Богатство

Such is the disease of the love of wealth that it has no limit to the need for more and cures itself of thirst by incessantly drinking (1). Why are we not in a hurry, while there is still time, to help our relatives by nature? Why, being ourselves flesh, do we not cover up the ugliness of the flesh? Why do we indulge in bliss when we see the misfortunes of our brothers? God forbid that I should live richly when they are in need, nor enjoy health when I do not help heal their wounds, nor have sufficient food, clothing, or restful shelter, when I do not share bread with them, do not provide them, if possible, with clothing and rest under my roof! For we must either leave everything for Christ, so that, having taken up the cross, we truly follow Him (see Matt. 16:24) and, having become light, untied and not drawn down by anything, as if on wings, fly to the heavenly world and, exalted by humility, enriched by poverty, in exchange for everything, acquire Christ (see Phil. 3:8) or share our property with Christ, so that the very possession of property will be sanctified through the fact that we will possess it as we should and the poor will be partners in it. If I sow for myself alone, then I will say again in the words of Job: let me sow and another eat; let thistle grow instead of wheat and cockle instead of barley (Job 31, 8, 40); let the burning wind kill and the whirlwind scatter my crops, so that all my labors remain in vain. If I begin to build granaries, collecting treasures from and for mammon, then let them take my soul that same night (see Luke 12:18-20) to demand an account of the evil acquisition of wealth (1). We do not think highly of wealth, to which, if it multiplies, our law commands us not to put our hearts to it (Ps. 61:11), we do not calculate our annual and daily income, we do not pride ourselves on the load of the table and seasonings for an insensitive belly, for we do not praise everything that, having been accepted by the larynx, becomes equally honest or, better said, equally dishonest and vomited, but we live simply, not stocking up for tomorrow, not unlike animals that have neither vessels nor supplies. Or will you blame me for my worn out clothes and ugly face? I see that very low people exalt themselves with such things (1). Rich! Listen to the one who said: when wealth increases, do not put your heart on it (Ps. 61:11), know that you are relying on a fragile thing. It is necessary to lighten the ship so that it is easier to sail. Perhaps you will take something away from the enemy by having your property transferred to him. Eating sumptuously! Take something away from the belly and give it to the spirit. A beggar near you - provide help from illness, pour out something from excess on him. Why should you suffer from indigestion, and he from hunger, you from a headache from wine and he from water sickness, you feel burdened from satiety, and he is exhausted from illness? Do not despise your Lazarus here, lest he make you a rich man there (see Luke 16:19-31) (1). It is impossible to acquire everything, even if someone wants it, but one must be able to despise everything and thus appear above everything (1). Do not love wealth if it does not help the poor (1). My best wealth is Christ, Who constantly raises my mind to grief, and not fields sown with wheat, not beautiful groves, not herds of oxen or fat sheep, not dear servants - one race with me, but separated from me by ancient torment, which imposed on those born of one earth (earth, or God) a double name - nobility and slavery, which was confirmed by the unkind law (2). Wealth or power never captured my heart (2). And wealth is burdensome; I have one, but have already lost the other; I hold as much in my hands as I can hold in a handful of liquids. A ship, a long journey, robbers, an unfed person who casts greedy gaze on other people's property - that's how many opponents every gold lover has (2)! I also wish that you become rich in God alone, and always honor the whole world on an equal basis with the web tissues (2). The doors of the rich are closed to poor friends, but the rich always welcome the brilliant palaces (2). The rich laugh at the reproaches of orphans, they laugh even in the face of God's punishment (2). Wealth is the most agile minion in bad things; because with power it is easier to do evil (2). Soul, look at grief, and forget everything earthly, so that your body does not subjugate you to sin! This life is short; the lucky one enjoys as if in a dream. Everyone has a different fate. One pure life is always constant and long-lasting, and it is best to live such a life. Others respect either gold, or silver, or a long meal - these are children's games in real life; and for others there are roads or beautiful silk fabrics, or fields sown with wheat, or herds of four-legged animals. But for me the greatest wealth is Christ. Oh, if only I could ever see Him with a pure, undisguised mind! Let peace rule over the rest (2)! The wealth here is fleeting and delightful; it is blind, passes from one to another, puffs up many and tries in vain to find happiness - this is the same as the arrogance of the womb in water sickness; it communicates the pathogenic poison to others. But I have wealth that is inexhaustible and constant, firm and unshakable, above all losses, and this wealth is to possess nothing except God and the things above. No one will acquire or has ever acquired everything, even if he wanted to, but one can suddenly despise everything and thus become above everything. Let others build armed regiments and suffer more evils than they inflict, now deposing others, now mourning the uncertainty of decisive moments, now fighting without loss or success, now buying with blood some burden of wealth or the power of autocracy, let other unfortunate profit-seekers measure the bowels of the earth and the indomitable sea, let others deliberately pervert the court for small gifts and give mutual laws! But I exchanged everything for the One Christ and I carry the poor cross richly, having rejected everything that serves as prey for moths and depends on the game of happiness (2). Stand persistently at the doors of the wise, but never stand at the doors of the rich (2). You are rich and take every measure to ensure that no one is your neighbor. You want to take possession of the field, but it belongs to your neighbor, not to you - and that’s a problem! You need everyone to look at you alone. If your body is hit, it's terrible. Whatever your neighbor has is a nail in your eye. And it would be good if it were really like that! Then, perhaps, you would stop constantly devouring more and more, like a stone, like a mountain stream, like an infectious disease, unstoppable by any barrier. In my opinion, there is no benefit to you in what you already have until you acquire something of what you want. Slander is also ready to help your hands. Have I suffered a loss? You are my lender, and soon after, my torturer. Torture and shackles threaten, the poor man feels sorry for his body, gives everything just to get rid of it, and is reluctantly generous with everything he has. Well, aren't you obligated to report for service in the city or on the ship? Also, aren’t you a friend to the sea robber? And they call you by a name that has never happened in the world, just to frighten you and get something from you. And your ox once offended my oxen. - What kind of insult is this? Tell me. “The ox is such a poor man, but it bellowed louder, and it was as if he was challenging him to a fight or had already won.” And the shadow from your trees, falling on my trees, harms them. And your boy walked across my field. Be patient, or witnesses will be presented to this; and then the lost protects people in order to enslave them, and then devours them, like a lion who, having driven the animals away from the poor animal, does not show him mercy, but takes it to himself as an easy prey (2). A little more, and wealth will be vomited, flowing like an unnecessary burden from a satiated womb. Wait a little longer, and the judgment will come, either here, which is much better, or, if not here, then in the future life. Beautiful poverty is preferable to poorly acquired wealth. It is better to be humble than arrogant, and to consider illness as health (2). It would be necessary for everything in you, as they say about Midas 26, to turn into gold, so that you too suffer the same fate as Midas and justly suffer from hunger for a bad desire. Between the breeds of echidnas that are found in the Egyptian desert, there is a so-called dipsade. The name itself shows what its bite is. It was given to the reptile because of that indefatigable thirst, with which the one who is bitten dies, suffering. Whoever is struck by this poison, having met the river, with his mouth open, plunges completely into it and drinks until his insides are dissolved from the burden taken in, and only along with life does thirst cease. I don’t know, have you heard, my dear, that once the sky rained down bread for the people when they walked through the desert, in which, as naturally, there was no means of subsistence? This gift, like God’s, was given generously and inexhaustibly. But punishment also befell those who were immoderate; any excess immediately becomes stinking, and the measure was the need of the gift; it would be fair that the same thing should always happen to every unjust person, that is, that he would either be disheartened by his strong desire, or, together with his unrighteous acquisition, would become stinking. This alone might have stopped such people! Well? Why don’t you put your own body into profitable circulation? Why don’t you choose the life of the chief of the robbers, don’t break down the walls, don’t disturb the coffins, if your only concern is to get rich, but there’s no word on how and where from? There is a measure of beauty, there is a measure of sight, and running, and strength, and singing, and dancing, and speech - all these are works of labor, not predation. And there is no measure for acquisition... Shouldn't I give you the whole land alone? But if we give it away, won't there be anything left? What will you do? Won't you make an effort to acquire that too? Will you work unceasingly because you are a beggar until you have received the rest? But you'll stop somewhere! Think about it now. You can use your property, but if you don’t know the limits, then know that you are adding poison to everything that you now have. Everything that comes to you unrighteously is fire for you; it destroys with it what it is added to. Just as sea water and love do not quench the thirst of long-term vision of a beloved object; on the contrary, love is ignited twice as much, so for the insatiable, what they acquire becomes poison, which constantly arouses in them a desire for even more (2). Many things are called sin and are indeed sin, but an idolater (and this is the most serious sin in the world) is one who knows nothing and does not put money above money (see Eph. 6:5), because he will most likely undergo idolatry due to his illness, if the time comes - to receive profit through this, or because he bows to wealth - this Chemosh abomination (see 1 Kings 11:7). So, let us reject, reject the idols and let us honor the one God whom we know (2). Midas is the king of Phrygia in Greek mythology, known for his wealth and greed. Dionysus fulfilled his wish: everything he touched turned to gold. As food and drink began to turn into gold, he got rid of the magic by bathing in the spring. – Approx. ed. You might be interested in: