But all of the above, I will add, refers to true ascetics who completely devoted themselves to Christ and solitary prayer for themselves and for the whole world. "But whoever is busy with the affairs of life, who works with his own hands and takes from others himself, is all the more obliged to give alms. And if he does not care for almsgiving, then this lack of mercy is opposition to the Lord's commandment. For if someone does not draw near to God in secret [i.e., by pure prayerful contemplation and work of the mind and heart] and does not know how to serve Him in spirit, but does not care about the manifest deeds that are possible for him, then what hope will he have to gain life for himself? Such a person is meaningless."7

From this it can be seen that Christianity is against professional begging,8 although Christ constantly taught to care for the poor (Matt. 19:21; 26:9; Mk. 10:21; 14:5; Lk. 14:13; 16:20; 19:8; Jn. 13:29; Acts 4:34).* (*But the pagan world tolerated this abnormal social phenomenon, believing that the gods themselves protected the poor and took revenge on their offenders. Cf. Homer, Odyssey, Ode 17, 475, Ode 18.)

II. How can we accustom ourselves to voluntary poverty for Christ's sake?

"No one can acquire real non-acquisitiveness unless he convinces and prepares himself to endure temptations with joy. And no one can endure temptations, except the one who is convinced that for the sorrows for which he has prepared himself to participate, he can accept something that surpasses bodily peace. For this reason, in everyone who has prepared himself for non-acquisitiveness, love for sorrows is first aroused, and then the thought comes to him not to be acquisitive in relation to the things of this world. And everyone who draws near to tribulation is first strengthened by faith, and then draws near to tribulations. Who renounces

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material, but does not renounce the efficacy of the senses, meaning sight and hearing, he will prepare for himself a great sorrow and will be in great distress and sorrow. It would be better to say: What is the use of depriving oneself of sensible things, and delighting the senses with them? For from the passions produced by these things a man suffers the same thing that he formerly endured when he actually possessed them, because the remembrance of the habit of them does not go out of his thoughts. And if mental representations of things without the things themselves reproduce in man a morbid feeling, what shall we say of a real approach to them? Thus, the hermitage is beautiful, because it contributes much [to the attainment of non-acquisitiveness], strongly tames thoughts, by the very existence of solitude it imbues us with strength and teaches us great patience in the necessary sorrows that befall a person."9

Thus, we see continuity in the virtues. Everything is arranged by God in such a way that the path of salvation for man is not difficult and arduous, and so that he can gradually ascend from one virtue to another, a higher one, "and find relief for himself in this, and in this way the very sorrows endured for the sake of good will be made pleasant, as something good".10

But in any case, the acquisition of non-acquisitiveness is a great work.

"Let no one think that without difficulty and easily attainment in non-acquisitiveness," says St. Nilus of Sinai.11 "For now we call non-acquisitiveness not involuntary poverty, which, having happened out of necessity, crushes the spirit and, as involuntary, is considered intolerable, but a voluntary determination to be content with little, acquired by the autocracy of thought, but nevertheless requiring work, and precisely until the time when exercise, having turned into a habit, makes tolerable what for a long time seemed difficult and intolerable."

III. The Benefits of Non-Acquisitiveness

"As long as a person remains in non-acquisitiveness, the idea of being transferred from life constantly comes to him, and he always takes care of life after the resurrection, at all times he prepares there in every possible way and acquires patience against all honor and bodily rest... not even afraid--9-

and death, because every hour he fixes his gaze on it as at something approaching and awaits it; and his care is cast with undoubted hope on God...

If it happens to him... for some reason to acquire something transitory, then at the same hour his love for the body begins to awaken in his soul; he thinks of a long life; every hour thoughts of carnal peace arise in him and come into force... and he searches within himself whether it is not possible, in any way, for him to have everything that constitutes this rest for him... hence, in every case, he dwells on thoughts that lead to fear, and invents reasons for fear, because this firmness of heart has been taken away from him, which he acquired when in his non-acquisitiveness he was above the world..."12

Therefore, "if you have anything superfluous beyond the daily need, distribute it to the poor and go boldly to offer your prayers, that is, converse with God as a son with his father. Nothing can bring the heart closer to God than almsgiving, and nothing produces such silence in the soul as arbitrary poverty."13 "If you believe that God cares for you, why should you be anxious and concerned about temporal things and about the necessities of your flesh? And if you do not believe that God provides, and therefore, apart from Him, you yourself take care of what is necessary for you, then you are the most miserable of all people. Why do you live or will you live? Cast thy sorrow upon the Lord, and He shall nourish thee (Psalm 54:23)."14