Saturday, September 6, 2014

The vows, #1: Poverty

The vow of poverty is not exactly what you think.  When most people think of poverty, they think of the destitution and disease and squalor of third world slums.  That kind of poverty is not good, it is a sign of the presence of evil in the world.

There is such a thing as good or healthy poverty.  What religious mean by poverty is living simply, having what you need and not to acquire excess possessions or wealth.   This is what Hilaire Belloc meant by sufficiency.  It means, in a somewhat Buddhist attitude, of non-attachment to material things and social position.  St. Francis eschewed property because, as he said, if they had property they would have to get weapons to protect it, and that would be a source of conflict with others.  Remember the state of Italy when he lived:  small kingdoms across Italy were constantly fighting with each other over territory, resources, and power.  Francis chose to live off that particular grid.

Sisters do take vacations, although they are not staying at five-star resorts.  Some communities maintain modest vacation homes so they can go for rest and refreshment, just like most people do.  They content themselves with shopping at budget stores and thrift stores.  They do not need to be slaves to fashion and feel that they are somehow less than socially acceptable if they lack designer goods.  They have opted out of the consumerism of secular society, so they can devote their time and resources to their ministries in the interest of helping others.  They are putting the word and work of God first, and their comfort second.  They do receive a small stipend from their communities for clothes and toiletries, etc.

That is the essence of the vow of poverty. 

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