THE story of Lazarus and the rich man
(Lk 16,19-31)
reminds us of a basic truth of our faith. Poverty helps while wealth
tends to harm our relationship with God as well as with others.
Poverty is a good path to heaven. We need to live poverty for us to
effectively be with God and with others, and to be assured of heaven.
Christ reiterated this truth when he said: “Truly, I tell
you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 24,40) Here he clearly tells us
that he identifies himself with the “least of these brothers and
sisters.”
As for the rich, he told us in no uncertain terms how
difficult it is for them to enter heaven. “It is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter
the kingdom of God.” (Mt 19,24) Wealth usually would make us
indifferent to the needs of others.
With those indications said, we should now see what would
comprise the poverty and the richness that are being referred to. We
cannot deny that poverty and richness can have different meanings
according to our human standards, and can even conflict to what Christ
meant.
It’s important that we know there is good and bad poverty.
At the moment, it seems people know more about the bad one, the one
that demeans us as persons. There’s hunger, ignorance, inhuman
conditions that rightly need to be fought if not eliminated.
But while that concern is just perfectly fine, we should
not forget that it’s even more important to know and live the good
type, because it is truly necessary for us. We should do everything to
live this good type of poverty, even if we may happen to be well
endowed materially and financially.
Our problem is that we seem to be exclusively concerned
about bad and inhuman poverty and we appear completely clueless about
the good one. We have to exert deliberate effort to correct this
anomaly.
The good poverty can be gleaned from one of the
beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.” (Mt 5,3) I’m sure many of us are familiar with these
divine message, but I wonder whether we take it seriously, aware of
its practical implications and really eager to attain the goal it is
inviting us to reach.
This good poverty is meant for all of us, and not just for
some who happen to be more religiously inclined. This is one of the
first battle grounds we need to win to have a proper understanding and
attitude toward this virtue.
Good, Christian poverty is actually a happy poverty. While
it involves some self-denial and sacrifice, it on the whole and from
beginning to end is a very positive element in our life.
With it we free our soul, the very seat of our identity
and the linking point between God and us, from any obstacle that would
impede our relation with God and with others. With our wounded human
condition, we tend to have material and temporal concerns dominate our
soul, desensitizing it from its true source and end.
That’s why Christian poverty is not so much about poverty
in material terms as in poverty of spirit. It does not keep a negative
attitude toward material things, but rather considers them always in
relation to our duty towards God and others.
And so Christian poverty can be and, in fact, should be
lived even in the midst of material prosperity. It is not averse to
earthly wealth as long as this wealth is taken as means in our total
self-giving to God and to others.
Thus one should not be afraid to be a millionaire or a
billionaire as long as he is detached from earthly things and his is
heart to totally given to God and others. Christian poverty is
compatible with good taste, good grooming and certain level of human
comfort.
It is also open to any situation. As St. Paul said: “I
know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound; both to be
full, and to be hungry; both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil
4,12)
This is, of course, easier said than done, and so
Christian poverty demands of us constant struggle. We need to
continually examine our conscience, rectify our intentions,
increasingly get involved in the lives of others, always promoting
religion and social justice.
This is the only way this Christian poverty can be lived
regardless of the situation.
reminds us of a basic truth of our faith. Poverty helps while wealth
tends to harm our relationship with God as well as with others.
Poverty is a good path to heaven. We need to live poverty for us to
effectively be with God and with others, and to be assured of heaven.
Christ reiterated this truth when he said: “Truly, I tell
you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 24,40) Here he clearly tells us
that he identifies himself with the “least of these brothers and
sisters.”
As for the rich, he told us in no uncertain terms how
difficult it is for them to enter heaven. “It is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter
the kingdom of God.” (Mt 19,24) Wealth usually would make us
indifferent to the needs of others.
With those indications said, we should now see what would
comprise the poverty and the richness that are being referred to. We
cannot deny that poverty and richness can have different meanings
according to our human standards, and can even conflict to what Christ
meant.
It’s important that we know there is good and bad poverty.
At the moment, it seems people know more about the bad one, the one
that demeans us as persons. There’s hunger, ignorance, inhuman
conditions that rightly need to be fought if not eliminated.
But while that concern is just perfectly fine, we should
not forget that it’s even more important to know and live the good
type, because it is truly necessary for us. We should do everything to
live this good type of poverty, even if we may happen to be well
endowed materially and financially.
Our problem is that we seem to be exclusively concerned
about bad and inhuman poverty and we appear completely clueless about
the good one. We have to exert deliberate effort to correct this
anomaly.
The good poverty can be gleaned from one of the
beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.” (Mt 5,3) I’m sure many of us are familiar with these
divine message, but I wonder whether we take it seriously, aware of
its practical implications and really eager to attain the goal it is
inviting us to reach.
This good poverty is meant for all of us, and not just for
some who happen to be more religiously inclined. This is one of the
first battle grounds we need to win to have a proper understanding and
attitude toward this virtue.
Good, Christian poverty is actually a happy poverty. While
it involves some self-denial and sacrifice, it on the whole and from
beginning to end is a very positive element in our life.
With it we free our soul, the very seat of our identity
and the linking point between God and us, from any obstacle that would
impede our relation with God and with others. With our wounded human
condition, we tend to have material and temporal concerns dominate our
soul, desensitizing it from its true source and end.
That’s why Christian poverty is not so much about poverty
in material terms as in poverty of spirit. It does not keep a negative
attitude toward material things, but rather considers them always in
relation to our duty towards God and others.
And so Christian poverty can be and, in fact, should be
lived even in the midst of material prosperity. It is not averse to
earthly wealth as long as this wealth is taken as means in our total
self-giving to God and to others.
Thus one should not be afraid to be a millionaire or a
billionaire as long as he is detached from earthly things and his is
heart to totally given to God and others. Christian poverty is
compatible with good taste, good grooming and certain level of human
comfort.
It is also open to any situation. As St. Paul said: “I
know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound; both to be
full, and to be hungry; both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil
4,12)
This is, of course, easier said than done, and so
Christian poverty demands of us constant struggle. We need to
continually examine our conscience, rectify our intentions,
increasingly get involved in the lives of others, always promoting
religion and social justice.
This is the only way this Christian poverty can be lived
regardless of the situation.
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