Today the church remembers a relatively unknown 4th Century Saint whose legend is larger than his unremarkable life: Saint Alexius of Edessa, Literalist and Beggar.

We know very little about the historical life of Saint Alexius. In fact, we’re not even sure if he came from Rome (following the Syriac tradition of his story) or from Edessa (following the Greek tradition). He is left out of the annals of saints, only really appearing prominently in a 12th Century French poem, “la Vie de saint Alexis,” notable only because it is the first Romance language poem in iambic pentameter (there’s a trivia feather for your cap!).

But regardless of what tradition you follow, Greek, Syriac, or even French, Saint Alexius is remembered for something that is still considered a miracle: he gave up all his wealth to live with and amongst the poor.

And by all the accounts he was quite wealthy.

And he didn’t do it in a flashy way. And he didn’t do it after his death, leaving a large bequest somewhere. He did it as a young adult, leaving a life of luxury to live on the streets.

Poverty is not everyone’s call, Beloved. And certainly many who struggle to make ends meet these days don’t do so voluntarily, but do so because the systems of the world conspire to keep the poor, poor (even while dangling the lottery in front of the downtrodden to take what few dollars are available).

But Alexius is remembered because he embodied a deep truth that the church (and the church of the United States in particular) has ignored: luxurious wealth and greed are sins.

Mega church pastors with designer shoes talking about sexual immorality are literally walking on their own hypocrisy, all the while selling a Christianity where you get what you deserve, and you deserve to have it all, by God.

The fact that no one remembers anything about Saint Alexius other than he was rich and chose to become a beggar harkens back to a social ethic where we once remembered that giving up abundance for the sake of others (and even for the sake of your own life) was virtuous.

Saint Alexius is a reminder for me, and should be for the whole church (and yes, the world) that gold-plated greed is just gilded morality passing off as providence.

Let those with ears to hear, hear.

-icon written by the saints at Byzantine Icons, and available for purchase there

-historical bits from public sources as well as Daily Magic by Judika Illes

-commentary my own