The Catholic teaching on wealth and poverty aims to teach people about the responsibilities of the rich, to the needs of the poor.
The Old Testament teaches that no one has power over anybody. In old testament times the gap between the rich and poor was increasing and people forgot about god’s teaching, Isaiah stated that if people wanted to come close to god they must help oppressed, he said to share everything the rich had with the poor.Later on in the new Testament Jesus taught the parable of the sheep and the goat he said ,’whatever you do for the least of my brothers you do for me’ meaning whatever you do for the lowest of the people you are doing for Jesus.
He taught that the rich will be judged if they do not help the poor and in need. And those who haven’t helped will be judged and condemned and the outcasts will be closer to God.Blessed are you who are hungry now for you shall be filled meaning you will be hungry in life but filled in heaven’. Jesus teaches we must not be distracted by earthly wealth because it will only rust away but instead live life modestly and they will have all the riches in heaven. The Sermon on the Mount teaches no one can love money and God this implies money is a distraction and therefore should not love money.
St John chrysotam told Christians not to enabling the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life, the goods we possess are not ours but theirs. The church teaches that in receiving the Eucharist Catholics have responsibilities to use out the love and word of Jesus in their daily lives, to ‘go in peace to love and serve the Lord’ Catholics should aim to live out the word of god to help the poor. Jesus taught love thy neighbour and by giving them what you have you are loving them as if they were yourself.