Apostles and Poverty

Quod sit virtutibus cognata paupertas, terrena et coelestis comprobat disciplina. Athleta ad luctamen nudus accedit, confligit cum fluctibus nauta nudus, miles in acie non nisi expeditus assistit, qui tendit ad philosophiam, totum quod in rebus est ante contemnit. Est ergo virtutibus cognata paupertas; et si paupertas virtutum parens, virtutum socia sic habetur, sapere convenit, quare Christus ad virtutis officium pauperes sic elegit. Petrus et Andreas, Jacobus et Joannes, germintas combinata, immo congeminata paupertas in apostolurm eliguntur: pauperes censu, loco humiles, viles arte, obscuri vita, labore communes, addiciti vigiliis, fluctibus mancipati, negati honoribus, injuriis dati, praesidio retis, solo piscium captu victum vestitumque conquirentes. Sed in istis quantum vilis mundanus videbatur aspectus, pretiosas tantum animas Dei intuitus tunc videbat. Erant censu pauperes, sed innocentia locupletes; loco humiles, sed sanctitate sublimes, viles arte, sed simplictate pretiosi; obscuri vita, sed vitae merito perlucentes; labore communes, sed proposito singulares, addicti vigiliis, sed ad coelestes victorias jam vocati; fluctibus mancipati, sed fluctibus non demersi; negati honoribus, ditati magis honoribus, non negati; injuriis dati, sed injuriis non relicti; captores piscium, sed piscatores hominum decreti. Venite, inquit, et faciam nos fieri piscatores hominum; ut vitalis escae jactu, ut hamo coelestis verbi, de mortis gurgitte animas ad lucem tollerent sempiternam. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo XXVIII

Poverty is an associate of the virtues, an earthly discipline winning heaven's approval. An athlete goes to the contest stripped, a sailor swims naked amid the crashing waves, a soldier goes into battle unencumbered, he who takes to philosophy disdains everything which was his care before. Thus is poverty an associate of the virtues, and if poverty nurtures virtues, and so association with them has, it befits here to know why Christ chose the poor for the office of virtue. Peter and Andrew, James and John, entwined shoots, are rather chosen for their shared poverty for Apostleship. Poor in property, set in humble place, at common work, living obscurely, at same occupation, bound to watches, sold to the waves, knowing no honour, given to injury, carers of nets,  seeking their food and clothing by the catching of fish. But in these low things of mere worldly appearance, God's sight  saw only precious souls. They were poor in property, but innocent of wealth; in humble place, but high in holiness; at common work, but in simplicity precious; living obscurely, but glimmering for the reward of life; at same labour, but each for a plan; bound to watch, but already called to heavenly victory; sold to the waves but in the waves not drowning; knowing no honour but enriched with more than honours; given to injury but in injury not forsaken; catchers of fish, but commanded to be fishers of men. 'Come,' He said, 'and I shall make you fishers of men,' 1 that throwing forth the food of life, you may hook with the word of heaven and from the jaws of death bring souls to eternal light. Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 28 1 Mt 4.19