a) What is poverty?
Poverty is the virtue by which we hold back excessive love for our things, for the sake of our love for God.
Poverty does not mean not to have any possessions, but rather to be detached from them. We love God and our neighbors much more than these objects, which are mere instruments to learn and follow God’s will, and to help others.
b) Why should Altar Servers live the virtue of poverty?
The virtue of poverty frees the Altar Server from too much fondness for his things.
Four questions can help us gauge how seriously we live this virtue:
i. Do I look at my things as if they were my very own, or do I see them as gifts which God wants me to take care of and use to help others?
ii. Do I keep things which I no longer use, instead of giving them to those who need them?
iii. Do I buy or look for things that I do not really need?
iv. Do I complain too much when I do not have the things that I need?
All persons, whether rich or poor, could and should live the virtue of poverty, since all of us can use our things, whether big or small, properly and unselfishly, loving God and sharing them with our neighbors.