--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is so rich a country that luxury has…" description: "\"This is so rich a country that luxury has developed at the expense of necessities, and even the destitute partake of the luxury. We are the rich countr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/dorothy-day-1629_abraham_this-is-so-rich-a-country-that-luxury-ha_2488845.png" --- # This is so rich a country that luxury has developed at the… ![“This is so rich a country that luxury has developed at the expense of necessities, and even the destitute partake of the luxury. We are the rich country of the world, like Dives at the feast. We must try hard, we must study to be poor like Lazarus at the gate, who was taken into Abraham's bosom.” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/dorothy-day-1629_abraham_this-is-so-rich-a-country-that-luxury-ha_2488845.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/dorothy-day-1629_abraham_this-is-so-rich-a-country-that-luxury-ha_2488845.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/dorothy-day-1629_abraham_this-is-so-rich-a-country-that-luxury-ha_2488845.png) > “This is so rich a country that luxury has developed at the expense of necessities, and even the destitute partake of the luxury. We are the rich country of the world, like Dives at the feast. We must try hard, we must study to be poor like Lazarus at the gate, who was taken into Abraham's bosom.” [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth can eclipse basic needs, leading even the poor to indulge in excess while true poverty persists. **In simple terms:** Luxury overshadows necessity, affecting all classes. Key Takeaway Recognize and address hidden poverty. Themes wealth poverty justice consumerism Mood reflective concerned Type social ethical When to use this quote - policy making - community outreach - personal budgeting - charitable work Key Concepts Christian socialism social critique economic disparity Questions to Reflect On - How does consumer culture hide real need? - What steps can reduce excess in society? A Different Perspective Luxury may mask systemic inequality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) [Bosoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bosoms/) [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Countries of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-of-the-world/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Destitute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destitute/) [Expenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expenses/) [Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gates/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Lazarus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazarus/) [Luxury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luxury/) [Luxury Developed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luxury-developed-944422/) [Luxury Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luxury-rich-944420/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Overconsumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overconsumption/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Rich countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-countries/) [Rich Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-country-741827/) [Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study/) [Study Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study-poor-944421/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Try hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-hard/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Rich people are the experimental ground for every new development. The nature of progress is that what begins as a luxury for the rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/rich-people-are-the-experimental-ground-for-every-new-development-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Relationships Today are the luxury of the rich and the joy of the gambler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/relationships-today-are-the-luxury-of-the-rich-and-the-joy-of-the/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [Extravagance is the luxury of the poor; penury is the luxury of the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/extravagance-is-the-luxury-of-the-poor-penury-is-the-luxury-of-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The luxury of today is the necessity of tomorrow. Every advance first comes into being as the luxury of a few rich people, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-luxury-of-today-is-the-necessity-of-tomorrow-every-advance-first/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Don't just sit there dreaming; dreaming is the luxury of the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-joy/don-t-just-sit-there-dreaming-dreaming-is-the-luxury-of-the-rich/) [Lisa Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-joy/) > [Holidays are a luxury the rich cannot afford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeromy-shingongo/holidays-are-a-luxury-the-rich-cannot-afford/) [Jeromy Shingongo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeromy-shingongo/) > [“Proverbs 21:17-18 17 Those who love pleasure become poor;        those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/proverbs-21-17-18-17-those-who-love-pleasure-become-poor-those-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Travelling abroad was once a luxury only the very rich could afford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/travelling-abroad-was-once-a-luxury-only-the-very-rich-could-afford/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Morals are a luxury of the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/morals-are-a-luxury-of-the-rich/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Finland is a rich country. What have they got? They got Nokia phones and plywood. How'd they get so rich? Because they're free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/finland-is-a-rich-country-what-have-they-got-they-got-nokia-phones/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [We should be a rich country again, and if we do that, we can leave Social Security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-should-be-a-rich-country-again-and-if-we-do-that-we-can-leave/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Iran is a rich country, and if the people of this country are poor, it's because of the wrong policies of the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/iran-is-a-rich-country-and-if-the-people-of-this-country-are-poor-it/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [It is more difficult to fight poverty in a rich country than in a poor one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/it-is-more-difficult-to-fight-poverty-in-a-rich-country-than-in-a/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [But you see, a rich country like America can perhaps afford to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-you-see-a-rich-country-like-america-can-perhaps-afford-to-be/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [India happens to be a rich country inhabited by very poor people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manmohan-singh/india-happens-to-be-a-rich-country-inhabited-by-very-poor-people/) [Manmohan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manmohan-singh/) ## More by Dorothy Day > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-recognize-the-fact-that-many-nazis-marxists-and-fascists/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Now don't think I've lost my mind - but I'll tell you, I'll look at some of the cards I have, some of Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/now-don-t-think-i-ve-lost-my-mind-but-i-ll-tell-you-i-ll-look-at-some/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/idealism-in-the-young-i-guess-i-m-saying-is-curiosity-as-well-as/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Voluntary poverty isn't going around with some burlap bag around you and imitating the poor. It means being indifferent to the material, doing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/voluntary-poverty-isn-t-going-around-with-some-burlap-bag-around-you/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Women think with their whole bodies and they see things as a whole more than men do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/women-think-with-their-whole-bodies-and-they-see-things-as-a-whole/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [My whole life so far, my whole experience has been that our failure has been not to love enough. This conviction brought me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-whole-life-so-far-my-whole-experience-has-been-that-our-failure/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I think one of the things we must constantly keep in mind is, 'If anybody hits you on one cheek, turn the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-think-one-of-the-things-we-must-constantly-keep-in-mind-is-if/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Communists in Cuba didn't assist Castro in his revolution. They weren't on the side of the students. They didn't do anything to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-communists-in-cuba-didn-t-assist-castro-in-his-revolution-they/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/dear-god-please-enlarge-our-hearts-to-love-each-other-to-love-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [A conversion is a lonely experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/a-conversion-is-a-lonely-experience/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The sense is always that community is natural to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sense-is-always-that-community-is-natural-to-people/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“We must practice the presence of God. He said that when two or three are gathered together, there he is in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-practice-the-presence-of-god-he-said-that-when-two-or-three/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) [Explore all 220 Dorothy Day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More Abraham quotes > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Hebron is a bone of contention between Israeli settlers and the Palestinians in part because Abraham is buried there, in the Tomb of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/hebron-is-a-bone-of-contention-between-israeli-settlers-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Never you look down on your Abraham because of your Sarah because the blessing is not in the womb of Sarah but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/never-you-look-down-on-your-abraham-because-of-your-sarah-because-the/) [Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/) > [“Whatever you are, be a good one.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [Moses was a great leader, right? But he wasn't a great communicator. And so God sent him Aaron so he could, let's say, communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/moses-was-a-great-leader-right-but-he-wasn-t-a-great-communicator-and/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [“king of Heshbon. 6 b Moses, the servant of the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/king-of-heshbon-6-b-moses-the-servant-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [It was psychobabbler Abraham Maslow who wrote of the phenomena of self-actualization. What Maslow failed to grasp is that reaching true self-actualization can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/it-was-psychobabbler-abraham-maslow-who-wrote-of-the-phenomena-of/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. Katika Biblia, Musa aliitwa mjinga alipokiuka amri ya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-hutumia-watu-wajinga-na-wapumbavu-kufanya-mambo-makubwa-katika/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [“9. Abraham’s death (25:1 – 11) After Sarah’s death, Abraham took another wife, Keturah. Abraham was a rejuvenated old man and continued to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sailhamer/9-abraham-s-death-25-1-11-after-sarah-s-death-abraham-took-another/) [John H. Sailhamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sailhamer/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Everybody faces obstacles. And I looked to people who had been through many to succeed in life. Abraham Lincoln, born to a poor family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everybody-faces-obstacles-and-i-looked-to-people-who-had-been-through/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [Someone asked me...how it felt and I was reminded of a story that a fellow townsman of ours used to tell--Abraham Lincoln. They asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-asked-me-how-it-felt-and-i-was-reminded-of-a-story-that-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [American foreign policy and military might have opened an opportunity for the Gospel in the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/american-foreign-policy-and-military-might-have-opened-an-opportunity/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) [Browse all 484 Abraham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is so rich a country that luxury has developed at the expense of necessities, and even the destitute partake of the luxury. We are the rich country of the world, like Dives at the feast. 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