One of the best books on money, giving, and our standards of living that I've ever read!

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"You gorgeously array your walls, but do not clothe your fellow human being." (p.47) -- So applicable today, with all the home decor stores, HGTV, and Pinterest telling us we need to have beautiful homes!

"For if what you say is true, that you have kept from your youth the commandment of love and have given to everyone the same as to yourself, then how did you come by this abundance of wealth?" (p.43) -- Ouch!

"Like a mighty river that is divided into many streams in order to irrigate the fertile soil, so also are those who give their wealth to be divided up and distributed in the houses of the poverty-stricken. Wells become more productive if they are drained completely, while they silt up if they are left standing. Thus wealth left idle is of no use to anyone, but put to use and exchanged it becomes fruitful and beneficial for the public." (p. 66) -- Love this insight!

And one more:

"If you want storehouses, you have them in the stomachs of the poor. Lay up for yourself treasure in heaven." (p. 68) ( )

Excellent. A breath of fresh air on this particular topic. Harshly convicting in the ways Basil reminds us of our radical personal responsibility for the well-being of others, according to Christ's commands.

Blessedly, there is none of the modern preoccupation with 'systemic' or 'collective' injustice, or any hints of using coercion as a means of addressing injustice. Only a faithful exposition of the gospel's call to radical personal charity, which -- if it were to be adopted by all -- solves matters of economic injustice fully.

Also, the introductory biographical material is helpful, establishing context and informing about the life of this great Saint. ( )

"I know many who fast, pray, sigh, and demonstrate every manner of piety, so long as it costs them nothing, yet would not part with a penny to help those in distress. Of what profit to them is the remainder of their virtue?"

The rich man "does not rejoice at all the good things he has in store, but is rather pricked to the heart by the wealth that slips through his fingers, lest perhaps, as it overflows the storehouses, some of it should trickle down to those outside his walls, so as to become a source of aid for those in need."

Another reviewer suggests that the homilies gathered in this book aren't relevant to our world, because so much has changed since Basil was berating the rich of his congregation. After all, the reviewer points out, we live in an age of industry and computers.

We also live in an age of hypocritical piety, trickle-down economics, massive inequality, and horrific suffering--just like Basil. If you can read this, and not feel like a shit, I'm not sure whether to congratulate you for being a saint, to commiserate with you on your own poverty, or to scorn you because you have no conscience whatsoever. ( )