Lady Poverty – Principles Day 10

I kiss you with the kisses of my soul,
My bride, with lips more sweet than reddest wine;
More beautiful than gold, than much fine gold,
For I am yours, beloved, and you are mine.
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
You sitting hunched beside a busy road,
Head bowed, a begging bowl beside your hand:
God's face with lips now turning blue with cold.
You call me out, dare me to break the habit –
The fix of comfort, mainlined privilege –
To let the fiercely sharp blast of the Spirit
Cleanse me of grime, to join you at the edge.
My priceless pearl, my Lady Poverty,
My joy, my call to spurn safe certainty.

cf Song of Songs, and John Keats' To Autumn

Day Ten — The Third Aim To live simply.

The first Christians surrendered completely to our Lord and recklessly gave all that they had, offering the world a new vision of a society in which a  fresh attitude was taken towards material possessions. This vision was renewed by Saint Francis when he chose Lady Poverty as his bride, desiring that all barriers set up by privilege based on wealth should be overcome by love. This is the inspiration for the third aim of the Society, to live simply.