Religious poverty

The notion of living and working for the poor, as a religious who takes the vow of poverty, is always a very conveniently moulded construct.  We interpret poverty to mean detachment.  And then possess everything that a middle-class family or even the rich have!  

I still vividly remember having this discussion with Benji during my novitiate asking him what right or privilege do I have to stay in this newly built novitiate while the ones who built it are still living in huts, right in front of the house.  He then told me, "To work you need strength and energy.  That's why you have food that will nourish you and a bed that lets you have sufficient rest." I wasn't really convinced then, neither am I still!  

To work with and for the poor, one really has to be poor.  The concept that in order to help someone rise out of poverty we have to be above poverty ourselves, stems from a misplaced concept of helping those poor to get into the middle class and above.  Our primary job is not to help the poor transition to the upper levels of economic status.  Our job is to show and be God's love for them!  To show by word and deed that God loves, that he loves especially the poor.  This means to stand by them.  With them!  Not above or apart from them.