We are all poor in our own way. As a member of a religious order, I often get questions about the vows that I will take. While I don’t know very much yet, I still try to answer them as best I can. Poverty seems only to people as having nice things, and for most people, as having nicer things than they. Poverty is more than that. Poverty is also a mindset. I believe that is what Jesus talked about when he said ‘blessed the poor in spirit.’ Now this can include physical poverty, but it focuses on being okay with what you have. Don Bosco lived a life of poverty, but he on many occasion dined with rich countesses and other important figures enjoying the luxury they do. If it was there, he was grateful for it; if it wasn’t, he didn’t complain or expect his polenta to be steak instead.
Another type of poverty exists all around us: spiritual poverty. I notice this among the youths and it is deadly because they can’t even tell that they are poor. I started this meaning to talk about how hard it is to live this vocation and how sometimes there are struggles and annoyances, but I think of the reason, how many of these kids don’t receive real love and in place lash out for anything, mainly sex and social acceptance. A few weeks ago, I learned of one 12 year old boy, who had gone out for a week with a 15 year old girl. They have been fighting and starting rumors about each other ever since. When I asked the girl why she went out with a 12 year old she responded, “because he wanted to go out with me.” I was dumbfounded. Kids will do anything just for a bit of attention. The boy has recently been causing problems because the girl and her friends talk about him. He tries to be in on it and act like he is superior in a sexual way, and when he can’t, he sulks and whines and just leaves.
The vow of Chastity is another hot topic. Most kids, even the good ones are awestruck to learn that priests can’t have sex. “So you’re never going to have sex?” A common question. Tonight I actually heard the dumbest response, “I think 15 or 16 is a good age to lose your virginity.” Most kids just think it to be an animal instinct that can boost their reputation and they can joke about with other friends. It’s not even the sex they really want, it’s the attention and comradery for which they can use it to talk about. This is poverty. Many of these kids are not setting themselves up for a better life. They are fine the way it is, distracted by their cell phones and clothing brands, all the while they don’t really love anyone but themselves and fight and hate even their closest friends. I wish for Don Bosco’s days of physical poverty, because that would be so much easier to fight than this!
