Слово 23. О милостыне и страннолюбии.

The word about alms, beloved, applies not only to the rich, but also to the poor; even if someone ate alms, and this word applies to him, because there is not a single poor man, no matter how poor he is, who does not even have two pennies. It is possible, therefore, for one who gives a little of little to be superior to those who give abundant alms from a larger estate, as happened with the widow of the Gospel. The magnitude of alms is assessed not by the size of the alms, but by the inclination and disposition of the givers. It is not necessary to look at the fact that the widow contributed two mites, but at the fact that having only these two mites, she did not spare them and sacrificed all her property. What is required of us, therefore, is not abundance, but diligence. And if we have the latter, then there is no harm from poverty; if it is not there, then there will be no benefit from wealth. The rich, if they remain evil, will be punished more than the poor, for not becoming meek even in excess. Don't tell me they gave alms; all the same, they will not escape punishment if they give it disproportionately to their property, because alms are valued not by the amount given, but by the excess of will. Is it possible, you say, for a rich man to be saved? Quite possible. Abraham was rich. Do you see his wealth? Look at his strangeness too. At noon, when he was sitting by the oak tree of Mamre, the Lord appeared to him in the form of three men. And standing up (he did not think that God was in front of him - could he think so?), he bowed to them, saying: “If only you would consider me worthy to enter under the shadow of my tent!” Do you see what the old man did at noon? Rich and noble, he does not sit under the roof of a house, but as a wanderer and traveler, leaving his house, wife, children, servants, he goes out to fish, spreading the wildness of strangeness, so that some wanderer, some traveler does not pass by his house. And look what he does? He does not entrust this to the servant, although he had three hundred and eighteen of them (he knew the carelessness of the servants), fearing that the servant would doze off, and the wanderer would pass by, and we, he thought, would miss the catch; but he sat himself, receiving the sultry ray like dew in the heat, and the love of hospitality was for him instead of a shadow. And this is Abraham! And it's rich! Do you deign to even look at the poor person, even answer him, talk to him? Do you want to imitate Abraham? I don’t interfere; on the contrary, I even desire this, although more is required of us than from Abraham. But what do you say Abraham had? He was strange-loving. And Abraham stood up, it is said, and bowed, not knowing who those who had come were. If he had known, there would have been nothing surprising on his part in honoring God; meanwhile, ignorance regarding those who came shows in him the greatest love of hospitality. He also calls Sarah to make her a participant in hospitality. Let them be common, he says, both the benefits of spouses and virtues; hurry up and mix three measures of the best wheat. And she didn’t say something like this: “Did I come to you with such hopes that you would make me, who owns such wealth, a miller and baker? You have three hundred and eighteen slaves, and you did not go to order them, but you entrust such service to me?” No; She hears: “Hurry up,” and quickly carries out the order. Where are today's women? Do they receive such orders? Take the hand of such a woman, and you will see that on the outside she is decorated with gold, but on the inside she is stolen. Robbery of how many poor people does your hand bear? Give me your hand, show me what she is wearing? Into theft. Take Sarah's hand, what is she wearing? Lover of love, almsgiving, love, love of poverty. Hurry and knead three measures of the best wheat. And he ran to the herd of cows. They share the labor together in order to share the reward. Then he killed the calf. The old man suddenly became fleet-footed, because the strength of his body did not become decrepit, but was strengthened by the spirit of wisdom: zeal conquered nature. The master of three hundred and eighteen servants did not feel the burden of carrying the calf, but was relieved by thought and diligence. The old man had to run. What work! And yet he did not feel any difficulty, thanks to the hope of receiving benefits. What about the newcomer? “I will be with you again at the same time, and Sarah will have a son” (Gen. 18:10). Do you see what fruit the meal produced? How beautiful, fast and ripe? How did the vine turn black and become completely ripe? These are the fruits of hospitality. So, let us not think that our property decreases when we give alms; it does not decrease, but increases; it is not wasted, but multiplied; alms are like a kind of purchase or sowing, or rather, it is more profitable and safer than both. In fact, commercial enterprises are exposed to danger from sea winds and waves, and from frequent wrecks; Likewise, crops are subject to droughts, excessive rains and other accidents of weather. Meanwhile, money placed in the hand of the Lord is inaccessible to any intrigues; and once they are given, no one can snatch them from the hand of the one who received them, and they certainly bring us abundant and untold fruit, and in due time give a rich harvest. If a person, receiving them, does not despise (the giver), but pays him with gratitude, then Christ is much more. Indeed, if He gives without having received, then how can He not give after receiving? Listen to what Solomon says: “He who does good to the poor lends to the Lord” (Prov. 19:17). Do you see what a wonderful and amazing loan? One takes, and the Other assumes responsibility for the debt. Why didn’t he say: “he who has mercy on the poor gives to God,” but said: “lends”? So that you don't assume simple retribution here. The Scripture knows our greed; takes into account that our greed, looking at self-interest, seeks the superfluous, and that a person who has money will never want to lend to a poor person without security, collateral, guarantee or guarantor. And since God knows that without these conditions no one lends money, no one is guided by love of humanity, but looks only at profit, while the poor man is deprived of all this - has no security, because he owns nothing, cannot give a pledge, because he is deprived of everything, nor can he provide a guarantor, because due to poverty no one believes him - since God knows that this latter is in danger from poverty, and he who has money is in danger from hardness of heart, he puts himself between them as a guarantor for the poor and as collateral for the lender. “He who gives charity,” he says, “lends to the Lord to the poor.” Meanwhile, when we have to lend, we carefully look for those debtors who give high interest and regularly pay the debt, but here we do exactly the opposite: we leave God, who gratefully accepts the debt and returns it a hundredfold, and those who will not return to us even the capital itself, we look for. Indeed, what will the belly, on which almost everything is spent, reward us? Droppings and smoldering. What will vanity reward? Envy and malice. What is stinginess? Concern and care. What is debauchery? Gehenna and poisonous worms. Such are the debtors of the rich, such is the interest they pay on capital - a disaster here and a punishment in the Hereafter. So, why don’t you lend to the One who will undoubtedly repay you, and will give much more? Maybe because He will give it back after a long time? But He rewards here too, because He is not lying when he said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). In addition, even receiving it over a long period of time only increases your wealth, since the profit becomes greater. This is what we see that lenders do with debtors, lending more willingly to those who pay after a long period of time. If the debtor immediately pays everything back, he stops the flow of interest; and if he holds it for a long time, then the profit is greater. When, therefore, the matter concerns people, we not only are not burdened by the delay, but even deliberately try to make it longer, but in relation to God, will we act so cowardly? “He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord.” And You borrow from me, Lord, the alms given to the poor? So that someday You give it away, set a time for me to give it, determine a deadline for receiving it. When and where will I repay this debt to you? “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and He will place the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left... and the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” For what? Because “I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; ...I was naked, and you clothed Me” (Matthew 25:31, 33–36). Why, Lord, do You not mention other ways, but only alms? “I don’t judge,” he says, “sin, but hardness of heart; I do not judge those who have sinned, but those who have not repented; I condemn you for your hardness of heart, for the fact that having such a great and real means of salvation - alms, which blots out all sins, you did not take advantage of such a benefit. You did not receive money in order to spend it on pleasure, but in order to use it for alms. Do they belong to you? The property of the poor has been entrusted to you, even if you acquired it from righteous labors, even if you received it as an inheritance from your father. If, out of great mercy, you have been given the command to give from your property, then do not think that it is also yours, and do not turn excessive philanthropy into a reason for ingratitude. Couldn't God take everything from you? But He does not do this, leaving it up to you to show generosity towards those in need. Why don't you give? Don't believe you'll get it back? But can it be? The one who gives to the non-giver will not give much less after he has received? God did not allow you to have more than others so that you could spend it on debauchery, drunkenness, lust, precious clothing and other luxury items, but so that you could give it to the needy. If you spend anything on yourself beyond what is absolutely necessary, you will give the strictest account in the next world. Meanwhile, I know that many have reached such brutality that, because of a little anxiety, they refuse to help the starving poor, telling them the following words: now there is no servant with me, I am far from home, none of those here are known to me. What cruelty! What arrogance! If it was necessary to walk even ten miles, then one should not refuse, because the greater the reward. In fact, when you give, you receive a reward only for the alms; when you go yourself, you will also receive a reward for this. Likewise, we are surprised at Patriarch Abraham mainly because, having three hundred and eighteen household members, he did not turn to any of them with an order, but he himself ran into the herd and took the calf. So, do not be ashamed to serve the poor with your own hand. Christ is not ashamed to stretch out his hand and take alms through the poor, but you are ashamed to stretch out your hand and give money? Isn't this shameful? If one cup of cold water brings the Kingdom of Heaven, then what kind of fruit, tell me, will it bring you if you make the poor man your sharer, a participant in the meal, and give him peace? So, let us not be ashamed of serving the poor, let us not refuse to serve them with our own hands, because our hands are sanctified through such service; and if from such service we direct them to prayer, then God, looking at them, is more likely to be appeased and give what they ask. Giving money is quite common; but to help those in need yourself and to do it with zeal - this requires a great and wise soul. If someone helps you in everyday affairs, or assists you in court, or in anything else similar, then you meet and receive him with complete cordiality, and kiss his hands, and pay money, and look after him; and if you see Christ coming to you, do you hesitate and refuse to serve Him? If you do not accept the stranger as Christ, then do not accept him; if you accept him as Christ, then do not be ashamed to wash Christ’s feet. While the bargaining is still going on, let us buy alms, or rather, through alms we will buy salvation. You clothe Christ when you clothe the poor. If a cup of cold water deserves a reward, then don’t clothes and money given out of mercy deserve it? On the contrary, they deserve great reward. If, where alms are not associated with any expenses, such is recognition of merit, then what reward should be received from the Righteous Judge where there is an abundance of clothes, waste of money and an excess of other benefits? I know that you have often heard such and similar instructions; but, oh, if only we, having heard good advice many times, would at least occasionally implement it in practice. After all, it is extreme foolishness when a person, wanting to buy a field, looks for fruitful land, and when instead of earth there is Heaven and there is an opportunity to acquire a place there, he remains on earth and burdens himself with the labor associated with it. Tell me, in fact, if someone told you that in a year this city will be destroyed, but another city will not, would you build a house in a city that is threatened with destruction? Therefore, we will not build in this world, because a little later it will collapse and perish; What am I saying: “it will collapse”? Before its destruction, we ourselves will perish and suffer disasters. Let us better build our church in heaven, where we do not need either architects or builders, and where such churches are built by the hands of the poor, and what’s more, they also bring the Kingdom of Heaven and give us boldness before God. Such is the excellence of almsgiving. And just as when the queen enters, none of the gatekeepers dares to ask who she is or where she comes from, but everyone joyfully accepts her, so, in the same way, alms unhinderedly places those who give them before the Royal Throne - because God loves her, and she always stands near Him, and whatever gift she asks for, she immediately receives. The power of almsgiving is so great that it not only blots out sins, but also drives away death itself. But who, you say, of those who gave alms was above death? After all, as we see, everyone is under her dominion? Don’t worry, but make sure by yourself how the power of alms has defeated the power of death. There was, for example, a certain woman Tabitha, who gave herself the trouble of collecting wealth from alms every day. She dressed, they say, widows and gave them all other pleasures. “It came to pass in those days that she fell ill and died” (Acts 9:37). What about the widows who used her services and whose bodies she covered? At the right time, they repay their benefactress with gratitude. Standing before the apostle, they showed him the clothes and dresses that she made with them, shed tears and aroused compassion in him. What about Peter? “Kneeling down,” they say, “he prayed, and turning to the body, said: Tabitha! stand up. And she opened her eyes and, seeing Peter, sat down. He gave her his hand, raised her up, and, calling... the widows and those present, set her before them alive” (Acts 9:40-41). Do you see what a reward is for doing good to widows? In fact, tell me, what great thing did she bring to the widows, in what way did they reward her? Truly, the amount of alms is valued not by the amount given, but by the diligence of the givers. Indeed, the feet of saints entering a house can do a lot: they sanctify the earth itself, bring treasures of innumerable benefits, heal bodily injuries, stop hunger and bring great abundance. So the feet of Elijah, entering the widow’s house, showed some new and wondrous kind of good deed: they made the widow’s house an arable land, and a water-pot a threshing floor (1 Kings 17). Then a certain new kind of sowing and harvest appeared. How? The widow sowed in the mouth of the righteous, and reaped what she sowed with great abundance from the waterpot; she sowed wheat flour, and reaped wheat flour. She had no need of oxen, nor a yoke, nor a plow, nor a furrow; She needed no rain, no weather, no sickle, no threshing floor, no sheaves, no wind separating the chaff from the grain, no mill crushing the grain, and in an instant she found the completion of all this in the water-carrier. These are the gifts of the saints; This is what the feet of the saints give, or rather, even much more than that. And if my speech were not too lengthy, I would list many such gifts. But just as when they are revered, they bring such gifts, so on the contrary, when they are treated with disdain, they bring execution and indomitable fire. But then, you say, it was Peter, then it was Elijah. What are you saying, tell me? Let it be Peter and Elijah: but did they not have the same nature? Didn’t they come into life the same way as we do? Didn't they eat the same food? Didn't they use the same conditions? Didn't some of them even have wives and children? Didn’t some engage in worldly crafts, while others didn’t even reach the very depths of vice? Would you say that they received great grace? But if we were commanded to raise the dead, open the eyes of the blind, cleanse lepers, heal the lame, cast out demons and heal other similar ailments, then such a justification on our part would still be appropriate; If the question is now about the proper way of life, about showing obedience and avoiding vices, then what relation can such justification have to this? After all, Christ gives rewards not to those who simply performed miracles, but to those who fulfilled His commands. “Come,” he says, “you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” not because you performed miracles, but because “I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; “I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me” (Matthew 25:34–35). If, therefore, grace now abolished miracles, this could not harm us at all; but, on the other hand, it cannot justify us when we give an account of our affairs. A right life will receive crowns without miracles; and a life of crime and miracles cannot escape punishment. So, let us try to acquire such virtues that, together with our own salvation, could benefit our neighbors. This is almsgiving. From here prayer, fasting, and every other virtue receive their strength. If, for example, you fast, then without alms it does not even count as fasting, but turns out to be as much worse than satiety and drunkenness, just as cruelty is a more serious vice than luxury. What am I saying - fasting? Even if you remain chaste, even if you remain a virgin, you will remain outside the bridal chamber if you do not have alms. Meanwhile, what can be equal to virginity, which even in the New Testament is not made mandatory by law due to its special height? If virgins cast themselves out when they do not have the proper abundance of alms, then who can receive forgiveness without it? No one, truly no one; he who does not have it must certainly perish. If in everyday affairs, no one lives only for himself, but everyone - the artisan, the warrior, the farmer, and the merchant - all work for the common benefit and the good of their neighbor, then much more should do the same in spiritual matters; This is what life mainly consists of; but whoever lives only for himself and despises all others exists in vain, and he is not even a man, and not of our kind. So, whoever wants to become rich, let him become poor in order to become rich; let him spend in order to receive; let him scatter in order to gather. If this seems strange and incredible, then look at the sower and think that he cannot otherwise collect more, unless he sows what he has and does not waste the ready supply. Why don't you really give to those in need? You will say: I have a lot of children, and I want to leave them rich. So why are you making them poor? If you leave everything to them, you will again entrust all your wealth to an unreliable depository; If you leave them with God as a joint heir and protector, you will leave countless treasures. If, therefore, you want to leave great wealth to your children, then leave God’s care. The One who, without any merit on your part, gave the soul, and created the body, and bestowed life, when he sees such generosity shown by you, how will he not open to them all wealth? If Elijah, fed with a little flour, when he saw that the widow preferred him to her children, made her dwelling a threshing floor and a winepress, then think, what bounties will the Lord of Elijah discover? If you want to leave your children rich, leave God in their debt. If they receive money, they won’t even know what to do with it; and if you yourself give them in advance as a loan to God, then the treasure will no longer be in any danger, and the return will follow with great speed. God is grateful to us, both when he owes us, and when he pays, and looks more favorably on His creditors than on those who did not lend Him anything; and to whom he owes especially a lot, he loves especially those. If, therefore, you want to have Him as a friend, make Him a debtor. Truly, the lender does not rejoice when he has debtors, as God rejoices when he has creditors; and to whom He owes nothing, He moves away from those, and to whom He owes, He approaches those. So, why do you give money to people for safekeeping? Christ stands before you, ready to receive and preserve, and not only preserve, but also multiply, and reward you with great interest. No one snatches from His hand. And He not only preserves them, but for this very thing He frees you from all dangers. It happens to people that those who have accepted treasures believe that they are doing us a favor by keeping what they took from us; with Christ it’s the other way around: when He accepts them from you, He acknowledges that He did not provide a benefit, but received it Himself. Moreover, having accepted the money for safekeeping, he demands payment from you for this, while Christ even gives you a reward for this. This is why God ordered you to give money to another so that you yourself would own it, because for now you alone will have it and you will not own it yourself, but when you give it to another, then you yourself will receive it. Just as someone would give money to a small child so that he would hold it tightly in his hands, or even order a servant to guard it tightly so that the one who wanted it could not be stolen, so God does exactly: give it, he says, to the needy, so that someone does not steal it from you, such as a slanderer, or the devil, or a thief, or, finally, death. While you yourself own them, you own them precariously; and if you give them to Me on behalf of the poor, then I will carefully preserve them for you in their entirety. I am not taking a loan to deprive you of them, but to multiply them and preserve them more carefully, to save them for you for a time when no one will lend you money, no one will regret it. Why do you, rich man, labor in vain to hide the property of the poor in your storerooms? Why are you indignant when they ask you as if you were wasting your property? They desire what is the Father's, not what is yours; they desire what is entrusted to you for their sake, and not what was born with you. Give back what you have received and gain profit from the use; It is enough for you that you are appointed to give and not to receive. Why are you consigning the treasure to the ground? Give, he says, into My hand. Does the Lord of the earth really seem to you less worthy of trust than the earth? I, you say, gave it. But you should never stop doing this; only then will you be justified when you have nothing, when you own nothing; but as long as you have something, even if you have given to thousands of people, but there are still others who are hungry, there is no excuse for you. So, let neither the rich man boast because he gives much, nor let the poor man become depressed as if he gives little, because the latter often gives more than the former. Much and little is determined not by the measure of alms, but by the size of the property of the givers. Feeding hangers-on and flatterers, you rejoice as if you were wasting some springs; and if you see a poor person, the fear of poverty immediately attacks you. Give to the needy, and do not give to the dancer, so that along with your money you do not destroy his soul, because you are the culprit of his death through your inappropriate generosity. After all, if the dancers knew that their activity would be unprofitable for them, they would have stopped doing it a long time ago. A blind man who is shown compassion can lead into the Kingdom of Heaven; the one who bumps into walls and falls into pits becomes a guide to the ascent to Heaven. When you do something that is not for show to people, then at least the whole world knows about your deeds, no one knows, because you did not do it with that intention. Christ did not just say: do not do it in front of people, but added: “so that they may see you” (Matthew 6:1). Oh, how great is the dignity of poverty! She is the face of God; God is hidden in poverty; the poor man stretches out his hand, and God accepts. When some misfortune happens to you, give alms quickly; give thanks for the fact that it happened, and you will see what joy will come over you. The spiritual profit, even if small, is so great that it covers any material loss. And if you don’t believe, try it and see the glory of God. But, oh, frivolity, oh, ingratitude! We live in sins and vices all the time, and if we ever do a small good deed, then, like ungrateful slaves, with commercial pettiness we investigate and inquire about retribution, whether there is any reward for this deed. Meanwhile, the reward is greater if you do it without being guided by the hope of reward: you must do everything for the sake of Christ, and not for the sake of the hope of a reward. In fact, if God, who created us at the beginning, without any good deed on our part, immediately gave us so many benefits, then what does He not give to those who suffered for Him and endured so much labor and deeds? While we hardly dare to sacrifice even an insignificant amount of gold for our own sake, He gave up even His Son for us. For the sake of friendship with people, we are often ready to even expose ourselves to danger, but for the sake of God’s love for mankind we do not even sacrifice money? And isn’t it shameful that Christ gave up his soul for us and shed precious blood for us, who were neither devoted to Him nor righteous, but for His sake we do not even shed money, and look indifferently at the naked and stranger who died for us? And who will save us from future punishment? If it weren’t for God, but for us to punish ourselves, wouldn’t we have pronounced a guilty verdict on ourselves? Wouldn't we condemn ourselves to the fire of hell, leaving Him who laid down His life for us to languish with hunger? But what about money? If we had thousands of souls, would we not have to give them all up for Him? If one of us were led to death, and then it was proposed that, by giving up all our property, we would be freed, then we would consider this happiness; meanwhile, when we are led to Gehenna, and it is possible, at least by giving half, to be freed, we prefer to be punished and recklessly preserve our property in order to destroy our blessings? But what justification, what excuse will we have for depriving ourselves of both here and there blessings, when it is possible to safely take advantage of both? If others often give all their means for worldly dignity, for a dignity that should remain here, and even here is not even retained for a long time - since many, long before death, are deprived of the power associated with this dignity, and others because of it are often deprived of even life itself, and, nevertheless, knowing this, they do everything for its sake - so, if because of this power they do so much, then what could be more unfortunate than us, when for the sake of an eternally abiding and inalienable dignity we do not Are we sacrificing even the little things, and not giving what we must involuntarily leave here a little later? What kind of madness is it when we can voluntarily give away and take with us what we will involuntarily be deprived of, not wanting it? We put gold necklaces on servants, mules and horses, but we don’t pay any attention to the Lord, when He walks naked, spends nights in the open air and stretches out His hand for alms, and often even looks at us with a stern gaze. What could be worse than such madness? In fact, when God sends the poor to us, commanding us to give them from what belongs to Him, and we not only do not give, but also drive them away with outrage, then think, what thunder, what lightning is our action worthy of? If your servant, whom you ordered to go to another servant who has your money and take it from him, not only returned empty-handed, but also insulted; then what would you not do to someone who insulted you? What kind of punishment would he not subject him to, as if he had already received an insult? If this happens with people, then how much more so with Him who is the Lord of both people and all creatures? If you don’t want to give anything to the begging poor man, then why else do you strike his soul with reproaches? Would he have approached you if he had expected to hear them? But he is, you might say, impudent and pesters him with a shout. What are you saying? How often does it happen that when the table is already ready, you, having called the serving slave, if he hesitates, lose your temper because of just a small delay, although you know very well that if not immediately, then a little later you will get pleasure; and yet you do not call yourself shameless, when you fly into a rage over a trifle, but do you call the poor man, who fears and trembles because of something more important (because all his fear is not about slowdown, but about hunger), insolent and shameless? Isn't this extreme shamelessness? If you, seeing some insignificant drop falling from the ceiling, call both servants and craftsmen, and make a noise throughout the whole house, then how can you indifferently look at a poor man in rags, lying on straw, in the dirt, and enduring every cold? What animal would not soften when it sees such a plight? Who is so cruel and inhuman as not to become meek and compassionate? Meanwhile, there are people who have reached such cruelty that they not only do not regret, do not cry and do not alleviate misfortunes, but often even insult the poor and say that they deserve it. Why, tell me, do they deserve this? Is it because they want to eat and not starve? No, you say, but because they indulge in idleness. Aren't you lazy, indulging in pleasure? Don’t you often engage in activities worse than any inaction, robbing and oppressing others, indulging in covetousness? It would be better if you indulged in such idleness, because indulging in idleness is much better than engaging in covetousness and robbery. So, when you see a beggar and say: “I am amazed that a young man, even so healthy, having nothing, wants to eat while remaining idle,” say these very words to yourself, or even better, let the beggar boldly say them to you: “I am amazed that you, being healthy, indulge in laziness and do nothing that God has commanded.” You blame him for idleness, and he also blames you for bad deeds, for robbing, extorting and destroying the houses of others. But he mostly lies and deceives? But even for this he is worthy of regret, that he has fallen into such need that he is not ashamed of even such a thing. Meanwhile, not only do we not feel sorry for him, but we also say such cruel words: didn’t he get both once and twice? So what? Isn’t it necessary to eat again if you’ve once been nourished? Why don’t you set the same laws for your own belly and tell it: “You were full yesterday, don’t ask for it today”? On the contrary, you overfill the latter beyond measure, and refuse him when he asks for what is proper. And how do you want to be heard when you pray? Whoever despises someone who is in sorrow and does not give him from his own means, how can he desire to receive anything from goods that do not belong to him? Isn’t it reprehensible that when we feed parasites and flatterers, we do not consider this a loss, and if we see a poor man approaching, exhausted by hunger and cold, we not only despise him, but also immediately attack him with reproaches? Why, they say, does he not work, why does he eat, indulging in idleness? Do you, by working, have what you have? Didn't you receive it as an inheritance from your father? And even if you work, is it really because of this that you reproach another? But he is a deceiver. What are you saying? For the sake of some piece of bread or clothing, do you call him a deceiver? But he immediately, you say, sells what he received. Do you manage all your funds well? And is it really possible that everyone suffers from idleness? No one from the shipwreck? No one from litigation? No one from theft? No one from illness? No one from bold ventures? Nobody from other accidents? Meanwhile, as soon as we hear someone complaining about such misfortunes, lamenting loudly and, deprived of everything, looking at the sky, we immediately call him a cheat, a deceiver, a pretender. Aren't you ashamed to call someone a cheat? Don’t give anything and don’t blame the poor man. But he has, you say, and only pretends to be poor. It's your fault, not his; he knows that he approaches cruel people, more like animals than people, and that even if he speaks pitiful words, he will not touch anyone; That’s why he himself is forced to take on a pitiful appearance in order to touch your soul with compassion. Oh, cruelty, oh, heartlessness, oh, inhumanity! If we see a poor man approaching with a noble air, he is, we say, a deceiver, and he approaches so that he will be considered a person from a noble family; and if we see someone naked and dressed in rags, we condemn him too. Oh, shameless atrocity! If you want, give it; If you don't want to, drive away. Why are you pathetic and unhappy? Why don’t you regret it yourself, and turn away those who want it? After all, when someone hears from you that this is a deceiver, that is a pretender, he will not give to either one or the other. But why, you say, do they expose their mutilated limbs? Because of you; if we were compassionate, they would not need to resort to such means; If they had persuaded people to show mercy the first time, they would not have used so many tricks. Who is so pathetic as to have the desire to loudly complain about his fate along with his naked wife and children? Isn't this worse than any poverty? And so the unfortunate not only do not find compassion on our part, but are even condemned by us as shameless. If you rob, you are not shameless; and if he begs for bread, is he shameless? “Give to everyone who asks you, and do not turn away from anyone who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42). Isn’t it senseless that you spend your life in gluttony and satiety, drag out feasts until late at night and fall asleep on a soft bed, but don’t pay any attention to the naked, trembling and starving beggar? Why am I talking about nakedness and awe, when others are even forced to blind their children at a very early age in order to touch our insensibility? Since, while remaining sighted and walking naked, neither by their age nor by their misfortune do they arouse the compassion of the heartless, then to so many misfortunes they add a new, even more severe misfortune in order to get rid of hunger, finding it easier to be deprived of this common light and the ray of the sun given to all, than to constantly fight hunger and be subjected to the most miserable death. Truly, a great thing is a man, and a precious thing is a merciful man. Alms happens when you give with zeal, with generosity, when you think that you are not giving, but receiving, when you seem to receive a benefit, when you seem to gain profit and not lose; otherwise it would not be a good deed, because one who has mercy on another should rejoice and not grumble. In fact, isn’t it absurd if, while freeing another from sadness, you yourself indulge in sadness? If you are sad that you have freed another from sadness, then you present evidence of extreme cruelty and heartlessness; It’s better not to liberate than to liberate in this way. And why are you sad at all, man? Are you afraid that your gold will decrease? If you have such a disposition, then don’t give it at all. If you don't believe it will be multiplied for you in heaven, don't give it. But are you looking for retribution here? For what? Leave alms to be alms and not trade. True, many receive reward here too; however, they do not receive in such a way that they themselves have more than those who did not receive. Those who seek and receive here reduce their reward there. So, let us not say: such and such is vicious and unworthy of good deeds, such and such is despicable, such and such an outcast. Look not at the dignity of the person in need of help, but at the need alone. Even if he were an insignificant, rejected, despised person, Christ nevertheless imputes the reward to you as if He Himself would receive the benefit through him. Peter and John entered the church one day to pray; and behold, the lame man from his mother’s womb, whom they carried, lay at the door of the church, and, seeing them entering, looked intently at them, hoping to receive alms from them. What about Peter? “Look at us,” he says (Acts 3:4); in your very outward appearance you have sufficient proof of poverty; no words or answer needed; the robe shows you as having nothing. So what? Is this the whole point of apostleship in relation to the beggar, so as not to alleviate his poverty, just to say to him: “I have no gold and silver”? Wait a little and you will see more wealth? “I don’t have silver and gold,” he says; and what I have, this I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk” (Acts 3:6). Do you see the lack of money and the wealth of talents? Look further at his meekness. He did not insult, reproach, or reject, as we often do in relation to those who turn to us, demanding explanations from them, sending them to work, blaming them for sleeping. Have you been taught this, man? You are not commanded to blame for idleness, or to blame for wickedness, or to reproach for laziness, but to alleviate poverty, to save in misfortune and to extend a helping hand to those in need. So, do not be curious about life and affairs when you are planning to give alms; After all, it is the height of obscenity to spend your whole life researching just for one piece of bread. Even if the person asking was a murderer, even a robber, or whatever it may be, does he really seem to you unworthy of a piece of bread or a few coins? Your lord makes the sun rise on him, and you consider him unworthy even of daily food? Or don’t you know that Abraham mainly deserves special surprise because, seeing those who came to him, and not knowing who they were, he stood up and hurried to meet them, and, bowing to them to the ground, said: “Lord! If I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass Your servant by” (Gen. 18:3)? So you too, do not be curious, because you accept for the sake of Christ; and if you always begin to find out with precision, you will often pass by a husband worthy of respect, and you will ruin the reward that you would have had for this. And we will not take care of our own only by faith, and not care about others, but no matter who we see in misfortune, we will not be curious about anything else; the fact that he is in distress serves as a justification for help. Really, I don’t know where this custom got its footing: if we see a worldly person in misfortune, we don’t extend a helping hand, and only show concern to those sitting on the mountains. Whether you see a Greek, a Jew, or anyone else in misfortune, everyone should benefit. If you look only for monks, and only want to do good to them, and again find out about them whether they are worthy, whether they are righteous, whether they perform miracles, and without that you do not stretch out your hands, then you are destroying the benefit of alms; and over time you will destroy this one again. If you raise a donkey when you see that it is choking, and are not curious about whose it is, then you should much more not be curious about the person whose it is. He is God's, whether he be a Greek or a Jew; it is enough that he needs help. If you saw that he has abundant means and enjoys fame, you could rightly say so; but if you see that he is in distress, do not say that he is vicious and lazy, because this is a sign of cruelty, heartlessness and the greatest arrogance. This is why alms are called that way, so that we give to both the worthy and the unworthy. If we sort out and find out the unworthy, then the worthy ones, perhaps, will not be easily caught by us; and if we give to the unworthy, then undoubtedly the worthy and equal with all of them will fall into our hands. If we begin to examine dignity and be strictly exacting in relation to our fellow servants, then God will do the same with us; and by trying to demand an account from our fellow servants, we ourselves will lose the highest mercy. The one who shows friendliness should not demand an account in life, but alleviate poverty and meet need. So, when you see a beggar, do not pass by, but immediately think how you would feel if you were in his place; Think about the fact that he, just like you, is free, belongs to the same society as you, has everything in common with you, and you often do not equate him even with your dogs: while those are fed, this one often falls asleep hungry, and the free one becomes more despicable for you than your slaves. But do the latter perform the necessary tasks for you and serve you well? So I will show you that he also serves you a service, and much more important than them: he will help you on the day of Judgment, and will deliver you from the fire. What can your slaves do like that? When Tabitha died, who raised her? Were those around her slaves or poor people? Don’t you even want to place a freeman on an equal footing with slaves, whose appearance alone should persuade you to show mercy? And how can you ask God to deliver you when you are in danger, if you yourself leave without any help a person who has not sinned against you in any way, when he grieves, groans and languishes with hunger and cold? How will He leave you without punishment if you have sinned against Him? “Whoever stops his ear,” it is said, “at the cry” of the beggar, God will not listen to his petition (Prov. 21:13). So, let us treat our fellow servants the same way we want God to treat us. Almsgiving is a greater sacrifice than prayer, fasting and much more, if only it comes from righteous acquisitions and similar works, if only it is pure from all covetousness, theft and violence. God accepts such offerings, but rejects and hates others. He does not want to be revered for the misfortunes of others, because such a sacrifice is unclean and indecent, and can irritate rather than appease God. Alms are called that way so that we show mercy and not torment our fellow servants. But whoever takes someone else’s property and gives it to someone else is not showing mercy, but rather inflicting punishment, and causing no small offense. Whoever wants to be rich needs money; whoever does not want to be rich always remains content. Not being rich, but not wanting to get rich - that's what wealth is. There is, I will say for example, a rich man who robs everything from everyone, and there is a rich man who gives his property to the poor; one grows rich by collecting, another by squandering; one sows the earth, the other cultivates the sky. But as much as Heaven is superior to earth, so is the fruitfulness of the latter poorer than the former. And here’s what’s surprising: with a predator, it happens that he is hated not only by those who were offended by him, but also by those who did not suffer any harm from him, sympathizing with those who suffered. If misfortune happens to him, thousands of cries come from everywhere: “evildoer, wicked, dissolute,” and everyone attacks him. With a merciful person, it happens that he is loved not only by those to whom he showed compassion, but also by those to whom he did not show compassion, attributing to themselves the benefit shown by the first. And if some misfortune happens to him, then everyone prays that God will have mercy on him, arrange everything well for him, so that he will always have wealth. Do you see how malice has as its enemies those who have not suffered any offense, and mercy has as its adherents those to whom it was not shown? First of all, therefore, stop stealing and then do alms; keep your hands from covetousness, and then extend them to alms. If we undress the poor with the same hands, then, even if we clothed others with the alms we took from them, we still will not escape punishment, because the basis of mercy becomes the basis of all sin. It’s better not to regret at all than to regret so much. If Cain, by bringing something less important, angered God, then how can he who also gives something that belongs to others not anger him? Almsgiving is the noblest art and an intercessor for those who perform it, because it is dear to God, if it is not dishonored by us; and it is dishonored when we create it regarding the theft of someone else’s property; if it is pure, then it gives those who send it great boldness and prays for those who have incurred the wrath of God. Such is its power: it breaks bonds, resolves darkness, quenches fire, and makes those who create it like God. “Be,” they say, “be merciful, just as your Father in heaven is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Let us not miss the convenient time that real life presents, but let us take care of our salvation with all our might. After all, it is possible, even with your last breath, to please God; one can earn praise by making a will; Not the same as during life, but it’s still possible. How exactly? If you include God among your heirs, if you give Him a part of the entire inheritance. Didn't you feed Him during your lifetime? So, at least after death, when you are no longer a master, give Him some of your wealth. Of course, it would be more desirable and a greater reward if you fed Him during your lifetime; but if you have not done this to Him, then at least take second place; if you hesitate to do this, then think that His Father has made you a joint heir with Him, and renounce hardness of heart. In fact, what kind of forgiveness will you receive when you not only did not nourish Him during your lifetime, even when you were planning to go to Him, you do not want to give Him even a small part of that money over which you no longer have control, but you treat Him to such an extent with hostility and hostility that you do not even give Him something that has become useless to you? Don't you see how many people were not awarded such a death, but were suddenly snatched away by death? God has given you the opportunity to explain and tell your loved ones about your property, and to manage everything around the house. What excuse will you have when you, having received even this mercy from Him, do not take advantage of the benefit, and even out of necessity do not want to become merciful? Of course, a much better thing and one that brings great boldness is to relieve the poor during his lifetime; but if you did not want to do this, then, even while dying, do something valiant: although this is not a deed of great love, it is still a good deed. Although you will not have first place among the sheep, it is also important that you at least be with them, and not stand with the goats. If you do not do this, then what word of justification after that will save you from execution? When you lived, you clung to wealth as if you were immortal; now that you have learned that you are mortal, at least now leave such a delusion and judge, like a mortal, about your property. Although what is to be said is difficult and full of horror, it is nevertheless necessary to say: number your Master with your servants. Are you freeing slaves? Free Christ from hunger, want, prison and nakedness. Are you horrified hearing this? Therefore, it’s even worse when you don’t do it yourself. Here too, such a word made you numb; What will you say then when you go there, hear much more difficult words and see unbearable torment? Who will you turn to? Who will you call as an ally and assistant? Abraham? But he won't hear. Or father or grandfather? But none of them, no matter how holy, will be able to reverse that sentence. But are you inhuman, cruel and merciless? Be ashamed of the dignity of the one asking. But does this dignity not shame you? Bow to misfortune. But misfortune doesn’t incline you to pity? Consider the ease of fulfillment of the request. If neither dignity, nor extreme need, nor the ease of alms can convince you, then give to the needy, at least for the sake of the greatness of the promised benefits. What forgiveness will there be for those who, after so many admonitions, leave those in need without help? Let those initiated into the Mysteries hear: Christ, when it is necessary to nourish you, does not spare even his own Flesh; when it is necessary to give something to drink, it does not spare Blood; and you don’t even give bread and water? And what kind of forgiveness will you have, receiving such Gifts and stinging on insignificant things? After all, you will not leave here with money if you do not give it for Christ’s sake; You will not be immortal unless you die for Christ. He demands from you what you will give even without His demand, because you are mortal; He wants you to do of your own free will what you must do and of necessity. What you absolutely must endure, prefer to endure for My sake; just let there be such an intention, and I will consider it sufficient obedience. Can it be tolerated that, while God even gave up His Son for you, you do not even give bread to Him, who was betrayed for you, slain for you? For your sake, the Father did not spare the Son, and, moreover, the True Son; and you despise even one who is tormented by hunger, and, moreover, when you must spend from His blessings, and spend for your own sake. And what could be worse than such lawlessness? For your sake He was betrayed, for your sake He was sacrificed, for your sake He walks around, hungry, so that you, giving from His blessings, would benefit yourself, and yet you still do not give? Don't you turn out to be more insensitive than any stones, when so many motives attract you to alms, and you persist in this devilish cruelty? If, he says, you do not reward Me for what I suffered for you, then have pity for the sake of poverty; if you don’t want to be compassionate for the sake of poverty, be compassionate for the sake of illness, have compassion for the sake of bonds; if this does not make you compassionate, bow down for the sake of the ease of the request: after all, he does not ask for anything that requires great costs, but only bread, shelter and verbal consolation. If even after this you remain cruel, then become more lenient, at least for the sake of the Kingdom. But you don't care about him either? Then have at least compassion for nature itself, seeing the naked, and remember the nakedness with which I was exposed for you on the Cross. If you don’t want to remember her, then at least remember the one with whom I expose myself for the sake of the poor. I don’t say, “deliver Me from poverty,” I don’t say, “Give Me wealth,” but I only ask for bread, clothing, and a little relief from hunger; If I end up in prison, I will not force you to release him and release him from the bonds, but I am looking for only one thing - for you to visit the prisoner for your sake, and I will receive a completely sufficient gift of love. I can, of course, crown you without this, but I also want to be in your debt, so that the crown will bring you some fruit and boldness. That is why, although I myself could feed myself, I walk like a beggar, and, standing in front of your doors, I stretch out my hand, wanting to be nourished by you. And I boast of this, in order to glorify you in due time in the face of the whole universe, and to publicly announce My feeder. When you feed from someone, you are ashamed of it and hide it; and I, since I love you too much, announce your deed with great praise, even if you were silent, and I am not ashamed to say that you clothed Me naked, fed the hungry, but, on the contrary, I even boast about this, so that you are proclaimed heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. So, thinking about this, beloved, let us be diligently concerned about salvation in order to achieve eternal blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: