Defending what we Possess

St Francis fought owning anything because any thing he and the brothers owned would have to be defended.  In our daily lives we defend the things we own everyday.  We own our jobs so we defend them by being afraid of immigrants and foreigners who we fear will take our jobs.  We own our lives and so we fear those who might threaten it.  We own our ideas of ourselves and fear and hate those who challenge us.

We don't just possess things.  We possess, or try to possess nearly everything we see or think of for that matter.  Being spiritually poor is much harder than not buying a fancy car or expensive clothes.  Being spiritually also means not owning our idea of ourselves.  We give that to God, who really owns it anyway.  By doing this we are free.  We are free to love as God commands us to.  We are to change in the ways He wants us to.  We are free to die in the way He needs us to.

For me it is easy to give away the physical things I no longer need.  It is harder to give up anything else.  I need all of your prayers to become what God wants me to be.  If you pray for me I will pray for you.  I will remember all who read this in my daily prayer.