Yet no one gives a thought to these things, no one searches them out. And this I have been compelled to say, not from any wish to free the priests from these charges, but to spare you. They indeed suffer no harm at your hands, even if it is with cause and justice that they are thus charged of being greedy of gain; for, whether you speak, or whether you forbear, they must there give an account to the Judge, so that your words hurt them not at all; but if your words are false besides, they for their part gain by these false accusations, while you hurt yourselves by these means. But it is not so with you; for be the things true, which you bring against them, or be they false, you speak ill of them to your hurt. And how so? If they be true, in that you judge your Teachers, and subvert order, you do it to your hurt. For if we must not judge a brother, much less a Teacher. But if they be false, the punishment and retribution is intolerable; for of “every idle word you shall give account.” For your sake then I thus act and labor.
But as I said, no one searches out these things, no one busies himself about these things, no one communes with himself on any of these things. Would ye that I should add still more? “Whosoever forsakes not all that he has, says the Christ, is not worthy of Me.” What when he says, “It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven”? What when he says again, “Woe unto you that are rich, for you have received your consolation”? No one searches this out, no one bears it in mind, no one reasons with himself, but all sit as severe inquisitors on other men's cases. Yet this is to make themselves sharers in the charges. But listen, that for your own sake I may free the priests from the charges, which you say lie against them, for the persuasion that they transgress the law of God, inclines you not a little towards evil. Come then, let us examine this matter. Christ said, “Provide neither gold nor silver, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor girdle, nor yet staves.” What then? Tell me, did Peter transgress this command? Surely he did so, in having a girdle and a garment, and shoes, for listen to the words of the Angel, “Gird yourself, and bind on your sandals.” And yet he had no such great need of sandals, for at that season a man may go even unshod; their great use is in the winter, and yet he had them. What shall we say of Paul, when he writes thus to Timothy, “Do your diligence to come before winter”? He gives him orders too and says, “The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus bring when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.” See he speaks of a cloak, and no one can say that he had not another which he wore; for if he did not wear one at all, it were superfluous to order this one to be brought, and if he could not be without one to wear, it is clear he had a second.
What shall we say of his remaining “two whole years in his own hired dwelling”? Did then this chosen vessel disobey Christ? This man who said, “Yet I live; and yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me”, concerning whom Christ testified, saying, “He is a chosen vessel unto Me”? I ought to leave this difficulty with you, without supplying any solution to the question. I ought to exact of you this penalty for your negligence in the Scriptures, for this is the origin of all such difficulties. For we know not the Scriptures, we are not trained in the law of God, and so we become sharp inquirers into the faults of others, while we take no account of our own. I ought then to have exacted from you this penalty. But what shall I do? Fathers freely give to their sons many things beyond what is fitting: when their fatherly compassion is kindled, on seeing their child with downcast look, and wasted with grief, they themselves also feel sharper pangs than he, and rest not until they have removed the ground of his dejection.
So be it at least here, be ye at least dejected at not receiving, that you may receive well. What then is it? They opposed not, far be it; but diligently followed the commands of Christ, for those commands were but for a season, and not enduring; and this I say not from conjecture, but from the divine Scriptures. And how? Luke relates that Christ said to His disciples, “When I sent you forth without purse, and wallet, and girdle, and shoes, did you lack anything? And they said nothing. But for the future provide them.” But tell me, what could he do? Could he have but one coat? How then? If need was that this be washed, should he, because without it, stay at home? Should he without it go abroad in an unbecoming manner, when need called? Consider what a thing it would have been that Paul, who made the circuit of the world with such great success, should remain at home for want of raiment, and thus hinder his noble work. And what if violent cold had set in, or rain had drenched it, or perhaps frozen in, how could he dry his raiment? Must he again remain without it? And what if cold had deprived his body of strength? Must he waste away with disease, and be unable to speak? For hear what he says to Timothy, to prove that they were not furnished with adamantine bodies, “Use a little wine for your stomach's sake, and your frequent infirmities.” And again, when he speaks of another, “I counted it necessary to send to you your messenger, and minister to my needs.” “For indeed he was sick, near unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also.” So that they were subject to every sort of sickness. What then? Must they die? By no means. For what cause then did Christ at that time give them that command? To show His own power, and to prove that in after times He was able to do it, though He did it not. But wherefore did He not do it? They were much more admirable than the Israelites, whose shoes did not wax old, neither their garments, and that too while they were journeying through that desert where the glowing rays of the sun strike so hot, that they are capable of consuming even stones. Why then did he do this? For your sake. For since you would not remain in health, but be full of wounds, He gave you that which might serve for medicine. And this is hence manifest; could He not Himself have fed them? He that gave to you, who wast an enemy with Him, would He not much more have given to Paul? He who gave to the Israelites, those murmurers, those fornicators, those idolaters, would He not much more have given to Peter, who spent all for His sake? He who suffered wicked men to possess anything, would He not much more have freely given to John, who for Him forsook even his father? Yet he would not: through your hands he feeds them, that you may be sanctified. And see the excess of His lovingkindness. He chose that His disciples should be in want, that you might be a little refreshed.
Source: Homilies on Philippians (New Advent)