Poverty's Search

Ego vero egenus et pauper sum; Deus adjuva me: adujor meus et liberator meus es tu, Domine: ne tardaveris. Turba fidelium cum dominicae passionis imitaretur exemplum, ipsa quoque verba ejus ad suam transtulit psalmodiam. Dicit enim ex persona sua Dominus in alio psalmo: Ego vero egenus et pauper sum; Dominus curam habet mei; sicut et hic dictum est a persona beatorum. Sed dum dicit: Ego vero egenus et pauper sum, significat illos divites fuisse mundanos, de quibus dicit: Confundantur et reverantur inimici mei, qui quaerunt animam meam. Sed videamus, cum sit coelesti thesauro ditissima, ubique se egenam et pauperem dicit gloriosa paupertas; utique, quia mundanas copias non habet, et intus, ubi est dives, semper ambit, semper desiderat, semper accipit; sicut Apostolus dicit: Fratres, ego me non arbitror apprehendisse; et iterum: Si quis existimat se scire aliquid, necdum cognovit quaemadmodum eum oporteat scire. Vides meito dici tales egenos, tales pauperes, qui continue acquirere gratiam Divnitatis exoptant. Egeni enim sumus quando jugiter indigemus; pauperes, dum semper ad benefica ipsius avida mente properamus. Sequitur, Deus, adjuva me, id est in tribulatione mundana, ubi et spiritus immundos hostes patimur, et Domini miseratione liberamur. Addidit utrumque conjunctum; ut adjutor sit Dominus in necessitatibus, et de hac saeculi clade liberator. Et intende quia dicit, tu, Domine, ut tota spes nostra ad eum debeat fixa respicere. Sequitur, ne tardaveris. Periclitantium mos est tardum judicare, quambis celerrimum praestetur auxilium. Ille enim competenter et mensurate facit omnia; sed nos tardum putamus, quod desiderio magno requirimus. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus LXIX Source: Migne PG 70.494 a-d

But I am needy and poor, God help me; you, Lord, are my helper and my liberator; do not delay. 1 He compares the crowd of the faithful with the example of the Lord's passion, even bringing His words into the Psalm. For the Lord speaks in His own person in another Psalm, 'I am needy and poor; Lord, have care for me,' 2 as even here it is spoken by one of the blessed. But when he says: 'I am needy and poor,' he signifies those who were rich in the world, concerning which he says: 'Let my enemy be confounded and terrified, those who seek my soul.' But let us see, then, when it may be most rich in the treasure of heaven, everywhere glorious poverty names itself needy and poor, that is, because it has no worldly wealth, and then within, where it is rich, it always seeks, it always desires, it always receives, as the Apostle says: 'Brothers, I do not judge myself to have obtained.' 3 And again, 'If someone judges that he knows something, he does not yet know as he should know.' 4 See how he rightly calls such folk needy and poor, who are continually desiring to acquire the grace of God. We are needy when we are ever lacking, poor when we are always driving ourselves on with eager minds to His blessings. It follows: 'God, help me.' that is, in worldly tribulations, when we are fighting against the oppositon of vices, when we suffer the hostility of unclean spirits, and the mercy of the Lord liberates us. Here he joins both together, that the Lord be a helper in necessity, and that He be a liberator from ruin of the world. And attend to what he says: 'You, Lord,' that we should look to fix all our hope in Him. It follows, 'Do not delay' It is a perilous habit to judge Him dilatroy, although He swiftly gives aid. For He does all things suitably and with measure, but we think Him tardy, because we seek with such great desire. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, Psalm 69 1 Ps 69.5 2 Ps 39.18 3 Phil 3.13 4 1 Cor 8.2