The Little Way of Living with Less: Learning to Let Go with the Little Flower by Laraine Bennett

Author:Laraine Bennett [Bennett, Laraine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Published: 2022-09-27T00:00:00+00:00

Cultivating the Rose of Poverty

1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church adjures us that “The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.”52 This should cause us to pause and reflect on the abundance we in this First World country enjoy. Can we be more generous in our monetary giving to our parish, to our local food pantry or homeless shelter, or to those struggling with poverty, famine, and strife overseas? Can we emulate the widow who gave out of her own necessity rather than abundance?

2. What might we do daily to practice “practical austerity”? Are we careful with our household items, or do we tell ourselves that we can always buy a replacement? Do we hold on to clothing or kitchenware that we never use, “just in case”? Perhaps we can eliminate those extras and donate them to someone in need? Can we tidy up one room — or even a corner of a room — each day?

3. Do we avoid unnecessary expenditures? Can we implement a “spending freeze”? Do we resist the temptation to create “false needs”? Do we try to avoid indulging our imaginations or daydreaming about luxuries or other material possessions we wish we had? Do we try to avoid the temptation to scroll through social media and fall prey to ads or to envy of others’ lifestyle or status?

4. Have we reflected on what really matters — in light of our inevitable death? How much time do we spend thinking about material needs as opposed to the more important spiritual needs of our souls? Do we spend time contemplating the four last things: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell?

41 Story of a Soul, 81–82.

42 Justin Martyr says Jesus was a maker of yokes, which would have required a highly skilled artisan. Interestingly, the Greek word tekton means “maker,” which also suggests the Creator.

43 St. Thérèse, Letter to Céline, Magnificat, vol. 23, no. 9, 248.

44 Donald Haggerty, Contemplative Provocations (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2013), 116.

45 Magnificat 22, no. 8 (New York: Magnificat, 2021), 273.

46 Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert: Sayings from the Desert Fathers of the Fourth Century (Trappist, KY: Abbey of Gesthemani, 1960), 60.

47 Story of a Soul, 209. She goes on to explain spiritual charity, where in a situation in which someone asks to “borrow” some time from Thérèse, she does not say “here, you may have it as a gift.” Rather, she agrees to “lending” her time — even knowing the other sister will never be able to return the favor — because that is the harder thing to do for Thérèse; namely, allowing the other sister to not feel indebted. In this instance, she takes poverty of spirit to an even greater depth of delicate charity.

48 Story of a Soul, 49.

49 Story of a Soul, 154.

50 Story of a Soul, 140–141.

51 Story of a Soul, 209.

52 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 1994, 1997), 2544.

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