The other path of justice which our Guide pointed out is this: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5). In this passage we are not commanded to make our chest or purse entirely empty of money, but that we utterly empty our heart of all affection for and desire of external things. The Lord offers us immense riches, but He will not give them unless we offer Him the bosom of our heart wide open and wholly empty. The desire of money is the root of all evils (1 Tim. 6:10), which in Greek is called philargyria, that is, the love of money; the root of all good things is charity, and these two cannot abide together. Therefore, unless a man becomes truly and entirely poor in spirit — so that, whether he possesses great wealth or little, he is not attached to it, readily distributes it to the needy, and does not turn it to his own use beyond what necessity demands — he cannot fulfill the justice of the kingdom of God, and consequently cannot attain the kingdom of God itself. This is the true path to eternal life; Christ Himself was the first to enter upon it — He who for our sakes became poor, that by His poverty He might make us rich (2 Cor. 8:9); and although He had a purse, He entrusted it to Judas, though He knew him to be a thief, so that we might understand how free His soul was from the love of money (John 12:6). The Apostles entered upon this path, though it would not have been difficult for them to be enriched with wealth and made rich beyond measure, since they shone with signs and wonders, spoke the languages of all nations, and were admired by the whole world for their wisdom; but they who had once said: Behold, we have left all things and have followed You (Matt. 19:27), and had tasted the sweetness of freedom from the birdlime and love of riches, were content with food and clothing, and reckoned piety and the justice of the kingdom of God to be great gain (1 Tim. 6:6-8). This path was entered not only by monks and hermits, but also by kings and pontiffs who reached the kingdom of God. Certainly St. Louis, king of France, was rich; but because he was at the same time poor in spirit, he wore common clothing, fasted often, was generous to the poor, and most sparing to himself alone; nor do we read that he spent money on games and banquets. St. Gregory also was Sovereign Pontiff and possessed in various places many ecclesiastical estates, ample and rich enough; but because he too was poor in spirit, he was so profuse in almsgiving, and so sparing — almost miserly — toward his own use, that he seemed to exceed the bounds of liberality toward others and of parsimony toward himself and his household. But this is the way that leads to life.
And let us also add some examples of women poor in spirit: St. Paula, a Roman lady, whose life was written by St. Jerome, was no less rich in wealth than poor in spirit; for this most noble woman consumed her fortune in building monasteries and supporting the poor with such ardor that she desired to be reduced to such poverty that her funeral would have to be provided for by the charity of others. And how sparingly she used her riches for herself may be proved by this: she forbade herself meat, eggs, and wine; instead of a linen garment she wore haircloth; she lay on the ground with only haircloth beneath her; and with assiduous prayers and tears she purged away even her slightest sins. St. Hedwig also, queen of Poland, rich in wealth but richer still in poverty of spirit, content with a single cheap tunic, wore it even in the greatest cold; she fasted daily, Sundays and great feasts excepted; and with scourges, vigils, and every kind of austerity she afflicted her little body (Surius, in her Life, ch. 4). From this it may be understood on what she spent her royal wealth, and how little — or rather, no — love she had for riches. It is therefore no wonder if a woman so poor in spirit, and so free of all other cares, reached the kingdom of God by such great strides.