The Liberation of Simplicity

When I lived in St. Louis and needed to furnish an apartment, I became a yard sale aficionado. It was fun to discover great finds, and my excur- sions helped me learn my way around St. Louis neighborhoods. Eventually, however, this pastime became something of an obsession as I spent an inordinate amount of time plotting routes that would take me to the greatest number of sales in the nicest parts of town. In addition, I was buying lots of stuff I didn’t need simply because it was such a good deal. My preoccupation with consumption left me feeling weary and hollow. Eventually I went cold turkey and gained overconsumption sobriety.

In his encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis notes that “Such sobriety, when lived freely and consciously, is liberating. A constant flood of new consumer goods can baffle the heart and prevent us from cherishing each thing and each moment. Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack.”

I have had a taste of that liberation since joining the Mount. When your funds are limited you spend a lot less time shopping and instead find enjoyment in other activities, such as playing board games, gardening, and making art or music. Pleasures such as eating ice cream are savored more when they are experienced infrequently. The rare opportunity to go to the movies generates a lot of excitement. I find that consuming less is really a more enjoyable and kinder way to live—kinder to myself, to other humans, to the planet itself, and especially to other motorists, as I am no longer braking for yard sales!