THE SINS OF THE POOR

The sins of the rich, such as greed and selfishness, are obvious for all to see. The sins of the poor are less conspicuous yet equally corrosive of the soul. 

Some poor people are tempted to envy the rich; indeed this is a form of vicarious greed, because the poor person wanting great wealth is in spirit no different from the rich person amassing great wealth. 

Many poor people are gripped by fear; their hearts are caught in a chain of anxiety, worrying whether they will have food on their plates tomorrow or clothes on their backs. 

Some poor people are constantly formulating in their minds devious plans to cheat the rich to obtain their wealth; this is no different in spirit from the rich making plans to exploit the poor by paying low wages. 

The art of being poor is to trust in god for everything, to demand nothing and to be grateful for all that is given. 

St. John Chrysostom 

(updated 07-02-02)