Poverty
Voluntary poverty or indifference to material possessions as a mark of holiness, especially in bishops and religious. Thomas More held the highest offices yet did not increase his income to seventy gold pieces; Basil possessed only "tattered rags" and "a few books"; Lapide refused any exceptional food despite frail health.
Preliminaries
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Thomas More's voluntary poverty despite his high office.
"having spent fifty years in public life and holding the highest offices, yet did not increase his annual income to seventy gold pieces"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Basil's self-description: possessing only "tattered and worn-out rags" and "a few books" as all his wealth.
"unless perhaps you need these tattered and worn-out rags of mine, and these few books, in which all my wealth and resources consist"
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THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS A LAPIDE.
— Lapide refused any exceptional food at meals despite frail health, clinging to the strictness of religious life.
"he refused to have anything exceptional set before him at meals, even though his health was always frail, burdened by age"
Pope Clement VIII, Jerome's Prefaces, On Worship
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II. JEROME TO PAULINUS.
— Jerome urges Paulinus to hasten in renouncing the world, citing the apostles who left behind only a boat and nets, the widow who cast two small coins, and the principle that the miser lacks what he has as much as what he does not have.
"No one about to renounce the world can profitably sell what he has despised in order to sell. Whatever you have spent from your own resources, count as gain."
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II. JEROME TO PAULINUS.
— He who offered himself gave everything to God; he easily despises all things who always considers that he is going to die.
"He easily despises all things who always considers that he is going to die."
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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Chapter I: On the Excellence, Necessity, and Fruit of Sacred Scripture
— The Gospel voice "sell all that you have" set ablaze Antony with love of evangelical poverty; he immediately stripped himself of all goods.
"A single voice of the Gospel was able... to set ablaze the great Antony, then a young man renowned for his nobility and wealth, with such love of evangelical poverty that he immediately stripped himself of all those goods"
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Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture
— Bernard: "These are the words that persuaded the whole world to contempt of the world and voluntary poverty; these are the words that fill the cloisters for monks and the deserts for hermits."
"These are the words that persuaded the whole world to contempt of the world and voluntary poverty; these are the words that fill the cloisters for monks and the deserts for hermits"