'It is not possible to take great pleasure in anything without becoming attached to it. If you lose property, and find yourself grievously afflicted at the loss, you may be sure that you were warmly attached to it; - there is no surer proof of affection for the thing lost than our sorrow at its loss. Therefore, do not fix your longings on anything which you do not possess; do not let your heart rest in that which you have; do not grieve overmuch at the losses which may happen to you; - and then you may reasonably believe that although rich in fact, you are not so in affection, but that you are poor in spirit, and therefore blessed, for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.'

St. Francis de Sales

'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

By "the poor in spirit" is meant those who are poor in earthly desires, and desire nothing but God. These are poor in desires, but not without affection, because they live contented even in this life; and, therefore, the Lord does not say, "Theirs will be the kingdom of heaven," but "theirs is," because even in this life they are rich in spiritual blessings which they receive from God; and thus, however poor they are in temporal goods, they live content with their condition.

They are different from the rich in earthly desires, who, in the present life, whatever riches they possess, are always poor, and live discontented; for the good things of this life do not satisfy our thirst, however much they are increased; wherefore, these persons are never contented, never attaining to the acquisition of what they desire.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

'"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God;" and if so, woe be to the rich in spirit, for theirs must be the bitterness of Hell. By rich in spirit I mean him whose riches engross his mind, or whose mind is buried in his riches. He is poor in spirit whose heart is not filled with the love of riches, whose mind is not set upon them. The halcyon builds its nest like a ball, and leaving but one little aperture in the upper part, launches it on the sea, so secure and impenetrable, that the waves carry it along without any water getting in, and it floats on the sea, superior, so to say, to the waves. And this, my child, is what your heart should be - open only to heaven, impenetrable to riches and earthly treasures. If you have them, keep your heart from attaching itself to them; let it maintain a higher level, and amidst riches be as though you had none, - superior to them. Do not let that mind which is the likeness of God cleave to mere earthly goods; let it always be raised above them, not sunk in them.'

St. Francis de Sales


Inspirational Quotes from the Saints

For the last few weeks our priest has been giving sermons on the vices.

Last week, his sermon was on greed.

I won't publish it all here, but I will give you this general idea.

Our society has become a society of greed. Poverty has become a capital crime and a social stigma. Poverty is the sign of the outcast and it is our enemy. Some people have become so greedy that they can't let go of a single dollar--not to help someone in need buy food, a bed for a child, or tires for car. We are a nation of compulsive shoppers, workaholics, an hoarders.

We are now a people whose authority is their bank account and financial independence and we have long lost the concept that Our Lord is the provider of all these things we have.

A man's greatest virtue, these days, seems to his financial success, his retirement accounts, his children's college funds. Men are working 70 or 80 hours a week all at the expense of spending time with his wife and children let alone the Lord in prayer or at Mass. We have become so greedy that women stop having children so they can spend their time at work. The working mother is a cancer on our society.

The avaricious are easily convinced they are on the verge of ruin or imminent starvation, and the more they acquire, the more insecure they become.

There is certainly nothing wrong with earning a good income or having possessions. These things can be used for very many good things. But avarice is a capital sin that causes us to look to things to provide us temporal security. We mistrust God. The Lord tells us in the Scripture not to worry about what we will eat or wear. He promises that He knows what we need....that if we seek His Kingdom first, all of these things He will provide!

Our preoccupation with survival, our avarice, eventually makes it impossible for us to rise about the material to seek God in Truth.

Is it poverty or greed that animates so much social unrest today?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of God.