Poverty And Choice

Οὖτος ὁ πτωχὸς ἐκέκραξε, καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ ἀεὶ ἐπαινετὴ ἡ πτωχεία, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐκ προαιρέσεως κατὰ τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν σκοπὸν κατορθουμένη. Πολλοὶ γὰρ πτωχοὶ μὲν τῇ περιουσίᾳ, πλεονεκτικώτατοι δὲ τῇ προαιρέσει τυγχάνουσιν· οὔς οὐχ ἡ ἔνδεια σώζει, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις κατακρίνει. Οὐ τοίνυν ὁ ἐνδεὴς πάντως μακαριστὸς, ἀλλ' ὁ κρείττονα ἡγησάμενος τῶν τοῦ κόσμου θησαυρῶν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τούτος καὶ ὁ Κύριος μακαρίζει λέγων· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι· οὐχ οἱ πένητες κατὰ τὴν περιουσίαν, ἀλλ' οἱ τὴν πτωχείαν ἐκ ψυχῆς προελόμενοι. Οὐδεν γὰρ τῶν ἀπροαιρέτων μακαριστόν. Διότι πᾶσα ἀρετὴ, μάλιστα δὲ αὔτη πρὸ πάντων, τῷ ἐκουσίῳ χαρακτηρίζεται. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΛΓ’ Source: Migne PG 29.361a-b

The poor man cried out and the Lord heard him. 1 Poverty is not always laudable unless it be a choice correct according to the evangelical counsel. For many who are poor would wish to have the fortune to be in abundance and rank excess, and this sort of deprivation does not save, but rather such a choice is condemned. It is not he who lacks who is blessed but he who chooses the superior command of Christ over the treasures of the world. These the Lord names blessed, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit,' 2 meaning not those who desire an abundance but those who have chosen the poverty of the spirit. For nothing which is not chosen is blessed. Every virtue, and this one above all, is inscribed with freedom. Saint Basil of Caeserea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 33 1 Ps 33.7 2 Mt 5.3