Three words feared by many Catholics because they connote austere and cloistered life. But when Christ preached these, He meant it for all and not only for religious. Maybe the religious, because of their canonical status, have to take it as vows. But that is only an external requirement. Christ’s command is to observe its spirit. And all Christians are bound to observe it in spirit…without which we cannot be saved.
I have written about the vows in some previous post but will summarize it once more to spare you going through my archives. I have to do this as an introduction to the next two posts on an analysis why there is a dearth in vocations to the priesthood and the concept of vocation. And hopefully, clarify the questions of those who are desirous to enter the religious life.
There are the canonical vows on the one hand and the spirit of the evangelical counsels on the other. These are two different concepts. The Evangelical counsels are necessary for salvation and so must be observed by all “in spirit.” The spirit of poverty prevents us from loving the things of this world. The spirit of chastity prevents us from loving the pleasures of the flesh. And the spirit of obedience? It prevents us from doing our will so that we may do God’s. See how the spirit of the Evangelical Counsels is necessary for the salvation of one’s soul!
On the other hand the canonical definition of the Evangelical counsels applies only to Religious. Poverty consist in the prohibition of owning anything. Chastity connotes celibacy. And Obedience includes submission to the Pope, the Bishop, the superiors, the statutes, the constitution, etc. That’s for Religious. The spirit is for all.
Note the Great command: “Love God.” Simply put we must love God in order to go to heaven. But love is defined in these words: “If you love Me keep My commandments.” Obedience to the commands of Christ is the sign of Love of God. So before we can love God, we must learn how to obey. But obedience can only be learned after we have practiced poverty and chastity. That is the purpose of Poverty and Chastity : to lead us to obedience… and from obedience to the Love of God.
Today, the Church is filled with problems of chastity. And the problem has reached the priesthood, whether it is homosexuality or heterosexuality. Both are problems of chastity. Why? Because of lack of poverty. The Church has become rich. Many live as though they do not have the spirit of poverty.
Church History points that the Church was always fervent when she was poor and persecuted. Poverty is a self-imposed suffering; persecution is a God-imposed suffering. Suffering is needed to make a soul obedient to the commands of Christ. Chastity is likewise a self-imposed suffering. Self-imposed suffering is more pleasing to God because it is free willed for the sake of His kingdom. While a God-imposed suffering elicits resignation which is inferior to free willed sufferings.
And so some historians call the Patrimony of Constantine as a curse because it spoiled the Church. No wonder she grew up like a brat. While the Concordat with Mussolini wherein the Church lost her lands and kept the Vatican State only, was looked at as a blessing. For henceforth, the Pope concentrated on the spiritual life of the Church instead of busying himself with keeping the Vatican lands from royal land grabbers.
Our priests are a far cry from St. Francis of Assisi or the Cure of Ars. Most priests, both Diocesan and Religious do not find the necessity of observing the spirit of poverty anymore. The Diocesan are convinced they are not bound by poverty because they are Diocesan, while Religious, because they have grown rich, have lost the spirit of poverty.
Pope Benedict is troubled at the ignorance that prevails in the Church today. Basing it on the Apostolic Commission, though the Good News had been preached to Catholics (which right now I am beginning to doubt) and they had been baptized, they had not been taught what are the commands of Christ and worst had not been taught how to observe those commands.
Most Catholics are stuck with the 10 commandments of God. And this has been reinforced by the fact that the 10 commandments are the ones enumerated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and preached in most homilies. The 10 commandments have been perfected by Christ when He came: “A new commandment I give you…”
The commandments of Christ in the New Testament can be grouped into three categories: how to observe Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. How do you think did St. Francis meet Lady Poverty? From the Gospels. You can neither know what chastity is nor observe chastity unless you first know poverty and have observed poverty. And you can neither know what is obedience and practice obedience unless you know and have practiced chastity. Now, do you see why the biggest problem of the Church today is lack of Chastity and lack of obedience? Because there is no spirit of Poverty.
“Great-souled” poverty, Pope Leo the Great described the poverty of the apostles and the first children of the Church. They, leaving all they had, by a sudden conversion changed their lives, and lived with one heart and one mind. Laying all they had at the Apostles’ feet for their disposal, they began enriching themselves with eternal things. And following the apostles, they began to rejoice in having nothing of this world, and in possessing all things in Christ. Their riches are in their poverty. Impossible? In a previous post I mentioned a community I know who have no visible means of income nor do they solicit donations. There are 200 of them. Among other things they run an orphanage and a hospice for abandoned patients. They lack nothing of what they need to do those works they do. Often asked by frequent dumb-founded visitors: “How do you support yourselves?” “By our poverty.” The Apostles were right after all.
(Painting above is by Giotto, “The Death of St. Francis,” 1300)