The Chains of Wealth

Dissimulanda, fratres dilectissimi, veritas non est, nec vulneris nostri materia et causa reticenda. Decepit multos partimonii sui amor caecus, nec ad recedendum parati aut expediti esse potuerunt quos facultates suae velut compedes ligaverunt. Illa fuerunt remanentibus vincula, illae catenae quibus et virtus retardata est, et fides pressa, et mens vincta, et anima praeclusa, ut serpenti terram, secundum Dei sententiam, devoranti praeda et cibus fierent qui terrestribus inhaererent. Et idcirco Dominus, bonorum magister et praemonens in futurum, 'Si vis,' inquit,' perfectus esse, vade, vende omnia tua, et da pauperibus, et habebis thesaurum in coelis; et veni, sequere me.' Si hac facerent, per divitias suas non perirent; thesaurum in coelo reponentes, hostem nunc et expugnatorem domesticum non haberent. Esset in coelo cor et animus et sensus, si thesaurus esset in coelo, nec vinci a saeculo posset qui unde vinceretur, in saeculo non haberet. Sequeretur Dominum solutus et liber, ut Apostoli et sub Apostolis multi, et nonnulli saepe fecerunt, qui, et rebus suis et parentibus derelictis, individuis Christo nexibus adhaeserunt. Sequi autem Christum quomodo possunt qui patrimonii vinculo detinentur? Aut quomodo coelum petunt, et ad sublimia et alta conscendunt qui, terrenis cupiditatibus degravantur? Possidere se credunt qui potius possidentur, census sui servi.   Sanctus Cyprianus, De Lapsis

One must not conceal the truth, brethren, nor must our wounds' matter and cause be concealed. A blind love of one's own property has deceived many, nor could they be prepared for, or feel free, with its loss when their possessions bound them like a chain. Those were the chains to them that remained, those the bonds by which both virtue was retarded and faith burdened and the spirit enslaved and the soul hindered, so that they might by clinging to worldly things become spoil and food for the serpent which feeds upon the earth, according to God's sentence. And therefore the Lord the teacher of good things, forewarning for the future, says: 'If you will be perfect, go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.' 1 If they had done this, they would not have perished by their riches; laying up treasure in heaven, they would not now have a domestic conqueror and enemy. In heaven would be heart and mind and feeling, if one's treasure were in heaven, nor could he be overcome by the world who had nothing in the world by which he could be overcome. He would follow the Lord unbound and free, as did the Apostles, and many in the times of the Apostles, and not a few abandoned both wealth and relatives and clung to Christ with undivided ties. Indeed how can they follow Christ who are held back by the chain of wealth? Or how can they seek heaven and ascend to sublime and lofty things, who are weighed down by earthly desires? They believe they possess when they are rather possessed, of their own property they are slaves. St Cyprian, On The Lapsed 1 Mt 19.21