St. Ambrose: on avarice

"HOW blessed is he who can extirpate avarice, the root of all evil! he truly need not fear this balance. For avarice is wont to deaden man's senses, and pervert his judgement, so that he counts godliness a source of gain, and money the reward of prudence. But great is the reward of piety, and the gain of sobriety to have enough for use. For what do superfluous riches profit in this world, when you find in them neither a succour in birth nor a defence against death? For without a covering are we born into the world, without provision we depart hence, and in the grave we have no inheritance."

~St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan: "Letters," II, 15. (A.D. 379; To Constantius, a newly appointed bishop.)

The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things,

by Hieronymus Bosch.

Oil on panel, c. 1480; Museo del Prado, Madrid.

"Avarice"

“HAPPY is the man who has been able to cut out the root of vices, avarice…what do superfluous riches profit in this world when they do not assist our birth or impede our dying? We are born into this world naked, we leave it without a cent, and we are buried without our inheritance.”

~St. Ambrose: Letters, 2. (A.D. 379)