The Complete Introduction to the Devout Life by Fr. John-Julian OJN

Author:Fr. John-Julian, OJN
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

PART III. CHAPTER 15.

How One Ought to Practice Poverty, Although Truly Rich

The artist Parrhasius painted the Athenian people by a very ingenious means, representing their divers and variable natures—angry, unjust, inconstant, courteous, gentle, merciful, haughty, proud, humble, brash, and timid—all of these together.f But myself, dear child, I wish to put in your heart both richness and poverty, both a great care and a great contempt for temporal things.

a. Francis expands on the idea that we are mere caretakers of our belongings that have been given to us by God—and, therefore, we have a responsibility to make our property “productive and fruitful.” This is basically the same principle of stewardship we see applied in our day by those who call for responsible management of ecosystems, the environment, and the health of the planet.

b. An interesting logic that both justifies and lauds the actual increase of one’s worldly goods as the fulfillment of God’s will in giving those goods into one’s care. [There is a reminder of the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14–30 and Lk. 19:12–27), in which the master goes away and entrusts his money to his servants, and on his return rewards the servants who return the money with interest.]

c. So far it almost seems as though Francis is making the case for and generously approving what is basically a market capitalist concept of the management of property and wealth. At this point, however, there seems to be a full turnabout and from here on Francis defends without qualification the concept of the Common Good and the responsibility of the well-to-do to support and assist the poor—with special high caution against confusing one’s self-interest with the will of God.

d. Francis uniquely describes the loss of almsgiving as “holy and rich”—it is a strong image of “glorious poverty” on the part of the almsgiver (which poverty will be rewarded richly by God).

e. Hosea 9:10b: “…[The Israelites] alienated themselves in confusion and became abominable, as those were that they loved.” This is a peculiar reverse of the biblical principle: in Hosea, the Israelites became as abominable as the things they love. Francis’s point is that if we love the poor, we will become like the poor. Francis could have added: “Be careful what you love, for you will become like that yourself.”

f. In his translation Ryan declares this “a Pythagorean maxim,” but I believe it is original with Francis, who uses it also in another writing of his: On the Preacher and Preaching.

g. 2 Corinthians 11:29a: “Who is weak and I am not weak?”

h. Deuteronomy 15:11: “There will not be poor in the land of your habitation: therefore I command you to open your hand to your needy and poor brother, that lives in the land.”

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