They say: "Whom do I wrong
by keeping my
property?"
What, tell me, is your property? Where did
you find it and brought it to your life? Just like someone
in the theatre, who had a seat and then stopped those who
entered, judging that what lies common in front of everyone
to use, was his own: rich men
are of the same kind. They first took possession of the
common property, and then they keep it as their own because
they were the first to take it. If one had taken what is
necessary to cover one's needs and had left the rest to
those who are in need, no one would be rich,
no one would be poor, no one would be in need.
Isn't it true, that you fell off the womb
naked? Isn't it true, that naked you shall return to
the earth? Where is your present property from? If you
think that
it came to you by itself, you don't believe in God, you
don't acknowledge the Creator and you are not thankful to
Him who gave it to you. But if you agree and confess that
you have it from God, tell us the reason why He gave it to
you.
Is God unjust, dividing unequally the goods of our life? Why
are you rich, while the other is poor? Isn't it, if not for
any other reason, in order for you to gain a reward for your
kindness and faithful providence, and for him to be honored
with the great awards of patience? But you, having gathered
everything inside the bosom of avarice which is always empty,
do you think that
you wrong no one, while you strip so many people?
Who is the greedy
person? It's him, who doesn't content himself with what he
has. And who strips? He who steals what belongs to the
others. And you think that you are not greedy, and that you
do not strip the others? What was granted to you, in order
for you to take care of the others, you took it and you made
it your own. What
do you think?
He who strips the clothed is to be called a
thief. How should we name him, who is able to dress the
naked and doesn't do it, does he deserve some other name?
The bread that you possess belongs to the hungry. The
clothes that you store in boxes, belong to the naked. The
shoes rotting by you, belong to the bare-foot. The money
that you hide belongs to anyone in need. You wrong as many
people as you could help.