Quote from st John Chrysostom

[spencer2]

“Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours but theirs.” Help me to understand the second sentence. It sounds like what we work for whether our home, vehicle, or toys does not belong to us but to the poor.

 

[simple_soul]

“Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours but theirs.” Help me to understand the second sentence. It sounds like what we work for whether our home, vehicle, or toys does not belong to us but to the poor.

*Well this is certainly food for thought…
I am wondering, could you please direct me as to where you got this quote from?

Thank you in advance…
*

 

[ChadS]

“Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours but theirs.” Help me to understand the second sentence. It sounds like what we work for whether our home, vehicle, or toys does not belong to us but to the poor.

I don’t think St. John Chrysostom is trying to imply that we can’t own any possessions or have nice things, but it’s pointing us towards a greater good. 1) That no matter what we own or what the Church has all comes from God. He is the true and ultimate source of our worldly riches.and 2) perhaps feeding the poor isn’t necessarily about doing good for the poor (but it definitely is good for them as it helps them to live and perhaps be comfortalbe), but about us building up treasure in heaven where “moth and rust can’t destroy.” Feeding and clothing the poor, according to Church teaching is a corporal work of mercy, and it does good for us to remember that.

No, I don’t think the Church would ever condone poor or the homeless from just walking into a person’s house and helping them to their things. It’s about us helping them and being less attached to our own worldly items.

ChadS

 

[trials]

St. Teresa of Avila exlains this idea very well, sorry no reference, but basically points out that we do not own anything in this world - as in Genesis we are merely stewards of the goods and wealth in the world and it is therefore our responsibility to distribute it to those in need or with less than us. There is therefore no such thing as private ownership in the worldly sense - we are only passing through.

Don’t know if that helps.

 

[Celticnovice]

St. Teresa of Avila exlains this idea very well, sorry no reference, but basically points out that we do not own anything in this world - as in Genesis we are merely stewards of the goods and wealth in the world and it is therefore our responsibility to distribute it to those in need or with less than us. There is therefore no such thing as private ownership in the worldly sense - we are only passing through.

Don’t know if that helps.

That is awesome…Do you have an idea about where the reference might me? Also agree with the other posts regarding St. John.

 

[spencer2]

Thanks for the replies. It’s confusing if you take the quote at face value.

 

[kanrok]

That is awesome…Do you have an idea about where the reference might me? Also agree with the other posts regarding St. John.

See CC 2446:

2446 St. John Chrysostom vigorously recalls this: “Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.”[238] “The demands of justice must be satisfied first of all; that which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a gift of charity”:[239]
When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice.[240]

fn 238: 238 Jas 5:1-6.
fn 239: St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in Lazaro 2,5G 48,992