Symboliczna rola ubóstwa w przepowiadaniu franciszkańskim epoki saskiej

In the article selected aspects are presented of the functioning of the concept of poverty in the narration of Old Polish Franciscan preaching of the Saxon epoch. Relations are shown between the context formed by Old Polish culture and the role of the idea of poverty in the Franciscan movement. An attempt is made to present the adaptation of the topic that draws on the broadly understood Christian tradition to the needs resulting from the realities of the Polish Republic. In order to do this an analysis was made of the discourse of various types of sermons. The object of the analysis was Sunday and holiday preaching. Most attention, however, was devoted to funeral sermons, whose significance in the Sarmatian culture seems especially great. In the conclusions it is emphasized that the topic connected with poverty played an extremely important role as one of those cultural symbols that defined the place and meaning of charitas in Old Polish culture. It was also necessary for forming various aspects of the social sensitivity of those times.