“Blessed (saith He),
verily blessed is, and shall be, he who loveth poverty in all the aforesaid
things and who desireth to be truly poor in worldly things, in deed and not
only in words; poor in friends, in familiar intercourse, in all delights, vain
knowledge and curiosity, poor in the repute of holiness and in all preferment
and dignity. And if any should not be able to put away from himself utterly all
these aforesaid things, he should at least endeavor with all his might to
withdraw his affection from them. Of a surety these poor are blessed, for they
shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. And, those who have done the contrary in
all things, and have only preached with their lips and uttered empty words,
shall be left cursed and lamenting; because theirs shall be the utmost poverty,
eternal hunger and the house of hell, where there is everlasting hunger and
thirst, where there is neither friend, nor brother, nor father to redeem them,
nor any help whatsoever. Neither will they have power to issue forth, and all
the wisdom of the world will not avail them;
but all things will be taken from them in very deed, as in very deed
they did desire to kee them contrary to the teaching of Christ. Wherefore shall
they live in torments everlasting. Amen.”
Hard words for all of us…
Remember Christ’s poverty began in the womb on His dear
mother, continued in His birth in a stable, in His parents’ flight into a pagan
country far away, and in His thrity-three years of a hidden, simple life.
I am wrapping up this series on St.
Angela of Foligno at this time. Here
words leave much about which we can all meditate.
I shall return to Cardinal Manning’s great book on the
weekend-one I set aside temporarily to highlight St.
Angela’s writings.