What Is Meant By "Poor In the Spirit"?

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Please explain why the Kingdom of Heaven is granted to the “Poor In Spirit” . What is meant by “Poor In Spirit”?
 
I’ve always thought this meant that one must be humble and full of humility.

I sometimes think that heaven is no place for egos.
 
Just look into the political remarks of these forums and you will have your answer… and i include myself with this silly bunch… 👍
 
Amanda - That was my thinking as well, but is that correct? Does “Spirit” equate to humility?
 
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JeromeHorwitz:
Amanda - That was my thinking as well, but is that correct? Does “Spirit” equate to humility?
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I honestly don’t know, since there is still so much of the faith I need to learn. Reading the Catechism 362-368 leads me to wonder if the word “heart” could be used in it’s place as well.
 
I have written a meditation on Being Poor in Spirit. I go into just what being poor in spirit means.

Those who have a proper view of themselves in relationship to God receive the Kingdom of Heaven because they have prepared their soul to live totally in God.
 
T.A. - Thank you very much for your response. I guess my confusion comes from my interpretation of the word “Spirit”. I’ve always felt that being strong “Spiritually” was a good thing, meaning that we are full of the “Spirit” of Christ. “Poor In Spirit” seems to mean a lack of a spiritual nature within one’s self.
 
Your are welcome. 🙂

JeromeHorwitz said:
“Poor In Spirit” seems to mean a lack of a spiritual nature within one’s self.
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But really means how we think about ourselves in relationship to God.
 
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JeromeHorwitz:
T.A. - Thank you very much for your response. I guess my confusion comes from my interpretation of the word “Spirit”. I’ve always felt that being strong “Spiritually” was a good thing, meaning that we are full of the “Spirit” of Christ. “Poor In Spirit” seems to mean a lack of a spiritual nature within one’s self.
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The beatitude in Matthew is “blessed are the poor in spirit”, not “blessed are the poor in Spirit”.

Blessed are the poor in spirit …
Matt. 5:3

Blessed are you poor …
Luke 6:20

A poor person has to trust God for what he needs because he has nothing else to rely upon. In Luke’s listing of the beatitudes this is clear. Matthew is saying that a person can have the trusting heart of a poor person even if he is wealthy, i.e. even a rich person can be poor in spirit. We use the same type of language when we say that a person has a good team spirit, or a student is full of the school spirit.

Matthew is not saying it is a blessing to lack the gift of the Holy Spirit! 🙂
 
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