The Benefits of Poverty

Πῶς οὖν ἀλλοτρίας ζωῆς κύριος ὁ τῆς ἰδίας ἀλλότριος; Καὶ οὔτος τοίνυν εἰ πτωχεύει τῷ πνεύματι, πρὸς τὸν δι' ἡμας πτωχεύσαντα ἑκουσίως βλέπων, καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῆς φύσεως ὀμότιμον καθορῶν, μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς ἠπατημένης ἐκείνης περὶ ἀρχν τρὰγῳδίας εἰς τὸ ὁμογενὲς ἐξυβρίζοι, μακαριστὸς ἀληθῶς τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τῆς προσκαίπου, τήν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ἀνταλλαξάμενος. Μὴ ἀποβάλῃς, ἀδελφε, καὶ τὸν ἕτερον τῆς πτωχεὶας λόγον, ὅς τοῦ κατ' οὐρανὸν πλούτου πρόξενος γίνεται. 'Πώλησόν σου, φησὶ, πάντα τὰ ὐπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, και δεῦρο, ἀκολούθει μοι, καὶ ἔξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ τοιαύτη πτωχεία δοκεῖ μοι μὴ ἀπᾳδειν τῆς μακαριζομένης πτωχείας. ' Ἰδοὺ πάντα, ὅσα εἴχομεν, ἀφέντες ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν Δεσπότην ὁ μαθητής· τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν; Καὶ τὶς ἡ ἀπόκρισις; Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ μνεὺματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Βούλεις νοῆσει, τίς ὁ πτωχεύύων τῷ μνεύματι; Ὁ ἀνταλλαξάμενος τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς πλοῦτον τῆς σωματικῆς εὐπορίας, ὁ διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα πτωχεύων, ὁ τὸν γήινον πλοῦτον οἶόν τι Βάρος ἀποσεισάμενος, ἵνα μετάρσιός τε καὶ διαέριος ἄνω φέρηται. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος Νύσσης, Εἰς Τους Μακαρισμους,

How then can one be lord of another if he is estranged from mastery of his own life? And if he would be poor in spirit he would willingly look to Him whom for our sake become poor, and he would perceive the equal value of his nature, no longer deluded by his pitiful state of insolence, and then they would be truly blessed because they exchanged a temporary humility for the kingdom of heaven. But we must not overlook, brother, another account of poverty that we might be partakers of the wealth of heaven. 'Sell all your possessions and give to the poor and come, follow me, and you shall have wealth in heaven.'1 This seems to me not to trouble the poverty of the blessed. ' Behold, we left everything which we had, we left and followed you,'2 said the disciple to the Master. And what shall he have for it? Would it not be this reply: ' Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'3? Do you wish to know who are the poor in spirit? Those who exchange worldly wealth for the wealth of the soul, who according to the spirit are poor, who cast off the burden of mundane possessions that they might be lifted up and taken up on high. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, On The Beatitudes 1. Mt 19.21 2. Mt 19.27  3 Mt 5.3