In persuit of poverty

St. Francis of Assisi was rich because he was poor.  St. Paul tells us that Jesus Christ made himself poor by laying aside the riches of his divine glory to become like us in all things but sin.  St. Francis, in his decision to be truly like Christ, cast away all material riches and sought instead to live the poverty Jesus embraced.  Francis believed that possessions had the power to dominate, and he wished to be owned by Christ alone. He saw how riches led to power, and he desired to serve rather than to be served.

As Capuchins, we follow the example of Francis and renounce worldly power and possessions.   Not because these things are evil in themselves, but because they can be stumbling blocks in our relationship with God.  A life of poverty has always been an ideal of the Christian faith.  Not owning anything has at its heart a freedom, a release from all that might lead away from God.

 
Few of us can totally escape the lure of wealth, the prestige of money and possessions, or the attraction of self-indulgence.  We want things because we fear being without them. We fear losing our health, our security, or our enjoyment of life without them.  Yet when we actually do without these things, we find that we are just as healthy, safe, and happy as before.  In fact, we are freer;  freer to respond to God and to our neighbour.

Having nothing of one's own gives a Capuchin a real appreciation of the common resources that are available to him.  Capuchin poverty develops a responsible and responsive awareness of the dehumanizing effects of unbridled greed, on the one hand, and debilitating need on the other.  Our hope is that through our own poverty we may be able to alleviate both the spiritual and physical poverty of others.  Religious poverty, when properly lived, leads us toward a growing and lasting freedom.   It liberates us to be more open to God and more available to others.  As Capuchins, we seek this freedom through a radical personal and communal commitment to poverty in all aspects of human life.

Francis' Love of Poverty

Among the supernatural gifts which Francis received from God, the Generous Giver, his love for absolute poverty constituted a special privilege which enabled him to grow rich in spiritual wealth.   He saw that it had been the constant companion of the Son of God, but that now it was scorned by the whole world, and so he espoused it in undying love.  For poverty's sake he abandoned his father and mother and divested himself of everything he had.   No one was so greedy for gold as he was for poverty, no treasure was guarded as jealously as he guarded this Gospel pearl.   He used to be particularly offended if ever he saw anything contrary to poverty among the friars.   From the first moment of his religious life until his death, his sole wealth consisted in a habit, a cord, and a pair of trousers, and he was content with that.

When the friars asked him privately what virtue made one dearest to Christ, he replied as if revealing his closest secret:  'Believe me, my brothers, poverty is the special way of salvation. It is the source of humility and the root of all perfection and its fruit is manifold, though unseen.' [LM:VII, 1.]

If you would like more information on our Capuchin way of life, please contact our Vocations Director:

Fr. Sean Donohoe OFM Cap.,
Capuchin Friary,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.

Tel. 01-8313886  

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