Those trained in holy poverty come to realize that they are utterly dependent on God for all they need in life as well as for their eternal salvation. They learn to relinquish control of their lives to their heavenly Father and relish the power He releases into their lives that allows them to live in peace, joy and love no matter the trials they experience!
St. Francis said, "God has called us to this holy way of life for the salvation of the world, and He has made this contract between us and the world; that we give a good example to the world, and that the world in turn provide for our needs. So let us continue to live in holy poverty, because that is the way of perfection, and the token and pledge of everlasting wealth."
Francis celebrated the wonder and joy of his personal salvation and relationship with God. However, when God revealed His desire to start an Order through him, he realized that God intended not only to save him, but to use him (and those who followed him) to help bring the message of God's salvation to all men. From the very beginning of the Order, when Francis had approximately 12 brothers, God told Francis that they should 'go forth, two at a time, and bring the Gospel message of salvation to all men.'
Jesus said, "The workman is deserving of his wages." St. Paul said, "In the same sort of way, the Lord directed that those who preach the Gospel should get their living from the Gospel." Francis and his followers based their lives on the Gospel - launching out in faith in the promises of God without any visible means of support. It was reasonable to expect that God would provide for His 'workers' - giving them all they needed to live. The way He would do this would be through 'alms' from those to whom they brought the Gospel.
It should be noted that Francis wasn't depending on the 'world' to provide for the needs of the brotherhood. It was God who provided for all they needed albeit He chose to do it through people in the world. Therefore, in receiving alms and gifts from the people, Francis and his followers always gave God thanks first and then thanked those who willingly listened to God's directions to give. The exact instructions Francis gave his brothers were, "Say when you beg, 'Praise and bless the Lord! Give us an alms for the love of God."
Francis talks about 'holy poverty' being two things: it is 'the way of perfection' and 'the token and pledge of everlasting wealth'.
Why is it the 'way of perfection'? Francis learned that 'spiritual' (and temporal) poverty was a way to bring one to full knowledge of the mercy and goodness of God. One trained in the way of Poverty came to realize his utter spiritual helplessness - the fact that man's sinful nature is so overwhelmingly powerful that no one can resist it without God's help.
St. Paul talked about the same thing when he explained what God said to him after he pleaded with God to deliver him from a spiritual trial three times, "I Am able to bring My full power into your life when you come to realize and accept your utter helplessness". St. Paul thereafter stated, "I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ's sake." St. Paul was happy to be weak - to be in spiritual trials that left him feeling helpless - because ". . . it is when I am weak, that I am strong."
Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." This first beatitude came first because it is the first step to knowing God. We must realize how truly poor and needy we are spiritually - that we are actually spiritually dead - before He can bring us to new life. Realizing our miserable state causes us to cry out to God for help, and of course, His ear is ever open to the poor, humble and needy soul and He is always anxious to save His little ones.
How is 'poverty' the 'token and pledge of everlasting wealth'? Jesus said, "Blessed are those of you who are poor now . . . hungry now . . . weep now " . He goes on to say that they will be satisfied throughout all eternity with wealth, an abundance of delicious foods and joyous singing and laughter! Jesus promises that they will be blessed in heaven because they didn't have these things on earth!
Jesus illustrated this principle more fully in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus was the poor man who begged at the gate of the rich man's home and died from starvation (the rich man wouldn't give him anything). Jesus said that father Abraham told the rich man who was now suffering in hell, "Remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony." Thus it appears that those who suffer from lack of the necessities of life in this world should feel confident that God will be sure to bless them in the next world for all they suffered. Francis was right when he said poverty was the 'pledge of everlasting wealth' since poverty, suffered in faith here, guarantees wealth hereafter.
It is important to emphasize that it is poverty suffered in faith that will be rewarded. There are many poor people who live sinful lives and they will not only suffer in this world but hereafter in hell as well. Living a sinful life means that one is living in rebellion against God's way of doing things. God is always willing to forgive anyone who is truly sorry for doing what is wrong and so will forgive a poor man who sins by stealing to feed himself. However, stealing is ALWAYS wrong, a sin that will be punished, and one's need, even though it be great, is never justification for doing what is wrong, doing what God hates. Therefore the poor man who feels justified in stealing because he is poor is saying, by his actions, that he doesn't believe God's promise to meet all of his needs and so must act on his own to get what he needs. Since few of us are perfect in faith, we often sin but we should never think that sinning is a legitimate option when it comes to meeting our temporal needs.
What happens if we have a great and legitimate need (we are starving) and God doesn't appear to want to meet that need? The faithful man will be willing to starve rather than offend the God who loves him. Our faith in God's goodness and promises tells us that we must just endure (suffer) with patience until God decides otherwise. This is what is called 'a trial of our faith'.
This is not only what Jesus taught but what Jesus did in His trials (in the wilderness but also on the cross). He proved He would rather die than go against God's will.
Remember what Jesus said to the devil when tempted in the wilderness by him to turn the stones into bread to satisfy His hunger? "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Jesus chose to wait for the word 'that comes from the mouth of God' regarding His eating and go without food until God indicated that it was His will for Him to eat - though He was starving (after 40 days without eating!) Ultimately God did send the angels who provided all the food He needed but only after Jesus had already suffered greatly and was extremely weak. This story gives us a clear example as to how Jesus suffered in faithful patience until God expressed His will that He not suffer. Jesus is our example of how we should act when in similar circumstances.
We should base our decisions on how to act in this temporal world in light of what Jesus tells us it will bring us in the next. He has told us that we can suffer now (temporarily) but get glory later for enduring in faith. Or we can satisfy our desires and needs now (by doing it 'our way' and sinning) and suffer (eternally) later. It is our choice.
PRAYER: Lord God, You gave father Francis a promise to provide for all of his needs. You wanted him to have peace, to feel secure and confident, in Your power to provide. You also, through the treasure of Holy Poverty, opened his eyes to his utter need (spiritually and temporally) for You and Your help and so empowered him with Divine power. Through Your Spirit You enabled this poor man to make many rich (spiritually) and spread a message of peace, joy and love to the world even while they suffered in their poverty. Help us to all live in faith, cherish holy poverty and what it teaches and come to fully know and experience Your power in our daily lives. We ask that our lives might be a light shining in the darkness of this selfish, greedy, proud and arrogant world and draw all men to You, their loving Father. We know that it is You, and You alone, that can satisfy the deepest needs and desires of the human heart and that You are not only willing but anxious to do so. Thank You Father. Be blessed and exalted forever. Amen.
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