Poverty

Watercolor painting by French painter James Tissot named The Ointment of the Magdalene (Le parfum de Madeleine) (1886-1894) depicting Mary Magdalene kneeling before Christ, anointing his feet with costly nard oil, and wiping them with her hair, a gesture of deference and devotion with the quote: Judas thought Mary’s anointing was wasteful, preventing the costly nard from benefitting the poor. In point of fact, it served precisely that purpose... for the worst sort of poverty is to be unaware of or unmoved by the Savior’s presence. Are we willing to “waste” our lives for the love of Jesus? To be embarrassingly attentive to him?—Magnificat, April 15, 2019
The Worst Sort of Poverty
A Christian man holding the Holy Bible towards the camera with the quote: In everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God... we are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.—2 Corinthians 4, 8-10 (NABRE)
Ministers of God
2 Corinthians 4, 8-10