Temporal Riches
Athanasius
For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation:
–Proverbs 27:24
We must not faint, thinking that this period of time is long, or that we are doing something great. “For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.” As we lo
ok at the world, we must not think that we have given up anything important, for the earth is very small compared to heaven. Even if by chance we ruled over the entire earth and gave it all up, it wouldn’t be worthy of the kingdom of heaven. … For someone who ruled over the entire earth and gave it up, would have given up very little but received a hundred times as much. … Moreover, even if we don’t give things up for righteousness sake, when we die we will leave them behind—often (as Solomon said) to those we do not want to have them. Why then wouldn’t we give them up for righteousness’ sake in order to inherit a kingdom? Don’t let the desire to possess things take hold of you. For what do we gain by acquiring things we cannot take with us? Why not get the things we can take with us instead—namely wisdom, justice, self-control, courage, understanding, love, kindness to the poor, faith in Christ, freedom from wrath, and hospitality? If we possess these things, they will prepare a welcome for us in the land of the humble.
Compiled and Edited by Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker, Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Hendrickson, 1999) 326