Understanding The Poor

Namque hodie beatus Psalmista ad intelligentiam nos supernam convocat per clamorem: Beatus qui intelligit super egenum et pauperem. Et quae est intelligentia, ubi est, professa paupertas? Vis est intelligentiae, si rimetur viscera, si deprehendat occulta, si tecta nudet. Verum subjecta oculis, exposita in publico, ingesta rebus, non est intellgere sed videre. Nuditate algibus, tabidus fame, siti aridus, lassitudine tremens, defectu luridus, quod egenus sit intelligere qui labor ? Et si labor intelligentiae nullus est. unde est intelligentiae fructus? Oremus, fratres, ut ipse nobis intelligere intelligenda concedat, qui se intelligi in paupere sic demonstrat. Quod ipse qui coelum tegit sit nudus in paupere, quod in esuriente esuriat saturitas rerum, quod sitiat in sitiente fons fontium,intelligere,quomodo non magnum est? Quomodo non beatum intelligere, quod ei sit ampla paupertas cui angustum est coelum; qui ditat mundum, quod egeat in egente; quod frustum aquae calicem dator omnium quaerit; quod se Deus amore pauperis sic deponat, ut non adsit pauperi, sed ipse sit pauper? Hoc cui videre dederit Deus, ipse videt. Sed quomodo aut in se transfuderit pauperem, aut se in pauperem fuderit, dicat ipse iam nobis: Esurivi, inquit, et dedisti mihi manducare. Non dixit, esurivit pauper, et dedistis illi manducare; sed esurivi ego et dedistis manducare mihi.  Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo XIV, De fructibus eleemosyne, in Psalmum XL Source: Migne PL 52.231c-232b

For today the Psalmist calls us to understand with the cry, 'Blessed he who has understanding of the destitute and poor.' 1 And what is this understanding, where is it, this grasp of poverty? Strong is the understanding if it rummages deep within, if it brings to light things hidden, if it exposes things concealed. Truth placed before the eyes, exposed to public view, heaped up among things, is not understood but merely seen. Naked with the freezing, starving with the hungry, parched with the thirsty, weary with the shivering, faint with the pale, may this be what it is to understand the destitute and may it not be a labour? For if there is no labour in understanding, what is the fruit of understanding? Let us pray, brothers, that He grant us to understand what should be understood, He who showed understanding for the poor. How is it not great to understand that He who protects the heavens may be naked with the poor, that He who permeates all things may be hungry with the hungry, that the fount of founts may thirst with the thirsty? How is it not blessed to understand that poverty may be abundance for Him for whom the heavens are narrow, that He who enriches the world wants with those who lack; that the giver of all things vainly seeks a cup of water; that God lowers himself out of love for the poor, that He is not only with the poor, but He Himself is poor? He whom God gives to see this, he sees. But does He take the poor man into himself or does He pour Himself into the poor man? He Himself says to us: 'I hungered and you gave me to eat.' He does not say, a poor man hungered and you gave him to eat but I  hungered and you gave me to eat. 2 Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 14, On The Fruits of Mercy, On Psalm 40 1 Ps 40.2  2 Mt 25.35