Letter 1121: The spiritual life is a journey with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Although the narrative of the Gospel depicts Lazarus as having reached the uttermost extremity of wretchedness, nevertheless his misfortune became the greatest foundation and truest occasion of his blessing. For if he had not descended to such depths of misery, he would never have ascended to such heights of glory. For what — to pass over the rewards that await him in the next life — could be more glorious than to be celebrated in the Gospels, to have God as one's admirer, and to possess Abraham as one's advocate? This is the teaching hidden in the parable: not that poverty in itself is blessed, nor that wealth in itself is cursed, but that patience under suffering produces glory, while luxury without virtue produces shame. Lazarus did not choose his poverty — it was thrust upon him — but he chose how to bear it, and in bearing it with faith and without murmuring, he stored up for himself treasures far greater than any earthly comfort. Let no one therefore despise the poor or envy the rich, for the true reckoning takes place not in this present age but in the age to come, where each shall receive according to what he has borne.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
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