John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Lent

are you dragging me? Why are you eager to present me naked to the Judge? Let me, I beg you, say something; I will consider my sin, I will utter a voice of confession, I will lament a little, I will groan briefly, I will weep for a short while, I will embrace my friends, I will embrace my wife; even if with one cloak of repentance I cover my soul. I will hire from here advocates, the poor, I will devise a cure for my wounds before my departure, if I have any wealth, I give it all for a small delay. And saying things wiser than these, O man, you will not prevent the violence of present death. For death is an executioner who cannot be flattered, death is an unfeigning decree, death is an impartial expeller of the race, death is an unfeigning murderer, death is the wayfarer of nature, death enters and stands before kings unannounced, death is a thief, both by day and by night working the same art of theft, death is a plunderer, a plunderer of righteousness, death is a possession longed for only by the righteous. 62.747

Hearing these things, beloved, let us arise, having become sober; let us not sleep again in the sleep of sin; let us atone for what has passed with what follows. Did you collect unjustly? Spend justly; from the very occasions of the passion, prepare remedies for the passion. Did you ever do wrong? First, spare those whom you have wronged; first be just, and then philanthropic; first give back, then give a share; first turn away from evil, and then do good. Do not seem generous with that by which you failed to love your brother. When you have mercy on those you made poor, then grant grace to other poor from what you did not seize; when you stop the tear of those wronged by you, then sympathize with other poor who are weeping. Honor the Lord, said the Scripture, from your own righteous labors. For be not deceived, God is not mocked. He does not accept a gift from another who is groaning; the Creator does not endure to share plunder with you. There it is not possible for justice to be overlooked, it is not possible 62.748 for the one convicted to escape; but if you are conscious of having done anything wrong, O man, repent. Have you ever rolled down, O man, to irrational desires, having served unlawful necessity? Have you become liable for many iniquities? do not fear the Judge, and despair of your own salvation; He knows how to be bought off with mercy, He is naturally persuaded by the good deeds of the poor, He is bribed by the consolations of the poor.

Hear Him crying out in the Gospels: Give alms, and all things are complete. Give to me, cries the one who enriches all; give to me, cries the one who has given all things for enjoyment. He endures receiving even two obols from a widow; He does not blush even to descend to a cup of cold water; He knows also how to accept the intention of a poor almsgiver; for He himself said, He who has mercy on the poor lends to God; to whom belongs glory and power always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

ἕλκεις; τί με γυμνὸν τῷ Κριτῇ παραστῆσαι σπουδάζεις; ἔασον, παρακαλῶ, εἴπω τι· λογίσομαι τὸ πλημμέλημα, ἐξομολογήσεως ἀφήσω φωνὴν, θρηνήσω μικρὸν, στενάξω βραχὺ, δακρύσω πρὸς ὀλίγον, ἀσπάσομαι φίλους, περιπτύξομαι γαμετήν· κἂν ἑνὶ περιβολαίῳ μετανοίας σκεπάσω μου τὴν ψυχήν. Μισθώσομαι δικολόγους ἐντεῦθεν τοὺς πένητας, περινοήσω μου τοῖς τραύμασι πρὸ τῆς ἐξόδου τὴν ἴασιν, ἢν ἔχω περιουσίαν πᾶσαν ὑπὲρ ὀλίγης ὑπερθέσεως δίδωμι. Καὶ τούτων, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, λέγων σοφώτερα, τοῦ παρεστῶτος θανάτου οὐ κωλύσεις τὴν βίαν. Θάνατος γὰρ ἀκολάκευτος δήμιος, θάνατος ἀνυπόκριτον διάταγμα, θάνατος ἐκβιβαστὴς τοῦ γένους ἀπροσωπόληπτος, θάνατος φονεὺς ἀνυπόκριτος, θάνατος ὁδοιπόρος τῆς φύσεως, θάνατος ἀμηνυτὶ πρὸς βασιλεῖς εἰσιὼν παρίσταται, θάνατος κλέπτης καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ τὴν ὁμοίαν τῆς κλοπῆς ἐργαζόμενος τέχνην, θάνατος ἁρπάζων, δικαιότητος ἅρπαξ, θάνατος δικαίοις μόνοις περιπόθητον κτῆ 62.747 μα.

Ταῦτα ἀκούοντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, διαναστῶμεν ἐκνήψαντες· μὴ πάλιν ὕπνῳ ἁμαρτίας καθεύδωμεν· ἐξιλασώμεθα τοῖς δευτέροις τὰ φθάσαντα. Ἀδίκως συνέλεξας; δικαίως ἀνάλωσον· ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ πάθους ἀφορμῶν τῷ πάθει κατάστησον φάρμακα. Ἠδίκησάς ποτε; πρῶτον ὧν ἠδίκησας φεῖσαι· πρῶτον δίκαιος. καὶ τότε φιλάνθρωπος· πρῶτον ἀπόδος, εἶθ' οὕτω μετάδος· πρῶτον ἔκκλινον τοῦ κακοῦ, εἶθ' οὕτω ποίησον ἀγαθόν. Μὴ φαίνου φιλόδωρος ἀφ' ὧν οὐκ ἐγένου φιλάδελφος. Ὅταν ἐλεήσῃς οὓς ἐποίησας πένητας, τότε πένησιν ἄλλοις ἀφ' ὧν οὐχ ἥρπασας χάρισαι· ὅτε στήσεις τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ ἀδικηθέντων τὸ δάκρυον, τότε πένησιν ἑτέροις συμπάθησον κλαίουσι. Τίμα τὸν Κύριον, εἶπεν ἡ Γραφὴ, ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων. Μὴ γὰρ ἀπατᾶσθε, Θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται. Οὐ δέχεται δωρεὰν ἑτέρου στενάζοντος· οὐκ ἀνέχεται τὴν ἁρπαγὴν ὁ πλάστης μετὰ σοῦ μερίσασθαι. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ παροφθῆναι τὸ δίκαιον, οὐκ ἔνι 62.748 τὸν ἐλεγχόμενον ἐκφυγεῖν· ἀλλ' εἴ τι σύνοιδας σαυτῷ, ἄνθρωπε, ἄτοπον πεπραχὼς, μετανόησον. Ἐξεκυλίσθης ποτὲ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, πρὸς ἀλόγους ὀρέξεις, τῇ ἀθεμίτῳ δουλεύσας ἀνάγκῃ; ὑπόχρεως γέγονας πολλῶν ἀνομημάτων; μὴ φοβηθῇς τὸν Κριτὴν, καὶ ἀπογνῷς τῆς σεαυτοῦ σωτηρίας· ἐλέῳ οἶδεν ἐξαγοράζεσθαι, εὐποιίαις πενήτων πέφυκε δυσωπεῖσθαι, δωροδοκεῖται πτωχῶν παραμυθίαις.

Ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις βοῶντος· ∆ότε ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ πάντα πεπλήρωται. ∆ότε μοι, κράζει ὁ πάντας πλουτίζων· δότε μοι, κράζει ὁ πᾶσι δεδωκὼς εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν. Ἀνέχεται καὶ δύο ὀβολοὺς παρὰ χήρας δεχόμενος· οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷ καὶ εἰς ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ὕδατος κατερχόμενος· οἶδε καὶ πρόθεσιν ἀπόρου ἐλεήμονος ἀποδέξασθαι· αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν, Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν δανείζει Θεῷ· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ κράτος πάντοτε, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.