Any "playboy" saints who lived lives of Holy thankful enjoyment?

[IwishIknew]

I’m wondering if great sanctity is possible primarily through a Holy thankfulness of earthly wealth and the good things earthly wealth provides and can be enjoyed.

I see around the church in our area many wealthy people who seem to be thankful for their huge houses and all the wealth they are blessed with.

Are there any saints that were granted great earthly wealth (perhaps by an inheritance, a successful business) and lived lives of primarily loving thankfulness for all the wonderful things they could afford and share but did not carry with them a heavy cross?

Job comes to mind - though he was brought very close to death as a test. He was immensely wealthy before and after the test.

Lazarus is another example - but was brought to death and then resurrected.

But with neither Job, nor Lazarus can we say that they lived lives primarily of loving thankfulness because we can’t see the details of their lives when immersed in wealth.

Are there any modern “playboy” saints perhaps whose primary means to sanctity was a Holy Thankfulness and Love of God through a great amount of enjoyed wealth?

 

[angell1]

I think it depends, what are they doing with their wealth?

are they helping the parish, the poor, their friends and family in need?

I don’t thik constantly buying yourself shiny new things that you don’t really need will really help sanctification, even if you are thanking the lord

I may not be the best person to answer though, while I recognize that possessions are not bad, I struggle with feeling that I shouldn’t have as much as I do

 

[Mintaka]

There are saints who were rich, thankful, lived good lives, AND were generous to the poor, or to other good causes.

There are also saints who were rich, powerful kings and nobles who ALSO did good things for God and for evangelization.

You might want to read St. Clement of Alexandria’s book, “Can the Rich Man Be Saved?” It talks a lot about how God demands a lot from people whom He gives a lot.

In general, you can’t just sit on your butt saying you’re thankful; you have to pass it on.

 

[Elizium23]

Saint Katharine Drexel was an heiress who poured her life and fortune into helping the disadvantaged. She is highly-regarded in the United States.

 

[IwishIknew]

Saint Katharine Drexel was an heiress who poured her life and fortune into helping the disadvantaged. She is highly-regarded in the United States.

Yes - I think there are many wealthy saints who spent their wealth and time on the poor.

Are there any saints whose primary means to sanctification was simply “Thankfulness” for their great wealth and the enjoyment thereof?

Or could sanctification primarily through **thankfully enjoyed wealth **be somewhat of a heresy or an implausibility?

 

[Elizium23]

Yes - I think there are many wealthy saints who spent their wealth and time on the poor.

Are there any saints whose primary means to sanctification was simply “Thankfulness” for their great wealth and the enjoyment thereof?

Or could sanctification primarily through **thankfully enjoyed wealth **be somewhat of a heresy or an implausibility?

Are you trying to ask if there are saints who spent their wealth primarily on themselves and didn’t support the Church or charitable causes instead?

You do realize that the vast majority of saints are clergy and religious, and so wealthy saints wouldn’t be particularly thick on the ground to begin with?

 

[IwishIknew]

Are you trying to ask if there are saints who spent their wealth primarily on themselves and didn’t support the Church or charitable causes instead?

You do realize that the vast majority of saints are clergy and religious, and so wealthy saints wouldn’t be particularly thick on the ground to begin with?

Yes - acknowledging that there are many saints who are clergy and/or reached sanctification through good deeds, great long-term suffering, the development of theology and of simplicity -

Are there any saints whose primary means of sanctification was through loving thankfulness to God by enjoying one’s wealth and say, sharing that wealth with one’s immediate circle of family and friends?

When I read Job, I am led to believe that before/after his great test, Job was one that might be like this. But it is unclear. Is there a modern saint perhaps that seemed to achieve sanctity through loving God with his/her wealth via thankfulness?

 

[Elizium23]

Yes - acknowledging that there are many saints who are clergy and/or reached sanctification through good deeds, great long-term suffering, the development of theology and of simplicity -

Are there any saints whose primary means of sanctification was through loving thankfulness to God by enjoying one’s wealth and say, sharing that wealth with one’s immediate circle of family and friends?

What sources can you cite that “loving thankfulness to God by enjoying one’s wealth” is even a means of sanctification? I have heard quite the opposite. The onus is on you to prove that this is even a teaching of the Church, much less a criterion for canonization of a saint.

 

[IwishIknew]

What sources can you cite that “loving thankfulness to God by enjoying one’s wealth” is even a means of sanctification? I have heard quite the opposite. The onus is on you to prove that this is even a teaching of the Church, much less a criterion for canonization of a saint.

I would say Job may have been such a person - for God was quite pleased with him even before the big test. Job didn’t seem to be a great theologian, victim-soul, helper of the poor nor even a lover/mystic. Are there any canonized wealthy saints like Job that more or less fit this description that the Lord and Satan provides of Job?

JOB 1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4…

…8And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast thou not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

From this, I gather that Job was Just - obeyed the spirit of the Commandments and that he was very thankful to God and humble before Him. And yet he was the wealthiest.

 

[Elizium23]

I would say Job may have been such a person - for God was quite pleased with him even before the big test. Job didn’t seem to be a great theologian, victim-soul, helper of the poor nor even a lover/mystic. Are there any canonized wealthy saints like Job that more or less fit this description that the Lord and Satan provides of Job?

Where in the Bible does it say that Job’s wealth was the primary source of his sanctification? I would argue against that, because even when Job’s wealth and material goods were all taken away from him, he refused to curse God and held Him blameless for his plight. So his sanctification was increased by the loss of his wealth and goods. Can you point to commentary that suggests that “loving thankfulness to God by enjoying one’s wealth” is a means of sanctification for Job or others? Not just your personal exegesis of Scripture, actual reliable secondary sources that support your assertion.

 

[IwishIknew]

Where in the Bible does it say that Job’s wealth was the primary source of his sanctification? I would argue against that, because even when Job’s wealth and material goods were all taken away from him, he refused to curse God and held Him blameless for his plight. So his sanctification was increased by the loss of his wealth and goods. Can you point to commentary that suggests that “loving thankfulness to God by enjoying one’s wealth” is a means of sanctification for Job or others? Not just your personal exegesis of Scripture, actual reliable secondary sources that support your assertion.

This is why I’m asking: to see if there is some canonized saint that is like this.

It appears that it may be possible to be wealthy, give to one’s immediate circle of friends and family and simply live in humble thankfulness to God to become a saint. God and Santan point out Job’s goodness and it doesn’t have to do with any of the the following from which many saints have been canonized:

1. Being a Victim Soul
2. Being a generous helper of the poor
3. Being a great theologian
4. Being a lover/mystic

Job was wealthy and pleasing to God for arguably less heroic reasons: for being just and humble - and quite likely thankful as an expression of that just humbleness…

JOB 1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4…

…8And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a** blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” **9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast thou not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Also it doesn’t seem to me to be implausible that by being just (keeping the spirit of the Commandments) and by thankfully loving God is a bad thing if blessed with wealth? So maybe it is a means to sanctification. Surely the Bible re-iterates the importance of being thankful repeatedly

“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!” - 1 Chronicles 16:34

Is such a primary means to sanctification perhaps a heresy?

 

[Elizium23]

Matthew 19:

20 * The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
21 j Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect,* go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 * Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 k Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 * When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?”
26 l Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

 

[IwishIknew]

Elizium23:
I get that sanctification is “hard”. Being Just by following the Commandments is always “hard”.

What I am asking is whether there is a canonized saint that was just, humble and most likely Thankful and wealthy like Job?

Someone who was not a great helper of the poor, a great theologian, a great victim, a great mystic/lover of God.

Anyone know?

 

[IwishIknew]

Or is there some canonized saint, say, like Saint Joseph but was wealthy who wasn’t known to do anything heroic outside of taking care of his immediate family, but was indeed a just , humble/thankful Man?

 

[IwishIknew]

Or is there some canonized saint, say, like Saint Joseph but was wealthy who wasn’t known to do anything heroic outside of taking care of his immediate family, but was indeed a just , humble/thankful Man?

Thinking about this a bit more, I believe that the road to sanctity involves not only living by the commandments but also by making ourselves a gift. What this gift is, is wide open with vocational-like options: victimhood, theologian, apostle/preacher, servant, lover of the poor, prayer lover/mystic.

However, we cannot live on Loving Thankfulness alone - we are not built to only receive (no matter how much we are lovingly thankful and can enjoy the gifts given), but to give and to give generously and lovingly. The greater the wealth we have, the broader the circle of influence we have in generosity.

It may indeed be a heresy to believe that if one were to win a lottery or a great inheritance, and then if one were to simply spend one’s enjoying the fruits of the “win” (without breaking the commandments) giving thanks to God for every moment of enjoyment that this would be enough to achieve sanctity.

Regarding Job and any wealthy prophet of old - they all may have been very engaged in giving in their various ways and this added to their being called “just men”. I wish we could examine their lives more closely.

Regarding Saint Joseph - had he been wealthy - it is very hard in fact to imagine him not lovingly giving of himself through his work. He likely would have just given more (maybe a bigger workshop, maybe he would have been a hidden benefactor of his community, maybe he would have helped orphans - who knows?).

 

[Elizium23]

It may indeed be a heresy to believe that if one were to win a lottery or a great inheritance, and then if one were to simply spend one’s enjoying the fruits of the “win” (without breaking the commandments) giving thanks to God for every moment of enjoyment that this would be enough to achieve sanctity.

I’m struggling to understand what exactly you mean by this kind of statement. It is a precept of the Church that we support the material needs of the Church. It is a Biblical requirement that we give generously to charity and the poor and the disadvantaged. Tithing is traditionally 10% of the firstfruits; the Church does not regulate this strictly but it is understood that the rich have a greater duty to contribute generously. Luke 21:1-4 teaches us about the value of generosity.

Now you seem to be saying that people can be righteous, and not simply be righteous but be sanctified by the act of spending money on themselves. Of course we all need to spend money on ourselves, but what kind of proportions are you talking about here? I think as Christians we are called to live a modest life within our means and continually look for ways to support the Church and the poor with the remainder.