney Parish, the Church of the Incarnation.