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We will learn to never neglect the gifts of God and not to lose something great for something small and insignificant. Why, tell me, when the Kingdom of Heaven and unspeakable blessings are prepared for us, why are we carried away by the passion for wealth and prefer the temporary, which often does not remain with us until the evening, to the endless and eternal? And what could be worse than this madness, when through attachment to temporary goods we are deprived of future ones, and cannot even enjoy the present ones blamelessly? What is the use, tell me, of having a lot of property? Or don’t you know that the increase in wealth brings us nothing more than an increase in worries, worries and insomnia? Don't you see that those in particular are, so to speak, slaves of everything, who are surrounded by great blessings and every day they are afraid of the very shadows? This is where deceit, slander, intense envy and thousands of other evils come from. And you often see that he who has thousands of talents of gold lying around considers the worker happy who earns his livelihood by the labor of his hands. What is the pleasure, what is the benefit, when we do not enjoy these benefits, but through addiction to them we are deprived of the highest benefits? And what am I saying: the highest blessings - when, in addition to the disasters that befall us here and the deprivation of the blessings prepared there, we are also sent to Gehenna itself? Not to mention the thousands of sins generated by wealth - deception, malice, predation, covetousness. And even if someone were free from all such sins, which, however, is difficult, but if he, having a lot of wealth, accumulates money and uses it for his own pleasure only, and does not show generosity to those in need, the fire of Gehenna will befall him too. The parable in the Gospel clearly teaches us about this, when he represents some at the right hand, and others at the left, and says that the Kingdom of Heaven is prepared for the first for caring for those in need: “Come,” it says there, “blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Why and for what? “For I was hungry, and you gave me food” (Matthew 25:35). And the last ones are destined for eternal fire. “Depart from Me,” it is said, “you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). The importance of this saying is great! The Lord and Creator says: “For I was hungry, and you did not give Me anything to eat” (Matthew 25:42). What soul would not be moved by this, even if it were a stony soul? Your Lord walks hungry, and you live in luxury! And It’s not just this that’s scary, but also the fact that, living in luxury, you dare to despise Him, even though He doesn’t ask for much, but only bread to satisfy your hunger. He walks around, numb from the cold; and you, dressed in silk, don’t pay attention to Him, don’t show any compassion, but without any mercy you pass by - what excuse can this deserve? Let us not worry about collecting the most wealth in any way, but let us pay attention to managing what we have well. Let us alleviate the misery of those in need, so as not to be deprived of those benefits that always remain and are not subject to any change (1). Let us not worry about collecting wealth and leaving it to our children; Let us teach them virtue and ask them for blessings from God; this, this is the greatest treasure, ineffable, unfading wealth, bringing more and more wealth every day. There is nothing equal to virtue, nothing more powerful than it. Even if you pointed me to the kingdom and to the one wearing the diadem, but unless he has virtue, he will be more unhappy than the wretched one dressed in rags. What benefit can a diadem or porphyry bring him when his own carelessness is ruining him? Does the Lord look at the difference in external merits? Or worships celebrity faces? One thing is required here - through deeds of virtue, to open the doors of boldness to Him, so that those who have not acquired boldness in this way will remain among the outcasts and deprived of all hope [of salvation]. Let us all keep this in mind and instruct our children so that they prefer virtue to everything else, and consider the abundance of wealth as nothing. This, this is what often becomes an obstacle to virtue when a young man does not know how to properly use wealth. Just as small children, when they pick up knives or swords, often, due to their inability to use them properly, expose themselves to obvious danger, which is why mothers do not allow them to touch them without fear, so young people, when they receive great wealth, due to the fact that they do not want to use it properly, throw themselves into obvious danger, collecting for themselves the burden of sins through this wealth. From here arise luxury, inappropriate pleasures and countless evils. I don’t say that this comes directly from wealth, but from the inability of those who received it to use it as they should. That is why the wise one said: good is wealth in which there is no sin (Sir. 13:30). Although Abraham was rich and Job was rich, they not only did not suffer any harm from their wealth, but became even more famous. For what and why? Because they used wealth not only for their own pleasure, but to console others, helping the poor in their needs and opening their home to every stranger. Listen to what one of them says: the wanderer did not spend the night on the street; I opened my doors to the passerby (Job 31, 32). And did I refuse the needy their request and weary the eyes of the widow? (Job 31, 16). And they not only provided benefits to the poor from their wealth, but also took care of them through their patronage. “I was,” he says, “with the eyes of the blind and with the feet of the lame... and from the teeth of the wicked I plucked what was stolen (Job 29, 15, 17). Do you see that he cares for those who are offended and serves everyone instead of the crippled members? Everyone needs to imitate this righteous man - a righteous man who, before the law and before grace, showed such great wisdom, and, moreover, who had neither a mentor nor virtuous ancestors, but who through his own efforts and common sense came to such a good life. Each of us has a knowledge of virtue lying in our very nature; and if someone does not want to destroy the nobility of his nature through negligence, he will never lose it (1). In one respect, those living in luxury are more miserable than even the poor; Even the rich will not reject this. Often a rich man, lying on a soft bed, surrounded by servants and maids and receiving many services from everyone, hearing a poor man screaming in the street and asking for bread, will cry, groan and wish it would be better to be the same, only healthy, than rich and sick. And not only in health, but also in fertility, the rich also have no advantage over the poor. Both rich and poor alike may have many children or none. Or rather, even here the rich give way to the poor. A poor man, even if he is not a father, does not feel great sorrow, and a rich man, the more his property increases, the more he is tormented by the lack of children and finds no pleasure in not having an heir. The inheritance of a poor person, if he dies childless, without raising a dispute due to its unimportance, goes to his friends and relatives. And the rich man’s inheritance, attracting the eyes of everyone, often passes into the hands of the enemies of the deceased, and since he sees this in others during his lifetime, he leads a life more terrible than any death, expecting that the same will happen to him. And death, doesn’t it [befall both] equally? Do not both rich and poor die premature deaths? And after death, isn’t it the same for both of them, the body is destroyed, turns into dust and ashes and gives birth to worms? Not the same, you say, burial? But what's the use? By putting a lot of precious and gilded clothes on a [dead] rich man, you bring him nothing else but more hatred and condemnation; you open everyone’s mouth against the deceased, bring a thousand curses upon him and ignite the strongest invective for selfishness, because everyone is torn, suffocated and curses the deceased for the fact that even after death he did not abandon his insane passion for money. And the evil lies not only in this, but also in the fact that it opens the eyes of robbers, and thus greater pomp becomes a reason for greater dishonor to him [the rich man]. No one will dare to rob the body of a poor man: the low value of clothing serves as a guard over his body. And the coffins of the rich have locks, and fences, and doors, and guards, and all in vain and without benefit, because greed for money encourages those accustomed to such atrocities to dare anything. Therefore, the more honors are given to the deceased, the more insults are prepared for him: those who received a poor funeral lie with honor, but the buried one is magnificently naked and suffers dishonor. But if nothing like that happens, then he won’t gain anything, unless he provides more food to the worm and produces more rottenness. So, tell me, is this worthy of gratification? And who is so pitiful and unhappy that he would envy a person because of this? However, if we analyze not only this, but everything else in detail and study it with precision, we will find that the poor have much more advantages over the rich. Considering all this with attention and examining everything else: give [instruction], it is said, to a wise man, and he will be even wiser (Prov. 9, 9); and constantly remembering that even a lot of money does not give the rich anything more than worries and worries, except fears and dangers, let us think that we have no less than the rich. Indeed, let us only be vigilant, and we will have much more than they, both in divine things and in all things present. You will find more pleasure and security, good fame and bodily health, purity of soul, good hopes and aversion to sin among the poor than among the rich. So, let us not grumble, like ungrateful slaves, and blame the Lord, but let us thank [Him] for everything and consider only one thing evil - sin, and good - truth. With this way of thinking, neither illness, nor poverty, nor dishonor, nor any other imaginary disaster will befall us, but, having received pure pleasure from everything [in this life], we will also be rewarded with future blessings (1). Listen to you who are lazy to give alms, listen to you who reduce your wealth by saving it. Listen, you who are in a position no better than those who get rich in a dream. Truly, everything real is no better than a dream. Just as those who dream in a dream that they have wealth, even if they seem to be the owners of royal treasures, are the poorest of all when the day comes, so the one who cannot bring anything from real life there will be the poorest of all, even if he had everything here, because he is rich only in a dream. Therefore, if you want to show me a rich man, then show me when the day comes on which we go to our fatherland; and now I cannot distinguish rich from poor, because there is no truth in these things, and more often there are only pleasant and euphonious names. Just as many people call the blind people many-seeing, but the object does not correspond to the name, but on the contrary, they are the ones who do not see anything, so the name rich here is attributed, in my opinion, to those who did not acquire anything for themselves there. Whoever is rich here, I especially think that he is poor, because if he were not very poor, he would not be very rich. Just as a blind person, if he were not completely blind, would not be called multi-seeing, the same must be reasoned here. So, leaving behind seductive names, let us seek true things. Things do not consist in names, but from the properties of things come names in accordance with their qualities. So-and-so is called rich; but he is not actually rich. How can he not be rich when he has a lot of silver, and gold, and precious stones, and golden clothing, and everything else he has in abundance? He is not rich because it is not gold, not clothes, not money, but alms that makes a person rich. And all this is grass, brushwood and straw. What kind of clothing, tell me, can cover the one who will stand naked before the Last Judgment? Fearing this, Paul says: Let us not, even though we are clothed, find ourselves naked (2 Cor. 5:3). What money can ransom one who is in such danger? What servants can protect a master doomed to such punishment? What kind of houses? What gems? What baths can wash away the impurity that comes from sins? How long will you deceive yourself? How long will you look not at the truth of things, but be carried away by dreams, while judgment is already near and at the door (2)? Wealth does not consist in getting rich, but in not desiring wealth. Did you understand what was said to you? Whoever wants to get rich needs property, money; and whoever does not want to get rich is always content. Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich or when the glory of his house increases (Ps. 48:17). Why, tell me, don’t be afraid? Since the rich are feared, the prophet describes their life. Why are you afraid of a person who is richly decorated with leaves, but has no fruit? Why are you afraid of a person who leads a bitter life? Why are you afraid of a person who himself is always in fear? Why are you afraid of a person who is in constant trepidation? Your servant is not afraid of you when you are away; but the rich man carries his master within himself; Wherever he goes, covetousness follows him and makes enemies of everyone - relatives, family, friends, envious people, and benefactors. It arouses disgust in everyone. While the poor man spends his life fearing no one, because he is rich only in wisdom and patience, the rich man, who is devoted to greed, is hated by everyone and in public meetings walks around like a common enemy, whom people flatter in the face, but hate him inwardly (3). Wealth seems good to many, but in fact it is not really good unless someone uses it as he should. If wealth were directly good, then those who own it should also be good; but if not all rich people are virtuous, but only those who use wealth well, then it is obvious that wealth in itself is not directly good, but some means to virtue, occupying a middle place. Look: in the body there are properties by which those who have them are called; for example, whiteness is not an essence, but a property and an accidental accessory to the essence; and to whom it belongs we call white. Also, illness is a certain property and an accidental affiliation; and whoever it belongs to, we call him sick. Therefore, if wealth were a virtue, then the one who owns wealth should be called virtuous; if a rich person is not always virtuous, then wealth is not a virtue or directly good, but is such according to the spiritual mood of the one who uses it. Also, if poverty were evil, then all poor people would have to be evil; if many of the poor reached heaven, then, therefore, poverty is not evil (4). You use a lot of food, but he dies of hunger; you dress in thin linens, and he walks shamefully naked. Why does God command that you do not despise your neighbors by blood? Because they also have the right to acquire benefits from a rich parent. However, many fools are tormented by this, reasoning like this: why is he rich and we are poor? They abound in blessings, and we - in oppression? Why, just as He made the sun common to all and did not make the light small for the poor and great for the rich, why in the same way did He not make all goods common? But God also made wealth common, because He commanded the rich to give from it to the poor. If He had not made the wealth common, He would not have given such a command. If God had not made what is necessary for our life common, the human race would have been destroyed and destroyed. If He gave everyone wealth, then He would thereby take away the means to virtue, and therefore He distributed benefits to everyone unequally so that the sins that come from the love of wealth would not spread to everyone and would not damage everyone. If He had not made the sun common, but only for some, like riches, then many would walk in darkness. But God gave wealth to the rich man so that he could console the sorrows of poverty (4). Not only because, He [Christ] says, wealth is harmful to you because it arms robbers against you and completely darkens your mind, but mainly because it, making you captives of soulless wealth, removes you from serving God and thus harms you both by making you slaves of the things over which you should rule, and by the fact that it does not allow you to serve God, Whom you should serve most of all. Just as He previously showed a double harm for those who gather wealth on earth - both the one that collects wealth where aphids smolder, and the one that does not collect it where the guards are the safest, so now He shows the double harm - both the fact that wealth removes us from God, and the one that it enslaves mammon. However, he does not immediately expose this, but expresses general thoughts in advance, saying in this way: no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Here, by two masters, He means masters who command something completely opposite to one another: otherwise they would not even be two. After all, the multitude of believers had one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32). Although the faithful were divided in body, they were one in mind. Then, reinforcing what was said, the Savior says: not only will he not serve, but he will also hate and turn away. Or he will hate one, He says, and love the other; or he will be zealous for one and neglectful of the other (Matthew 6:24). In these two sayings the Savior seems to express the same thought; but it is not without reason that He says this, but with the intention of showing how convenient it is to change for the better. Whatever you say: I am once and forever enslaved by wealth, oppressed by it - He shows that it is possible to change, it is possible to go over to both sides. So, having expressed a general thought in order to force the listener himself to be an impartial judge of His words and to pronounce judgment on the basis of the case itself, Christ, as soon as he saw that the listener agreed with His words, immediately revealed His thought: you cannot, he says, serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). Let us think and be horrified that we made Christ say - to compare wealth with God! Even if this is terrible to imagine, isn’t it much more terrible to actually work for wealth and prefer its autocratic dominion to the fear of God? (6). Those who own little have less obstacles on the path to salvation than those who are immersed in the abyss of wealth, because the passion for wealth is then stronger. And I will never cease to repeat that the increase in wealth more and more ignites the flame of passion and makes the rich poorer than before: constantly arousing new desires in them, it makes them aware of all their poverty (7). Tell me now: what pleasure do you get from wealth? You will say: I am considered rich. But what pleasure is it to be considered rich? After all, the name of the rich is an object of envy; and wealth is just a name that has nothing substantial. But does the rich man enjoy such an opinion of himself? He enjoys what should be mourned. Why, you say, should I mourn? Because this makes him good for nothing, cowardly, unmanly in travel and in death. Preferring wealth to everything, he loves money more than sunlight. Neither the sky makes him happy, because it does not bring him gold, nor the sun, because it does not emit golden rays. But there are those, you say, who enjoy property, satisfying their whims and belly, indulging in drunkenness and spending enormous costs on it. You point out to me the rich who are even worse than those, since they are the ones who do not enjoy their wealth the most. The rich man of whom I spoke, being devoted to one passion, is at least free from other vices; and these are worse than him, because, in addition to that passion, they are enslaved to many others: they serve every day, as if they were cruel masters, the belly, voluptuousness, drunkenness and other types of intemperance; they keep harlots, throw magnificent feasts, buy themselves parasites, flatterers, humiliate themselves to unnatural lust, and thereby cause countless illnesses to the soul and body. They spend their wealth not on what is necessary, but on what harms the body, and with it corrupts the soul, and act in exactly the same way as if someone, while decorating his body, thought that he was spending property for his own benefit. Thus, only the one who enjoys his wealth and becomes its master is the one who uses it properly... What kind of pleasure is there where oppression, hostility and indignation are fiercer than any sea storm? If wealth goes to stupid people, it makes them even stupider; if dissolute, then more dissolute (7). Addiction to wealth is worse than any tyranny: it does not give any pleasure, but gives rise to worries, envy, deceit, hatred, slander and countless obstacles to virtue - carelessness, debauchery, covetousness, drunkenness. And this makes the free into slaves and even worse than slaves: slaves not of people, but of the most terrible of passions and diseases of the soul. Such a person decides to do many things that are disgusting to both God and people, out of fear that someone will snatch him from under this dominion. Bitter slavery, devilish dominion! What is especially harmful is that, being in such an unhappy situation, we are cheerful in spirit, kiss our chains and, living in a prison full of darkness, do not want to come into the light, but become attached to evil and enjoy illness. That is why we cannot free ourselves and are in a worse condition than those who work in the mines, because we are subjected to labor and disasters, but do not enjoy the fruits. The worst thing is that even if someone wanted to free us from this difficult captivity, we not only do not allow it, but we are also angry and indignant and, thus, we are no better than the insane, and even much more unhappy than all of them - because we do not want to part with our madness. Is this really why you came into this world, man? Is this really why man was born, just to develop mines and collect gold? This is not why [the Lord] created you in His image, but that you might please Him. To achieve future blessings and rejoice with the Angels. Why do you deprive yourself of such a community and descend to the last degree of ignominy and humiliation (8)? Tell me, why are you standing, looking in amazement at wealth and ready to fly towards it? What do you see in him that is amazing and worthy of catching your gaze? Are there horses decorated with gold, and barbarian servants or eunuchs, expensive clothes, and in them a voluptuous soul, raised eyebrows, running around and excitement? But is all this really worthy of surprise? How are these people different from the beggars who dance in the market and play the pipe? They, possessed by a strong hunger for virtue, dance their dance, which is funnier than the dance of beggars, when they run and whirl around luxurious dinners, then in the houses of obscene women, then in a crowd of flatterers and parasites. Although they are dressed in gold, they are especially pitiful because they care most about what does not matter to them. Don’t look at the clothes, but open their soul and see if it is full of countless wounds, if it is dressed in rags, if it is not lonely and defenseless? What is the use of this mad predilection for externals? It is much better to be poor, but live virtuously, than to be a king, but vicious. The poor person in himself enjoys every spiritual pleasure and, due to his inner wealth, does not feel outward poverty. And the king, enjoying what is completely indecent for him, is punished for what should be especially characteristic of him, and is tormented in his soul by thoughts and conscience that haunt him even among pleasures. Knowing this, let us reject the golden garments and internalize virtue and the pleasure that comes from virtue (11). The slavery of wealth is heavier than any torment, as all those who have been honored to be freed from it know well. Therefore, in order for you to know this wonderful freedom, break your bonds, run away from snares; let not gold be kept in your house, but that which is more valuable than countless riches—alms and philanthropy. This gives us boldness before God, but gold covers us with great shame and greatly helps the devil to influence us. But why do you arm your enemy and make him stronger? Arm your right hand against him, gather all the beauty into your soul, store up all your wealth in your mind, let heaven, not the ark and the house, keep your gold, and let us put on all that is ours, because we ourselves are much better than the walls and more important than the foundation of the house. Why should we, forgetting about ourselves, turn all our care to something that, when leaving here, we cannot take with us, and often cannot be retained while remaining in this life, while the opportunity presents itself to enrich ourselves so that not only here, but also there we will be more sufficient than everyone else? Whoever carries fields, houses, and gold in his soul, wherever he appears, he comes with all this wealth. But how, you ask, is this possible? Perhaps with greater convenience. If you transfer this to heaven with the hands of the beggars, then you will put everything into your soul, so that, even if death comes to you, no one will take this away from you, but you will also move into the next life with wealth. Such a treasure belonged to Tabitha, who was glorified not by the house, not by the walls, not by the stones, not by the columns, but by the bodies of the widows she covered, the tears she shed, the death that escaped from her and the life that returned. Let us also begin to prepare such storehouses for ourselves, we too will begin to build such houses for ourselves. In this we will have God as a co-worker and we ourselves will be His co-workers (11). Wealth is a bond, a heavy bond for those who do not know how to use it; it is a cruel, inhuman tyrant, directing everything to the destruction of those who servile him. But, if we want, we can overthrow the heavy power of this tyrant from the throne and force him to obey us, and not command us. How? If we share our wealth with everyone. As long as it is alone with us, then, like a robber in the desert, it causes all kinds of evil; and when we bring it into the society of people, it can no longer command us, because then everyone on all sides curbs it. I am not saying that it is a sin to have wealth; it is a sin not to share it with the poor and to use it badly. God has not created anything bad, but everything is very good (Gen. 1:31); therefore, wealth is good, but only when it does not take possession of those who have it, when it delivers their neighbors from poverty. Just as light would not be good if it did not drive away darkness, but still increased it, so I will not call wealth good if it does not eliminate poverty, but increases poverty. Rich is the one who does not need to take from others, but helps others himself; and whoever tries to take from others is not rich, but poor. Thus, it is not wealth that is evil, but the disastrous mood of the soul, which turns wealth into poverty. Such people are more miserable than those who beg [alms] in the alleys, the blind and the crippled; clothed in silk and light clothes, they are more contemptible than those dressed in rags; standing proudly in the marketplace, they are poorer than those wandering around the crossroads, entering courtyards and crying out there and asking for help. These latter glorify God and utter words of mercy and great wisdom; That’s why we show them compassion, extend our hand [of help] and never judge. And the unkind rich people spew out words of cruelty and inhumanity, covetousness and satanic lusts; That’s why they are hateful and funny to everyone. Look at what is considered shameful among all people - should you take it from the rich or from the poor? Of course, from the poor. And this is what the rich do, who will never go to the richer ones. The poor take from the rich; a beggar will not ask from a beggar, but from someone who is more sufficient than he, and a rich man demands from a poor man. Moreover, tell me, what is more honorable - to take from those who give voluntarily and are disposed to do so, or to demand and force those who are unwilling? Of course, don't force those who don't want to. But the rich do the opposite. The poor receive from those who give voluntarily and are disposed to give, while the rich receive from those who do not want and resist, and this is proof of great poverty [of themselves]. If no one dares to go to dinner when the inviter has no disposition towards the invitee, then is it good to take the property of another by force? Is it not because we turn away and run away from barking dogs because they relentlessly attack us? The rich do the same. Is it more honorable when fear is added to the loss of property? This is the worst. Therefore, isn’t the one who uses all measures to acquire property the funniest of all? Out of fear, we often throw everything we have in our hands to the dogs. Moreover, what is more shameful, tell me, should I ask someone dressed in rags or dressed in silk clothes? When a rich man keeps elderly poor people in his house in order to take possession of their property while they still have children, is he worthy of forgiveness? If you want, let’s pay attention to the very words that the rich man utters when demanding something for himself, and which ones the poor say. What does the poor man say? He who gives alms, he says, will never become poor, because he gives from God’s property; God loves mankind and will reward more. All these are words of wisdom, admonition and advice; they inspire you to look to the Lord and save you from the fear of future poverty; In general, anyone can notice a lot of edifying things in the words of the beggars. What are the speeches of the rich? Common to pigs, dogs, wolves and other animals. Some of them talk about meals, about dishes, about sweets, about wines, about incense, about clothes and all kinds of excesses; others are about interest and mortgages, about drawing up letters of borrowing and paying off countless debts that began with their fathers and grandfathers, about taking away a house from one, a field from another, a servant and all his property from another. What can we say about spiritual testaments written not in ink, but in blood? Having presented an imminent danger or made some seductive promises to those who are seen to have several assets, they convince to remove all direct heirs, often oppressed by poverty, and instead include them themselves. Is this not worse than any fury and ferocity of wild animals? Therefore, I exhort you, let us flee from all such wealth, covered with shame and murder, and acquire spiritual wealth, seek heavenly treasures. Whoever has these treasures is only rich, he is sufficient, he owns all the blessings here and there. Whoever wants to be poor according to the word of God, for him the doors of all are open - because to a person who does not seek any acquisitions for God, everyone will give from his own; but whoever wants to gain even a little unrighteously, the doors of all are closed for him (12). Let us not avoid poverty and be surprised by wealth, but let us arrange our souls so that it is ready for anything. He who builds a house does not make sure that rain does not fall on it and that [the sun's] rays do not fall on it - this is impossible - but that he can endure everything. And whoever builds a ship takes care and tries not to ensure that it is not hit by waves or touched by a sea storm - this is impossible - but that the walls of the ship are able to bear everything. And whoever strengthens the body also tries not to ensure that there are no air changes, but so that the body can easily endure all this. Let us do the same with our souls; we will try not to avoid poverty or become rich, but to accept both safely for ourselves. Without worrying about them, let us prepare the soul fit for both wealth and poverty. After all, even if nothing characteristic of people happened - which happens too rarely - in this case, one who does not seek wealth and knows how to easily endure everything is much better than one who always lives in wealth. Why? Firstly, such a [person] has the support of peace within himself, and not outside; just as a warrior who relies on strength of body and military skill is better than one who relies only on the strength of arms, so one protected by virtue is better than one who relies on money. Secondly, a rich person, even if he has not fallen into poverty, cannot be calm, because wealth causes many storms and worries. Virtue, on the contrary, brings only joy and tranquility; it makes a person inaccessible to insidious enemies, while wealth, on the contrary, makes him accessible and flexible. Of the animals, deer and hares can be caught most easily due to their natural timidity, and the boar, bull and lion do not easily fall into the hands of hunters; the same can be seen in the rich and in those living in voluntary poverty: the latter is like a lion and a bull, and the former is like a deer and a hare. Who, indeed, is not the rich afraid of? Is it really robbers? Is it not the rulers? Aren't they envious? Aren't they slanderers? But what am I saying about robbers and slanderers, when he looks at his own household with suspicion? And what am I saying [about the time] when he is still alive? Even in death he is not free from the machinations of predators; and death itself cannot bring him safety, but even when he is dead, villains rob him. Wealth is so dangerous! Not only are homes undermined, but graves and tombs are also torn apart. What could be worse than that, if death itself does not bring him safety, but, even having lost life, his unfortunate body is not freed from everyday evils, if the villains rebel even against dust and dust - and, moreover, with greater cruelty than during his life? Then, entering the storeroom and breaking open the chests, they at least did not touch the body and did not take so much as to expose the body itself; and now the unclean hands of the grave diggers do not refrain from doing this either, but move [the body] from its place, turn it over and laugh at it with great cruelty. When it is buried, they, having deprived it of both the cover of the earth and its clothes, leave it abandoned in this form. Who is more hostile than wealth, which during life destroys the soul, and after death desecrates the body and does not give it rest in the earth, which even convicted and serious criminals are not deprived of? And with the criminals, having punished them with death, the legislators do nothing more; and even after death their wealth subjects them to the most severe punishment - to be naked and deprived of burial: a terrible and pitiful sight! Truly, their fate is worse than the fate of those who are subject to the same determination and wrath of the judges; the latter, having remained unburied for one or two days, are buried; and the first, when they are buried, then they are exposed and subject to reproach. If the thieves leave without taking the coffin itself, then he owes this not to wealth, but to poverty; she preserves it, so that if we covered the coffin with wealth or made it not of stone, but of gold, we would lose it too. So false is wealth! It belongs not so much to those who have it as to those who are engaged in predation. Therefore, it would be in vain to prove that it is impossible to retain wealth, while those who have it do not find security even on the day of death. Who does not reconcile with the dead, even if it were an animal, a demon, or whoever? One glance at the deceased is enough to move an iron and ruthless man; when someone looks at a dead person, even if he sees him as an enemy and adversary, he cries together with his closest friends; anger fades away along with life and condolences appear in its place; during the removal and burial, no one will distinguish between enemy and non-enemy: so everyone reveres the common nature and the laws established for it! But wealth, being alien to this, inspires anger against those who have it and makes enemies of the deceased people who were not at all offended by him, because it is characteristic of cruel enemies and enemies to expose a dead body. Nature then reconciles his enemies with him, and wealth arms against him even those who cannot accuse him of anything and torment his body, completely secluded. Much here could incline to mercy, and the very fact that it is dead, motionless, ready to turn into earth and decay and helpless; but nothing like that touches villains devoted to criminal passion. The passion of greed, like some cruel tyrant, urgently demands from them the fulfillment of its inhuman commands and, turning them into beasts, leads them to the tombs. Attacking the dead like wild beasts, they would not give up their bodies if the [bodily] members could benefit them. These are the fruits we receive from wealth: upon death we are subjected to reproach and are deprived of a grave, which even serious criminals are awarded with! After this, tell me, will we still love such an enemy? No, brethren, no, I exhort you, let us run from him without looking back; if it itself comes into our hands, we will not hold it to ourselves, but we will bind it with the hands of the poor; these bonds can hold him much better; it will never escape from these repositories, and the unfaithful will finally become faithful, quiet and meek through the giving of alms. So, when it comes to us, we will use it for this purpose; if it does not come, let us not search, exhaust ourselves, and consider those who have it blessed. What kind of bliss is this? Can you really call those who fight wild animals blessed because such fighters, having captured expensive animals, guard them, while they themselves do not dare to approach or touch them, they are afraid of them and tremble? The rich also experience something similar, confining wealth in their vaults like a wild animal. and every day receiving thousands of wounds from him, but not like from animals. When animals are released, they then cause harm to those who meet them; and wealth, when it is locked up and stored, then destroys those who acquire and store it. Let us make this wild beast meek. And he will be meek when we do not lock him up, but hand him over into the hands of all those in need (12). You might be interested in: