Have you ever wondered what this verse really means? “Happy are you poor; the Kingdom of God is yours!”

Many art critics call Marc Chagall the greatest artist of the twentieth century. In his biography Chagall tells how he grew up in a poor Jewish family in Russia. His interest in art was aroused when he watched a classmate copy a picture from a magazine.

Shortly afterward, when his mother was baking bread, he touched her flour-smeared elbow and said, “Mama, I want to be an artist.” And his desire did not die. Chagall’s dream took him to Paris, where he won worldwide acclaim from his artistic accomplishment.

Yet, with all his success, he never forgot his life of poverty. In fact, he rejoiced in it. He said, “The very worst thing to have too early is a little success, a little money… and a little satisfaction.” Then he said these profound words: “the little satisfactions hold you back from big dedications.”

Friend, the biggest dedication, the deepest devotion, the greatest commitment I could ever imagine is to share God’s love with a hurting world, especially the poor, who are too often neglected.

Help us share the Bread of Life with hungry hearts and nourishing food with hungry bodies.

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