# Poverty ## Catechism of the Catholic Church The condition of want experienced by those who are poor, whom Christ called "blessed," and for whom he had a special love ([[1.2.2.3.p1l#^ccc-544|544]]). In imitation of Christ, the Church expresses her concern for the poor by working for justice and solidarity ([[3.2.2.7.p8f#^ccc-2443|2443]]). Poverty is one of the three evangelical counsels whose public profession in the Church is a constitutive element of consecrated life ([[1.2.3.9.p2a#^ccc-915|915]]). Poverty of spirit signifies detachment from worldly things and voluntary humility ([[3.2.2.10.p8w#^ccc-2544|2544]]-[[3.2.2.10.p8w#^ccc-2546|2546]]). ## Vatican II - voluntary (evangelical) poverty — "Priests, moreover, are invited to embrace voluntary poverty by which they are more manifestly conformed to Christ" — [[po-03#^po-17|PO ¶17]] - poverty (religious/evangelical) — "Religious should diligently practice and if need be express also in new forms that voluntary poverty" — [[perfectae-caritatis#^pc-13|PC ¶13]] ## Divine Intimacy - Imitation of the — of Jesus: [[31-returning-love-for-love#Meditation 2|31,2]]; - Jesus invites us to follow Him in —: [[85-evangelical-poverty#Meditation 1|85,1]]; - material — without the spirit of — has no value: [[85-evangelical-poverty#Meditation 2|85,2]]; [[309-the-gift-of-knowledge#Meditation 1|309,1]]; - only the spirit of — frees the soul from slavery to earthly goods: [[85-evangelical-poverty#Meditation 2|85,2]]; - the spirit of — is fruit of the gift of fear: [[300-blessed-are-the-poor-in-spirit#Meditation 1|300,1]]; - spirit of — requires detachment from moral and spiritual goods: [[300-blessed-are-the-poor-in-spirit#Meditation 2|300,2]]; - to acquire — of spirit, it is necessary to despoil oneself of all that is not God [[300-blessed-are-the-poor-in-spirit#Meditation 2|300,2]]; - voluntary — is primary foundation for acquisition of perfect charity: [[86-voluntary-poverty#Meditation 1|86,1]]; - meaning and practice of voluntary —: [[86-voluntary-poverty#Meditation 1|86,1]], [[86-voluntary-poverty#Meditation 2|86,2]]; - practice of the spirit of —: [[87-the-spirit-of-poverty#Meditation 1|87,1]], [[87-the-spirit-of-poverty#Meditation 2|87,2]]; - the spirit of — is based on confidence in Providence: [[87-the-spirit-of-poverty#Meditation 2|87,2]]. - [[31-returning-love-for-love|31. Returning Love for Love]] - [[85-evangelical-poverty|85. Evangelical Poverty]] - [[86-voluntary-poverty|86. Voluntary Poverty]] - [[87-the-spirit-of-poverty|87.The Spirit of Poverty]] - [[300-blessed-are-the-poor-in-spirit|300. Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit]] - [[309-the-gift-of-knowledge|309. The Gift of Knowledge]] --- ## Carmelite Charism Evangelical poverty, as promised in the Secular Order, is the wealth of generosity, self-denial, and interior liberty in dependence on Christ, who "though rich, became poor." It embraces an evangelical use of goods and talents, a commitment to justice, and the confident surrender of personal limitations to God. ### Constitutions - The promise of evangelical perfection in the spirit of the counsels — [[05-03-constitutions#^ocds-c-11|Art. 11]] - The promise of poverty — [[05-03-constitutions#^ocds-c-14|Art. 14]] ### Formation and study - [[f1b-session-11|Session 11: The Promise in the Spirit of the Evangelical Counsels and the Beatitudes]] — Formation I Year B ### See also [[chastity|Chastity]] · [[obedience|Obedience]] · [[beatitudes|Beatitudes]]