This question highlights an important aspect of the Christian life, that of evangelical poverty. Through baptism, each one of us becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ, and we are called to model our lives on His own. The evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience — lived according to our state in life — help us to fulfill our baptismal call. Regarding poverty, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Jesus enjoins His disciples to prefer Him to everything and everyone and bids them to ‘renounce all that they have for His sake and the sake of the Gospel’ … The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the Kingdom of God” (CCC 2544).
How we live poverty is determined by our vocation. A Franciscan will live it differently than the parents of a large family. But all are called to maintain spiritual poverty, which means we empty ourselves of disordered attachments to created things and place God at the center of our lives. From there, we ask God to help us exercise good discernment in how we use the gifts He has given us. And that’s just it: If we remember that all we possess belongs to God, then we are much better able to maintain balance and exercise good stewardship.
Jesus provides us with the model. He didn’t eschew all luxury items; His first miracle was at Cana when He provided exquisite wine in order to save the hosts the embarrassment of having run out. Jesus lived a life of simplicity, but it wasn’t the soul-crushing poverty of His day. He enjoyed what was set before Him. He also made it clear that it is harder for the rich to embrace the Kingdom of God than it is for the poor (Matthew 19:23). Luxury items aren’t forbidden, but they should never become an obstacle to the simple and generous life demanded of every Christian.
The key to all this is asking God to help us maintain a spirit of detachment and generosity regardless of our economic status. We are meant to share what we have with the poor and use what we possess for the benefit of others. The rich man in Scripture did not wind up in Gehenna because of his possessions, but because he refused to assist Lazarus, who was starving in his doorway. Had he exercised selfless generosity, the story would have ended differently.
Father Jones is pastor of Sts. Teresa and Bridget Parish in St. Louis.