Christian Mission and Poverty

Chapter 4: Holy Poverty

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turned to her sisters and said, “Go to the turn, my daughters, and bring that bread.” When they had brought it back they took their places at table. I gave her such power as she divided up the bread that all of them ate their fill and so much was left on the table that they had plenty for their bodily need yet another time. This is the providence I use with my servants who are poor by choice, and not simply by choice but for spiritual reasons. For without their spiritual intention it would be worthless. They would be like the philosophers who for love of science and their will to learn it spurned riches and became poor by choice because they knew naturally that worrying about worldly riches would prevent their reaching the scientific goal they had set before their mind’s eye as their sole end. But because their choice of poverty was not spiritual, not made for the glory and praise of my name, it did not bring them grace or perfection but eternal death. 3. But alas, dearest daughter, see how those philosophers put to shame the miserable lovers of wealth who do not follow the knowledge offered them by nature to gain the supreme eternal Good! For the philosophers, knowing wealth was a hindrance to them, threw it off. But these people would make wealth a god. It is clear that this is so from the fact that they grieve more when they lose their wealth and temporal possessions than when they lose me, the supreme eternal wealth. If you will look well, you will see that every sort of evil comes from this perverse desire and will for wealth. Pride comes from it, because they want to be superior. It brings forth injustice to themselves and to others. It brings forth