Lesson 14: “Sell It All!”
At the heart of consecrated life is a detachment from the world in preference for Christ above all things. The evangelical counsel of poverty asks of the Christian to severely separate themselves from love of or affection for things in the world, even the affection of other humans to an extent. This prepares the heart to be more receptive and more deeply attuned to the promptings of God, for he alone satisfies the desires of the heart.
Discussion Questions:
1. How do you practice detachment in your daily life?
2. What is/are the thing(s) that you hold on to and won’t let go of?
3. Does the feeling of detachment scare you? Are you willing to deny yourself for God, for happiness?
4. What does your philosophy of life say about your attachments to material things?
“Poverty should be the badge of the religious; and as men of the world distinguish their property by stamping it with their names, so the works of the religious should be known to be such by the mark of holy poverty.” -St. Mary Magdalene dei Pazzi
Additional Resources for Lesson 14:
Spiritual Poverty by Fr. Andrew Dickinson
The Priesthood and the Vow of Poverty by Cathy Caridi, J.C.L.
Do All Priests Take a Vow of Poverty? by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word
Spiritual Poverty by ElmsCollegeVideo , featuring Fr. Warren Savage
Homily: Detachment from this World by Franciscanfriars, featuring Fr. Fr. Elias