When you do not give alms to the poor, are you stealing from the poor?
When are the poor unworthy of charity? Does charity make them more dependent?
Why was the Rich Man not named in the parable, while Lazarus had a name?
Why was St John Chrysostom called Golden Mouth?
ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE
St John Chrysostom was named “Golden Mouth” by his flock for the excellence of his preaching. Although he always had competition from the chariot races in the Colosseum, many flocked to hear his lengthy sermons. He was born in about 350 AD in Antioch, Syria, a major city in the Eastern Empire, where he was ordained a priest after spending several years as a monk and hermit. His education included studying the Stoic and Cynic philosophers who proclaimed that “virtue was the only true good, and wisdom was the only source of true freedom and true wealth.”
Major Roman Stoic Philosophers, My Favorite Maxims: Epictetus, Rufus, Seneca & Marcus Aurelius
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/major-roman-stoic-philosophers-my-favorite-maxims-epictetus-rufus-seneca-marcus-aurelius/
https://youtu.be/E0qQgqGkoOE
Greek Stoic and Cynic Philosophers: My Favorite Maxims: Heraclitus, Antisthenes, Diogenes, and Zeno
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/greek-stoic-and-cynic-philosophers-my-favorite-sayings/
https://youtu.be/rq3oRftjM4c
Modern Stoic Philosophers: My Favorite Maxims: Viktor Frankl, Nelson Mandela, and Others
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/modern-stoic-philosophers-my-favorite-maxims-viktor-frankl-nelson-mandela-and-others/
https://youtu.be/rq3oRftjM4c
Summary of Platonic Dialogues on Love and Friendship, With Commentary by Copleston and Anders Nygren
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/summary-of-platonic-dialogues-on-love-and-friendship/
https://youtu.be/cjXRXQc6Ff4
In 397 he was appointed Archbishop of Constantinople. He was compelled to leave Antioch secretly so his departure would not cause unrest in the city. In the capital city he refused to host lavish banquets, which made him popular with the common people, but alienated royal courtiers, prelates, and the Empress Eudoxia, who suspected he was criticizing her when he criticized luxury and license. She finally sent him into exile, where he died in 407.
St John Chrysostom delivered a series of sermons on the parable of Lazarus and the rich man sometime after 388, and during this time they experienced a severe and damaging earthquake that toppled many buildings and took many lives.[1]
St John Chrysostom, Voltaire, and Leibniz Ask: Why Would a Loving God Permit Earthquakes?
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-john-chrysostom-voltaire-and-leibniz-ask-why-would-a-loving-god-permit-earthquakes/
St John Chrysostom On Reading Scriptures, Preaching, and Chariot Races
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-john-chrysostom-on-reading-scriptures-and-preaching/
A common theme in St John Chrysostom’s teaching is that you steal from the poor when you do not give alms to the poor. Are the poor always poor because of their poor life choices? And even when they made poor choices, do their poor choices disqualify them from receiving our charity?
St John Chrysostom entreats us: “The poor man has one plea:” “Do not require anything else from him; but even if he is the most wicked of all men and is at a loss for his necessary sustenance, let us free him from hunger.”
“Christ also commands us to do this, when He said, ‘Be like your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.’ The alms giver is a harbor those in necessity:” “whether they are bad or good or whatever they are who are in danger.”
A virtuous almsgiver is not a judge. “Charity is charity when we give it even to the unworthy.” “Need alone is the poor man’s worthiness.” “For if we investigate the worthiness of our fellow servants, God will do the same for us.”[2]
St John Chrysostom warns us: “The earth has brought forth her increase, and you have not brought forth your tithes;” you fill your houses with what belongs to the poor. “Since you have not given the accustomed offerings, God says, you have stolen the goods of the poor. He says this to show the rich that they hold the goods of the poor even if they have inherited them from their fathers, or no matter how they have gathered their wealth.”[3]
FIRST SERMON, LIVES OF LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN
Jesus, in Luke, begins the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man: “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.”[4] The name Lazarus means God Has Helped.
Our translator, Catharine Roth, in her introduction, asks: “Are all the rich condemned and all the poor saved? No, although the poor have a better chance. The rich man’s chief fault was his failure to give alms; he neglected the duty of helping his neighbor, harming his own spiritual health by his self-indulgent way of life. Lazarus, on the other hand, by enduring patiently without complaint used his sufferings to build up his spiritual strength.”[5]
Is poverty a worse curse than wealth? Or is wealth the worse curse? St John Chrysostom teaches us about the unfortunate rich man, unfortunate because of his unending fortunes: “The rich man was living in great wickedness. The man was not tested by misfortune, but everything flowed to him as if from a fountain. The very words, ‘He made merry every day,’ imply that nothing unexpected happened to him, no cause of distress or disturbance in his life.” “Not only did he neglect the man by his gate, but he did not give alms to anyone else either.”
St John Chrysostom warns us: “For as the rich man lived in such wickedness, practiced luxury every day, and dressed himself splendidly, he was preparing for himself a more grievous punishment, building himself a greater fire, and making his penalty inexorable and his retribution inaccessible to pardon. On the other hand, the poor man lay at his gate and did not become discouraged, blaspheme, or complain.”
To pass the poor by day after day without giving alms surpasses the wild beasts in cruelty, and hardens the heart of the denier of charity. “This cruelty is the worst kind of wickedness; it is an inhumanity without rival. For it is not the same thing for one who lives in poverty not to help those in need, as for one who enjoys such luxury to neglect others who are wasting away from hunger.”
St John Chrysostom teaches us that “for most people, when they see someone in hunger, chronic illness, and the extremes of misfortune, do not even allow him a good reputation, but judge his life by his troubles, and think that he is surely in such misery because of his wickedness.”
Today, most people assume that someone who is working a minimum wage job does not need a living wage because his station in life is his fault, that he was lazy and chose not to get an education. However, a popular psychologist, Jordan Peterson, points out that many people literally do not possess the intelligence needed to obtain more than a basic education, and are qualified for only the most repetitive jobs. Unfortunate experiences in the Vietnam War prompted the Army to refuse to induct any with an IQ less than 83.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjs2gPa5sD0
St John Chrysostom teaches us: “For the righteous, both the life hereafter and this life provide great pleasure; but the wicked and greedy are punished both here and hereafter. They are punished even here by the expectation of the retribution hereafter, and by the evil suspicion of everyone, and by the very fact of sinning and corrupting their own souls.”[6]
Here St John Chrysostom repeats the Stoic maxim that not only is virtue its own reward, but that conversely sin is its own torment. As the Stoic philosopher Seneca states: “The reward for all virtues lies in the virtues themselves.” Virtues do not seek recognition or plaques or even encouragement, “the wages of a good deed lie in the doing of the deed.” “The reward for all virtues lies in the virtues themselves.”
Likewise, Seneca warns us: “Evil drinks the largest portion of her own poison.” “When we do wrong, only the least portion flows back upon our neighbor, the worst and densest portion blows back, troubling us instead.”[7]
Seneca, Moral Epistles, Blog 1, Living Well, Dying Well
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/seneca-moral-epistles-blog-1-living-well-dying-well/
Seneca, Moral Epistles, Blog 2, Stoicism and Living a Godly Life
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/seneca-moral-epistles-blog-2-stoicism-and-living-a-godly-life/
Seneca, Moral Epistles, Blog 3, Loving Philosophy, Loving God, Loving our Neighbor
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/seneca-moral-epistles-blog-3-loving-philosophy-loving-god-loving-our-neighbor/
Seneca, Moral Epistles, Blog 4, Stoic Concepts of Virtue and the Good
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/seneca-moral-epistles-blog-4-stoic-concepts-of-virtue-and-the-good/
Seneca, Moral Epistles, Blog 5, On the Benefits of Friends and Keeping Score
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/seneca-moral-epistles-blog-5-on-the-benefits-of-friends-and-keeping-score/
Seneca, Moral Epistles, Blog 6, Stoicism and the Golden Rule
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/seneca-moral-epistles-blog-6-stoicism-and-the-golden-rule/
Seneca, Moral Epistles, Blog 7, Precious Stoic Nuggets of Wisdom
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/seneca-moral-epistles-blog-7-precious-stoic-nuggets-of-wisdom/
Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic Philosopher, Short Biography and Sayings
https://youtu.be/wgD8skYi3I0
Seneca: Stoic Sayings on Virtue, Friendship, Pleasure, Joy, and Philosophy
https://youtu.be/m4mcP2F9c4w
SECOND SERMON, ON THE DEATHS OF LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN
Jesus continues with the parable: “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.”[8]
Our wise translator notes: “Death reveals who was truly rich and who was truly poor.” “The rich hold their property as stewards for the poor, and must share their wealth without regard to the moral qualities of those who are in need.”
She continues, “St John Chrysostom does not say that we must sell everything and give it to the poor; he is addressing those who are not called to the monastic life, but those who must find a Christian way of living in the world. Like others of the Church Fathers, he makes it clear that private property is not a Christian idea, however valid it is in law.”[9]
St John Chrysostom proclaims: “You saw Lazarus then at the gate of the rich man; see him today in the bosom of Abraham. You saw him then with the dogs licking his sores; see him today carried in triumph by the angels. You saw him then in poverty; see him today in luxury. You saw him then in hunger; see him today crowned with victory. You saw then his sufferings; see his recompense today: both you who are rich and you who are poor; the rich, to keep you from thinking that wealth is worthy of anything without virtue; the poor, to keep you from thinking that poverty is any evil.”
St John Chrysostom teaches us: “The rich man is not he who has collected many possessions, but he who needs few possessions; and the poor man is not he who has no possessions, but he who has many desires.”
“If you see someone who is greedy for many things, you should consider him the poorest of all, even if he has acquired everyone’s money. If, on the other hand, you see someone with few needs, you should count him the richest of all, even if he has acquired nothing.” “Let us never consider those people healthy who are always yearning and thirsting after other people’s property; let us not think that they enjoy an abundance.”
In Luke, Jesus tells this parable: “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”[10]
St John Chrysostom comments: “When his harvest was abundant, the Rich Man said to himself, ‘What shall I do? I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones.’ There is nothing more wretched than such an attitude. In truth, he took down his barns; for the safe barns are not walls but the stomachs of the poor.”[11]
THE RICH MAN PETITIONS ABRAHAM FROM ACROSS THE CHASM
In the parable, the Rich Man urges Abraham across the chasm to grant two petitions, but our Lord demurs. “And the Rich Man called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’”
The parable continues: “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, Father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”[12]
Our translator asks, “Can we earn our way to heaven by our sufferings, voluntary or involuntary, in this life? Not exactly,” “but earthly sufferings, if endured with patience, can help us get rid of some of our sins and punishment due to us for them.”[13]
When I was a facilitator for a Catholic divorce ministry, I told them they were lucky, that the Catholic Church was running a special: that if they persevere in a miserable marriage, they could skip purgatory.
https://www.catholicsdivorce.com/
St John Chrysostom teaches us: “There was a rich man, rich in name, but not in fact, wearing purple garments, setting an expensive table, wreathing his wine bowls with garlands, giving drinking parties every day; and there was another man, a poor man named Lazarus. And where is the name of the rich man? Nowhere, he is nameless.” In ancient Rome, purple was the emperor’s color, no one else was allowed to wear purple. In ancient times, and in many Bible stories, the meaning of the names, and lack of names, reflects the character of the individual, and their importance to the story, adding meaning to the story.
In another place, St John Chrysostom says: “There was a rich man wearing purple garments every day, covering his soul with cobwebs, scented with perfumes, but stinking inside, setting an expensive table, feeding parasites and flatterers, fattening the slave, his flesh, but allowing the mistress, his soul, to perish from hunger. His house was decorated with garlands, but the foundation was dusty with sin. His soul was buried in wine.”
St John Chrysostom continues: “There was another man, Lazarus, groaning with sores, sitting at the gate of the rich man, desiring crumbs. He thirsted at the spring, he hungered in amidst prosperity. And where was he lying? Not in the road, not in a street, not in an alley, not in the middle of the marketplace, but at the gate of the rich man, where he had to go in and out, so that he could not say, ‘I did not see him, I passed by and my eyes did not see him.’ He lies at your entrance, the pearl in the mud, and do you not see him?”
“The dogs that came and licked his wounds showed more love of mankind than the rich man did, when they licked his wounds and cleaned and removed the infection.” Rather than complain, “Lazarus gave thanks and glorified God.” “The rich man’s death was death and burial; but the poor man’s death was a journey, a change for the better, a run from the mark to the prize, from the sea to the harbor, from the battle to the victory, from the sweat of the contest to the crown.”
When he was alive, the rich man ignored Lazarus when he was sitting at his gate, but after his death he saw him from across the chasm. John Chrysostom asks the rich man: “Why do you have such keen sight now? Was he not at your gate? How could you avoid seeing him? When he was near you did not see him; and now do you see him from a distance, even across such a chasm.”[14]
St John Chrysostom observes: “See how loving and kind the rich man has become as a result of his everlasting punishment. The man who despised Lazarus when he was present now cares for other who are absent.”[15]
St John Chrysostom teaches us: “From all these parables it is clear that nothing will help us hereafter if we do not perform good deeds.”
Our rich man found compassion for Lazarus from across the chasm, which was far too late, but this was exceeded by his begging for compassion for himself, asking that Lazarus touch his tongue with cooling water, but also for his still feasting condemned brothers.
“First, he made his supplication for himself, when he said, ‘Send Lazarus,’ and afterwards he made a petition for his brothers.” The petition for himself was impossible, and the petition for his brothers was superfluous.[16]
FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus “teaches us by example that the most pitiable person of all is he who lives in luxury and shares his goods with nobody.” What would St John Chrysostom say about those wealthy Americans who spend tens and hundreds of thousands, even millions, on luxury yachts, but who do not attend any church, nor contribute a cent to help their fellow man? How many uber-wealthy prefer instead to contribute to art museums?
St John Chrysostom teaches us: “When you see a person living in wickedness and enjoying great prosperity, without suffering any misfortune, you should mourn particularly for this reason, because although he is afflicted with a very serious disease and ulcer, he aggravates his illness, making himself worse by his luxury and self-indulgence.”
Conversely, “when you see anyone cultivating virtue, but enduring a multitude of trials, call him lucky, envy him, because all his sins are being dissolved in this life, and a great reward for his endurance is being prepared in the next life; just as it happened for this man Lazarus.”
St John Chrysostom quotes St Paul in Romans 2: “Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge” others only to mirror their sins in your own life, that “you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume you will receive the riches of God’s kindness and patience? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Jesus reminds us: “My yoke is easy, and my burden light.” St John Chrysostom asks: How can this be? “If the road is narrow and difficult, how can Jesus also call it light and easy?” The difficulty resides in “the nature of the trials,” but these difficulties ease when we accept what is “difficult by nature with eagerness; just as the apostles who had been scourged returned rejoicing that they had been found worthy to be dishonored for the name of the Lord.”
St Paul reminds us that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted.” St John Chrysostom teaches us that even if our neighbors do not persecute us, that the “devil will make war on us. We need great wisdom and perseverance to keep sober and watchful in prayer, not to desire others’ property, but to distribute our goods to the needy, to reject and repudiate all luxury,” “to avoid avarice, drunkenness, and slander, to control our tongue,” and “to abstain from shameful or witty talk.”
St John Chrysostom gives us hope in our struggle to be virtuous. “The devil brings a multitude of misfortunes to lead you down into the pit. If he sees you blaspheming, he will readily increase the suffering and make it greater, so that when you are pricked, you may give up once again; but if he sees you enduring bravely and giving thanks the more to God, the more the suffering grows worse, he raises the siege at once, knowing that it will be useless to besiege you any more.”
Both the sufferings we endure and the prosperity we enjoy have this in common: they can either improve or harm our soul. As St John Chrysostom teaches us: “If tribulation and poverty were the cause of all blasphemies, all those in poverty would blaspheme; but if fact many who live in extreme poverty give thanks continually, while others who enjoy wealth and luxury do not cease blaspheming.”
Likewise, St John Chrysostom teaches us: “Even if all the evils of mankind come together, they will never condemn the soul of the wise man who Loves God, nor persuade him to desist from virtue,” and Lazarus proves this truth. “Likewise, the frivolous and dissolute man will never benefit from wealth, health, continuous prosperity, or anything else.”
“Every punishment suffered by sinners reduces the burden of sin, but punishments suffered by the righteous make their souls more splendid. Both benefit from tribulation, if they bear it with thanksgiving.”[17]
St John Chrysostom teaches us: “Nothing tends so much to disturb and scandalize the majority of people as the fact that rich people living in wickedness enjoy great good fortune while righteous people living with virtue are driven to extreme poverty and endure a multitude of other troubles even worse than poverty. But this parable is sufficient to provide remedies, self-control for the rich, and consolation for the poor. It teaches the rich not to be conceited, while it comforts the poor for their present situation.”[18]
St John Chrysostom assures us: “Do not say, this one is lucky because he is rich, he strips orphans of their property, and he oppresses widows. Apparently, he is not ill, he has a good reputation despite his thefts, he enjoys honor and authority, he does not endure any of the troubles that afflict mankind: no fever, no paralysis, nor any other disease. A chorus of children surround him, his old age is comfortable; but you should grieve most for him, because he is indeed ill and receives no treatment.”[19]
ANOTHER HAUNTING INTERPRETATION
Another commentator has a possibly more haunting take on this parable. Why does Lazarus beg outside the gates of the Rich Man? Why does the Rich Man know Lazarus’ name? Why does he regard Lazarus as his friend?
Perhaps Lazarus begs outside the Rich Man’s gate because, unlike the other rich men nearby, the Rich Man is more generous than the neighboring wealthy, who chase Lazarus away. Perhaps he even engages Lazarus in cordial conversation, views him as his friend, proud that he, alone among his neighbors, gives enough to Lazarus that he does not starve.
What a horrible thought! What more could he have done? Should he have invited Lazarus to his table? Should he have given him a room in his house? Why not, is that not what friends do? If we do give to the poor, should we be doing more?
Does the real lesson of the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man imply that we should, indeed, give away all that we own to the poor and follow Jesus? This was the conclusion drawn by an early proponent of desert monasticism, St Anthony, who also inspired St Augustine in his Confessions. Once we give away all we own to the poor, then we would live in poverty, and those living in poverty are closer to the kingdom.
Life of St Anthony, Blog 1, Sell all you have and give to the poor
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/life-of-st-anthony-blog-1-sell-all-you-have-and-give-to-the-poor/
Life of St Anthony, Blog 2, Living a monastic life
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/life-of-st-anthony-blog-2-living-a-monastic-life/
https://youtu.be/2sR8OCZqzFw
Few Jewish or Christian commentators explore this haunting interpretation that perhaps the rich man counted Lazarus as his friend, while not treating like he would a true friend, and we explore this interpretation in our reflection on how the other Church Fathers and the Reformers interpret the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man: Church Fathers, Reformers, and Commentators
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/parable-of-lazarus-and-the-rich-man-church-fathers-reformers-and-commentators/
St John Chrysostom asks: “Is there nobody who enjoys comfort both here and hereafter? This cannot be, O man, it is impossible. It is not possible at all for one who enjoys an easy life and freedom from want in this world, who continually indulges himself in every way, who lives randomly and foolishly, to enjoy honor in the other world. For if poverty does not trouble him, still desire troubles him, and he is afflicted because of this, which brings more than a little pain.”[20]
Would it be possible for us modern men to enjoy honor in the other world? Don’t we live for the weekend, looking forward to going to the movies, watching television to entertain us, living an Epicurean life?
Was Epicurus Really a Stoic-Lite Philosopher? Were all Epicureans hedonists?
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/was-epicurus-really-a-stoic-lite-philosopher-were-all-epicureans-hedonists/
Epicurus, Aristippus, and Lucretius: History of Epicurean Philosophy
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/epicurus-aristippus-and-lucretius-history-of-epicurean-philosophy/
Epicurus, Aristippus, and Lucretius: Were the Epicureans Stoic-Lite Philosophers?
https://youtu.be/49Qv3Be86Jw
CONCLUSION
Jesus supposes that, after hearing this parable, we would prefer to be on the pleasant side of the chasm with Abraham comforting us and Lazarus. Let us conclude with this teaching by St John Chrysostom: “If we are punished, let us give thanks. If we live in prosperity, let us make ourselves secure; brought to our senses by other’s punishment, let us give thanks with repentance and compunction and continual confession. If we have transgressed at all in the present life, let us put the sin away, and with great zeal washing all the stain of our life, let us call upon God to count us all worthy when we are released from this life to go there.”
In his sermons on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, St John Chrysostom also asks: Should the Scriptures read by everyone, or should we simply listen to the commentary by priests and monks? Would the layman would benefit more from spiritual study than priests or monks? He also questions: Should Christians attend and cheer at chariot races? Should modern Christians cheer at football games? Can modern Christians skip church so their children can compete in sporting events?
St John Chrysostom On Reading Scriptures and Preaching
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-john-chrysostom-on-reading-scriptures-and-preaching/
In these sermons, St John Chrysostom also reflects on the major earthquake that struck when he was a priest in Antioch in Syria. We compare his reflections with those of Leibniz and Voltaire, who tried to explain why a Loving God could permit the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that struck Lisbon during Mass in 1755, killing many under collapsed buildings.
St John Chrysostom, Voltaire, and Leibniz Ask: Why Would a Loving God Permit Earthquakes?
DISCUSSING THE SOURCES
The sermons of St John Chrysostom were transcribed for our benefit, and are both readable and quotable. We learned of this compilation from Father Vassilios’ commentary on Step 16 of St John Climacus’ Ladder of Divine Ascent on Avarice. Father Vassilios also referenced the compilations of St Basil’s works in On Social Justice.
Was St Basil Woke? Basil the Great On Social Justice, Homily To the Rich Man
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-basil-the-great-on-social-justice/
https://youtu.be/PT_I5IrZGzY
Was St Basil WOKE? St Basil the Great On Social Justice, Parable of the Rich Fool
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/was-st-basil-woke-st-basil-the-great-on-social-justice-parable-of-the-rich-fool/
https://youtu.be/UDQIZ81VfsY
St Basil on Social Justice: Assisting the Poor During a Famine in a Roman Province
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-basil-on-social-justice-assisting-the-poor-during-a-famine-in-a-roman-province/
https://youtu.be/c8YXs7y4RrU
We have previously reflected on St Basil’s homilies on envy, plus a series of reflections on envy, including reflections by Martin Luther, Dr Laura, and the Catholic Catechism and the Church Fathers.
St Basil the Great On Envy
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-basil-on-envy/
https://youtu.be/XnFUrFKoF7s
Martin Luther’s Catechisms on Do Not Envy, and Confronting Luther’s Anti-Semitism
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/martin-luther-large-catechism-on-decalogue-do-not-envy-and-anti-semitism/
https://youtu.be/FQmBggJAhKg
Do Not Covet, Writings by Eastern Church Fathers, Dwight Moody, and Dr Laura
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/do-not-covet-do-not-envy-blog-1-early-church-fathers-and-others/
https://youtu.be/7uPNXJuDi0A
Catholic Catechism, Thou Shalt Not Covet thy Neighbors Possessions, CCC 2534-2540
https://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/catholic-catechism-thou-shalt-not-covet-thy-neighbors-possessions-blog-4/
Catholic Catechism, Thou Shalt Not Covet thy Neighbors Possessions, CCC 2541-2557
https://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/catholic-catechism-thou-shalt-not-covet-thy-neighbors-possessions-blog-5/
Catholic Catechism CCC 2534-2555: Do Not Covet Your Neighbor’s Prized Possessions
https://youtu.be/8QHrtKGDzKM
[1] Catharine P Roth, Introduction to John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, pp. 7-10 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chrysostom
[2] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, translated by Catharine P Roth (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1999, originally 300s AD), Second Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 52-53.
[3] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Second Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 48-49.
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016%3A19-21&version=RSVCE
[5] Catharine P Roth, Introduction to John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, p. 12.
[6] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, First Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 19-55.
[7] Seneca, “Moral Discourses, Letter LXXXI, 386-391.
[8] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016%3A22-23&version=RSVCE
[9] Catharine P Roth, Introduction to John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, pp. 12-13, she footnotes C Avila, Ownership: Early Christian Teaching (New York: Maryknoll, 1983.
[10] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2012%3A16-21&version=RSVCE
[11] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Second Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 39-55.
[12] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016%3A24-31&version=RSVCE
[13] Catharine P Roth, Introduction to John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, pp. 13-15.
[14] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Sixth Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 105-111. Apparently the fifth sermon is lost.
[15] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Fourth Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, p. 83.
[16] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Sixth Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 99-100.
[17] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Third Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 63-78.
[18] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Fourth Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 82-96.
[19] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Sixth Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp 102.
[20] John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty, Third Sermon on Lazarus and the Rich Man, pp. 66-67.
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