#F453 Terapia das Doenças Espirituais.10- Terapia da Avareza

Summary

The video script delves into the spiritual disease of avarice, highlighting its nature and effects on the human soul. It discusses the signs of avarice, such as reluctance to give and the biblical story of the Rich Young Man. The speaker emphasizes the cure for avarice lies in faith, focusing on God's kingdom, and practicing generosity and charity. The script also contrasts avarice with the virtue of liberality and the importance of sobriety in desires, concluding that true wealth is in not needing much and that love of God and the poor is the ultimate cure for avarice.

Takeaways

• 🙏 Spiritual Nature: The script discusses the spiritual nature of the disease of avarice, emphasizing that it is not a natural human inclination to accumulate wealth.
• 😔 Sign of Avarice: One clear sign of avarice is the sadness one feels when giving away possessions, as illustrated by the story of the Rich Young Man in the Bible.
• 📚 Early Detection: The script references St. John Cassian's work to highlight that avarice can be easily avoided but once it takes hold, it is difficult to cure, indicating the importance of early detection.
• 🛡️ Root Cause: Avarice is rooted in a lack of faith, suggesting that those suffering from it trust more in their wealth than in God's providence.
• 🕊️ Cure Through Faith: The cure for avarice involves focusing on God's kingdom and trusting in divine providence, as exemplified by Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount.
• 💰 The Danger of Material Attachment: The script warns of the spiritual prison one enters when excessively attached to material wealth, which can lead to a loss of vitality and spiritual growth.
• 🌱 The Virtue of Liberality: St. Thomas Aquinas is cited to define the virtue that opposes avarice as liberality, which involves generosity with one's own possessions, not just fairness in giving what is due to others.
• 🤲 The Practice of Charity: The script encourages almsgiving as a practical exercise to cultivate liberality and counteract the effects of avarice.
• 💼 Economic Implications: Avarice can have negative economic impacts by stalling economic growth; money needs to circulate to create life, jobs, and wealth.
• 😌 True Riches: The true measure of wealth is not the quantity of possessions but the ability to be content with few desires, aligning with the teachings of the early Church Fathers.
• ❤️ Love Over Materialism: The ultimate cure for avarice is to redirect one's will and love towards God and the poor, prioritizing spiritual wealth over material wealth.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the script?

The main theme of the script is the spiritual therapy for the disease of avarice, discussing its nature, signs, and the importance of faith and generosity as remedies.

Why is avarice considered a spiritual disease according to the script?

Avarice is considered a spiritual disease because it involves an attachment to material wealth that goes against the natural human inclination and leads to a lack of faith in God's providence.

What is one clear sign of avarice mentioned in the script?

One clear sign of avarice is the sadness one feels when giving away things, as illustrated by the story of the Rich Young Man in the scriptures.

How does the script connect avarice to the concept of imprisonment?

The script connects avarice to imprisonment by stating that once a person falls into avarice, it becomes difficult to escape, leading to a state of spiritual confinement.

What are the three reasons a person might become avaricious according to the script?

The three reasons are the pleasure that money can buy, the vanity it satisfies, and the most tragic, a lack of faith.

What is the script's view on the relationship between avarice and paganism?

The script suggests that avarice is a sign of falling into paganism, as it indicates a loss of faith and a focus on material wealth over spiritual values.

What is the virtue that directly opposes avarice, as mentioned in the script?

The virtue that directly opposes avarice is liberality, which involves generosity with one's own possessions rather than just giving what is owed to others.

How does the script link the circulation of money to life and vitality?

The script links the circulation of money to life and vitality by stating that, like blood, money needs to circulate to sustain life; if it doesn't, it can lead to death of individuals and economies.

What does the script suggest as a practical exercise to combat avarice?

The script suggests practicing liberality through acts of charity and almsgiving as a way to combat avarice and cultivate a more generous spirit.

How does the script define true wealth and poverty in terms of desires?

The script defines true wealth as not needing many things and true poverty as desiring many things, regardless of the amount of material possessions one has.

What is the ultimate remedy for avarice according to the script?

The ultimate remedy for avarice is to love God and to direct one's will towards the true treasure, which is God, and to love concretely by helping the poor and those in need.