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O Lord, how joyful and happy must they be who,
when they come to consider their own selves,
find in themselves nothing remarkable whatever.
Not only do they not attract attention outside themselves,
but now they no longer have any desires
or selfish interests to attract their own attention.
They remark no virtues; they are saddened by no huge sins;
they see only their own unremarkable weakness and nothingness
but a nothingness that is filled obscurely, not with themselves,
but with Your love, O God
They are poor in spirit who possess within themselves
the kingdom of heaven
because they are no longer remarkable even to themselves.
But in them shines God’s light
and they themselves, and all who see it,
glorify You, O God!
Thomas Merton, 1915 – 1968, American Catholic writer and Trappist monk
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Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
prayer & verse 