Jesus Christ, my God, becomes poor. The perfect expression of His poverty is His obedience unto the Cross. He was crucified naked, the ultimate expression of His poverty. He voluntarily allows Himself to be stripped of all His glory and power. The poverty of His nakedness reveals my pride, vanity, sensuality, self-love…

When the treasured pearl of poverty is found in Jesus crucified, I must be willing to sell everything to possess this Pearl. I must allow and cooperate with the Holy Spirit to strip me of everything that is mine: material things as well as the more difficult interior things, such as desires, expectations, securities (worldly as well as talents…), opinions, plans, reputation, knowledge, a total abasement. This can only happen through the burning flame of the Holy Spirit. I become God’s candle, and when the Spirit is stirred within my soul through my “Fiat” to be His victim soul, His flame begins to burn, and I begin to melt little by little. When the Spirit has melted me completely, I become one with Poverty—Jesus crucified.

Why is poverty the most treasured Pearl?

Through poverty, the soul becomes adorned in the radiant purity of all the virtues. Through poverty, her nakedness becomes clothed in God, in His Light! I have fallen in love with poverty!