Blessed Are the Poor

Extract

After these things, Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberius . . . (St John 6, 1).

Let us think of these five barley loaves and two fishes. As you know our blessed Lord and Apostles had nothing. You will remember when our blessed Lord began to preach the redemption of the world he took care to begin at the beginning, the first thing necessary—‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’. Religious life begins too with that poverty. Until that is right we have not begun right. We are in a sense not bound to pay more than other people (ten Commandments)—but we are more bound. For instance I might be bound to pay £50 to someone from whom I had stolen it. I might say, ‘Well I am such a wicked person that I will take a vow to pay it back’. I should not be bound to pay £60 because I’d taken a vow to pay, but I am more bound to pay the £50. Because I am bound in justice and also by vow. A great number of people can’t see that.

All the world is bound in justice to poverty, chastity and obedience. Not by vow, of course. Now if we, being bound more, commit a sin against poverty, chastity or obedience, we also commit a sacrilege, so that we are obliged because we have taken a vow. The primary thing is the poverty of our state. Now this is a very important thing, very simple.