Commentary on Wisdom
Paterius
The rich person dies and finds nothing—certainly nothing of the things that he had. In fact, the sin of those things is brought with him, even if all of that for which the sins were committed is left here. Consequently, now one can boast in what he has received, exalt himself over others, be proud of having what his neighbor does not have. A time will come when he will wake up, and then he will know how empty were the things he had while he was dreaming. It often happens that someone who is poor sleeps and dreams of being rich and of thus gaining a courageous soul, rejoicing over having what he did not have and seeking to despise those by whom he had the pain of being despised. But, suddenly waking, he bemoans the image of the riches he had while he slept. Indeed, he groans continually under the weight of poverty, oppressed by the anguish of his straits and, even worse, of having been rich for a brief and useless moment. The rich of this world, who boast of what they have received, are just like this. They are incapable of doing good with their abundance. The rich are like those who sleep, but it would be good for them to awake to their poverty, because they will take nothing with…
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