Rich, Riches, Treasure

See also: Poor, Poverty.

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"Do not thirst for human riches, but work for the eternal."

The theme of riches and the rich man is addressed quite regularly in the work of Maria Valtorta. Thus, Jesus denounces those who enrich themselves by force and by dishonest means, but he also praises those who know how to detach themselves from their Goods to make an eternal treasure of them. He especially encourages detachment and proclaims that it is often difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of the Heavens.

In The Gospel as it was revealed to me

The rich

(See also the powerful of this world).

• The world calls "great" those who [...] conquer lands and enrich themselves by stealing from others particular or collective riches.

• Temptation of Satan who says to Jesus: "Worship me. I will give you the earth [...] with the kingdoms, all the riches, all the splendors of the earth, and women, and horses and soldiers and Temples."
• Solomon did not have, amidst his riches, a garment more beautiful than the lily that perfumes the valley.
• Parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus - Paradise and Hell. and
• The rich have so many things. The poor have only God.
• The rich can also be To Save while being rich: the parable of the unfaithful but shrewd steward.-
• Do you never reflect, rich citizens of a rich city, that you have a great duty: that of bringing to Wisdom those you abandon by your way of acting?
• Parable of the distribution of Water: The one who is rich is the trustee of the wealth that God grants him with the order to be its distributor to those who suffer.
• "How difficult it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of the Heavens whose gate is narrow, whose path is steep, and which cannot be traversed by those who are burdened by the weighty bulk of riches!" Gospels-- and

Material and spiritual riches, possessions, earthly Goods

• (Mary): As soon as I possessed God, and with Him His infinite riches, I hastened to detach myself.
• No. Having Jesus with you did not provide us with material Goods. Many of you claim these Goods when you are barely a little united to Jesus. You forget that He said: "Seek the spiritual riches."
• Whoever follows me must give up everything: house, parents, way of thinking, and even life. I will make you my Disciples and my friends if you want. But I have neither riches nor Protections.
• It is God who is the inheritance of His priests. For them, He, the Father of Israel is more a Father than any other father has ever been, and He provides for their nourishment as He is just. But, no more than it is just, He has promised neither riches nor properties to the servants of His Sanctuary.
• Do not thirst for human riches, but work for the eternal.
• And, as for the flesh, do not imitate the people of the world who never cease to tremble for their tomorrow, out of fear that they will lack superfluities, that sickness may come, that death may come, that their Enemies may harm them, and so on.
  God knows what you need. Therefore, do not fear for your tomorrow. Free yourselves from fears, heavier than the chains of galley slaves. Do not be anxious for your life, nor for food, nor for drink, nor for clothing.
  The life of the spirit is more than that of the body, and the body is more than clothing, for it is through the body and not through clothing that you live and that, by mortifying the body, you help The Spirit to obtain eternal life. God knows until when He will leave your Soul in your body, and until that moment, He will give you what you need.
  And can you think that God, who cares for the lilies of the valleys and makes them grow and dresses them in garments more beautiful than Solomon ever had, without their doing any other work than perfuming in adoration, do you believe He could forget you even for clothing? (...)
  But do not be people of little faith. You will always have what you need. Do not be anxious like the people of the world who labor to provide for their pleasures.
  You have your Father who knows what you need. You only have to seek, and let it be the first of your concerns, the Kingdom of God and His justice, and all the rest will be given to you as well.  
• I possess no riches and I promise no earthly honors, but I possess all the supernatural riches of my Father.
• Jesus-Christ preaches, in front of the counter of Matthew, on the necessary diversity of professions and the use of riches that must follow...: "I tell you, with riches one hardly acquires Heaven, but on the contrary, generally one loses it with them, even if they come from an honest inheritance or gain, because few rich know how to use them with justice... It requires the holy cunning of transforming human riches, often Unjust or causes of injustices, into eternal riches."
• There are people who work like beasts of burden, but without any other Religion than this one: to increase their riches. [...] And do not say: "And yet God protects them". No. He does not protect them.  
• Richness and poverty: good use and bad use of riches.
• The cry of the Heart of the poor before the rediscovered abundance. Joseph of Arimathea distributes his harvest to 62 needy.
• Even the things that belong to us belong to us because God grants them. So, having possession for a limited time, one must always think that there is only One who owns everything without limitation in time or space. Only One is the Master.

The treasure

• It is a great treasure I ask of you [...] A treasure with seven names, and even the most humble can have it, and the richest king may not possess it, you have it and I want it. Listen to its names: charity, faith, goodwill, uprightness of intention, continence, sincerity, spirit of sacrifice.
• I am full of faults, but I have this love, alone, the great true one, my treasure. It is Yours. It is for You. And keep me, Master...
• Spiritual riches and material riches - Make yourselves treasures in heaven.
• Make yourselves treasures in Heaven.

In the other works of Maria Valtorta

The Notebooks of 1943

• Catechesis of June 8, 1943: "Leave unjust riches and come to me, your true riches. Leave unworthy joys and come to me, your true joy. Leave the false gods and come to me, your true God. How joyful you would be, with a spiritual joy if you entrusted yourselves to me!
  Come. Leave that which dies, that which wounds you, him who wishes you harm. Come to him who loves you, who knows how to give you things that do not harm and do not die. Help me, with your will. I want it to act. Not because I need it, but because you need it to deserve the Kingdom.
  Come. Help me to drive back Hell into hell and to open Heaven to you.”

• Catechesis of July 21: What is promised to him who observes the Law? Prosperity, abundance, Peace, power, a healthy and numerous offspring, the triumph over the Enemies, for the Lord would be on the swords of his servants against those who would want to raise a hand against the children of the Most High. (p. 173)
• Catechesis of July 30 - Turn your gaze towards Zion, your eyes will see Jerusalem, dwelling of abundance, a tent that will never be taken down: its stakes will never be removed and none of its ropes will be broken... The Jerusalem spoken of by Isaiah is my Church here below, the antechamber of the heavenly Jerusalem. There is in it an abundance, not of human riches, but of divine treasures (p. 196).
• Catechesis of December 2: The supernatural joy dies first, [...] Secondly perishes the natural well-being. Do not look with an envious eye at him who, while living in disgrace before God, seems to have a full plate. You do not know how many things are missing in his house, nor which ones, nor how long his plate will remain full. In any case, know that, the more the current well-being of the rebel to God grows and the more severe becomes his hereafter.

In the fundamental Christian texts

In the Bible

• The Lord gives everything in abundance.  Abundance and scarcity.