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ulcerated; let us not live in luxury while others are suffering; let us not abhor our fellow servant; let us not become friends and brothers of the rich man's portion, nor be tormented in the flame; nor by the gift be separated from the holy ones; nor beg poor Lazarus to cool our burning tongue with the tip of his finger. Let us become good, compassionate, sympathetic. Let us imitate the goodness of the Master, who makes his sun to rise on the good and the evil, and feeds all alike with the rain. Let us seek the repose that is from there; let us cast away the abundance that is from here; what is good of it, this alone let us gain; let us possess our own souls in alms; let us share what we have with the poor, that we may be rich in the things from there; give a share also to the soul, not only to the flesh; give a share also to God, not only to the world; take something from the belly, consecrate it to the spirit; snatch something from the fire; put aside a little from the consuming flame; snatch from the tyrant, and entrust to the Master. Give a little, from whom you have much; give even the whole to the one who has given all. You will never surpass the great gift of God, however much you may contribute, what is lacking is always more; and you will give nothing of your own, because all things are from God. And just as it is not possible to outrun one's own shadow, nor for the body's size to be above its head, so neither is it possible with what we give to surpass God. For we do not give anything outside of His own things. From where did you get all these things, and from whom? Who can surpass God with gifts? Who gave you to see the beauty of the heaven, the course of the sun, the cycle of the moon, the multitude of stars, and in all these, as if on a lyre, a harmony and order ever the same, the changes of seasons, the alterations of times, the cycles of years, the equal share of day and night, the growths of the earth, the diffusion of the air, the breadths of the sea, loosed and standing, the depths of rivers, the currents of winds? Who gave rains, agriculture, foods, arts, dwellings, whence to you of the animals, some are tamed and yoked, and others are given for food? Who made you lord and king of all things on the earth? then are we not ashamed if, with so many things from him, some received and others hoped for, we do not contribute this one thing to the Master, philanthropy? If he who dishonors a poor man provokes his maker, he who cares for the creation honors the creator; He who has mercy on the poor, lends to God, he says. Who does not accept a debtor who will repay the loan in due time with interest. By alms and faith 95.1473 sins are cleansed. Let us therefore be cleansed by showing mercy. The Father was able to make no one poor; but if the opportunity for doing good were removed, no one would now deign to suffer with another for one another's sake. And we are well-off, and we are in need, so that a place may be made for doing good. Enlist for yourself an army contrary to other men, unarmed, unwarlike, bloodless, without anger, undefiled: god-fearing old men, God-beloved orphans, widows armed with meekness, men adorned with love. Acquire such as these with your wealth, as bodyguards for your body and your soul, whose general is God. He wishes for merciful people to be not only those who show mercy, but also those who want to do good, even if they are not able, for whom acting is present according to their intention. Therefore, those who wish will share in the same honor as those who were able, whose intention is equal, even if others have more in abundance. -Alms must be given, the word says, but with judgment, and to the worthy. And just as the farmer sows not into just any land, but into good land, that it may bring forth fruits for him, so must one sow good deeds to widows, to orphans, to the destitute, that you may attain the good fruit from them through their prayers. In whatever way one can do good to his neighbor, if he does not do it, he will be considered a stranger to the love of the Lord. For us, nothing is more honorable or more philanthropic than showing mercy and doing good, since this is true for God as well. It is truly blessed to have understanding for every poor and needy person, that one may according to understanding do the things of fellowship for the poor and needy person, making the care greater and more earnest

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ἡλκωμένον· μὴ τρυφήσωμεν ἄλλων κακοπαθούντων· μὴ βδελυξώμεθα τὸν ὁμόδουλον· μὴ φίλοι καὶ ἀδελφοὶ γενώμεθα τῆς τοῦ πλουσίου μερίδος, μηδὲ ὀδυνηθῶμεν ἐν τῇ φλογί· μηδὲ τῷ χαρίσματι διαστῶμεν ἀπὸ τῶν ὁσίων· μηδὲ δεηθῶμεν Λαζάρου τοῦ πένητος ἄκρῳ δακτύλῳ καταψύξαι τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡμῶν φλεγομένην. Γενώμεθα χρηστοὶ, εὔσπλαγχνοι, συμπαθεῖς. Μιμησώμεθα τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν ἀγαθότητα, ὃς ἀνατέλλει τὸν ἥλιον ἀγαθοῖς καὶ πονηροῖς, καὶ τρέφει τῇ βροχῇ πάντας ὁμοίως. Ζητήσωμεν τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἀνάπαυσιν· ῥίψωμεν τὴν ἐντεῦθεν περιουσίαν· ὃ καλόν ἐστι ταύτης, τοῦτο μόνον κερδάνωμεν· κτησώμεθα τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις· μεταδῶμεν τῶν ὄντων τοῖς πένησιν, ἵνα τὰ ἐκεῖθεν πλουτήσωμεν· δὸς μερίδα καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ, μὴ τῇ σαρκὶ μόνον· δὸς μερίδα καὶ τῷ Θεῷ, μὴ τῷ κόσμῳ μόνον· ὕφελέ τι τῆς γαστρὸς, τῷ πνεύματι καθιέρωσον· ἅρπασόν τι τοῦ πυρός· ἀπόθου μικρὸν ἀπὸ τῆς νεμομένης φλογός· ἅρπασον τοῦ τυράννου, καὶ πίστευσον τῷ ∆εσπότῃ. ∆ὸς ὀλίγον παρ' οὗ τὸ πλέον ἔχεις· δὸς καὶ τὸ πᾶν τῷ πάντα χαρισαμένῳ. Οὐδέποτε νικήσεις μεγαλοδωρεὰν Θεοῦ, ὅσον ἐὰν εἰσενέγκῃς, πλεῖον ἀεὶ τὸ λειπόμενον· καὶ οὐδὲν δώσεις ἴδιον, ὅτι τὰ πάντα παρὰ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπερβῆναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σκιὰν, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν κεφαλὴν γενέσθαι σώματος μέγεθος, οὕτως οὐδὲ οἷς δίδομεν νικῆσαι Θεόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔξω τι τῶν αὐτοῦ δίδωμεν. Πόθεν σοι ταῦτα πάντα, καὶ παρά τινος; Τίς δύναται νικῆσαι Θεὸν τοῖς χαρίσμασιν; Τίς ἔδωκέν σοι κάλλος οὐρανοῦ βλέπειν, ἡλίου δρόμον, σελήνης κύκλον, ἀστέρων πλῆθος, καὶ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν, ὥσπερ ἐν λύρᾳ, εὐαρμοστίαν καὶ τάξιν ὡσαύτως ἔχουσαν, ὡρῶν ἀλλαγὰς, μεταβολὰς καιρῶν, ἐνιαυτῶν περιόδους, ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς ἰσομοιρίαν, γῆς ἐκφύσεις, ἀέρος χύσιν, πλάτη θαλάσσης λελυμένης καὶ ἱσταμένης, βάθη ποταμῶν, ἀνέμων ῥεύματα; Τίς ὑετοὺς, γεωργίαν, τροφὰς, τέχνας, οἰκήσεις, πόθεν σοι τῶν ζώων, τὰ μὲν ἡμέρωται καὶ ὑπέζευκται, τὰ δὲ τροφὴ παραδίδοται; Τίς σε Κύριον καὶ βασιλέα πάντων κατέστησεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; εἶτα οὐκ αἰσχυνόμεθα εἰ τοσαῦτα παρ' αὐτοῦ, τὰ μὲν λαβόντες, τὰ δὲ ἐλπίζοντες, μηδὲ ἓν τοῦτο εἰσοίσομεν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, τὸ φιλάνθρωπον; Εἰ ὁ ἀτιμάζων πένητα, παροξύνει τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτὸν, τιμᾷ τὸν ποιητὴν ὁ περιέπων τὸ ποίημα· Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν, Θεῷ δανείζει, φησίν. Τίς οὐ δέχεται χρεώστην ἀποδώσοντα ἐν καιρῷ μετὰ τῆς ἐπικαρπίας τὸ δάνειον. Ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ πίστεσιν 95.1473 ἀποκαθαίρονται ἁμαρτίαι. Καθαρθῶμεν οὖν ἐλεήσαντες. ∆υνατὸς ἦν ὁ Πατὴρ ποιῆσαι μηδένα πένητα· ἀλλ' εἰ τὸ εὐποιεῖν περιῃρεῖτο, συμπάσχειν οὐδεὶς ἠξίου νῦν ἀλλήλων ἕνεκα. Καὶ εὐποροῦμεν, καὶ ἀποροῦμεν, ἵνα τόπος γενώμεθα τῇ εὐποιΐᾳ. Τὸν ἐναντίον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις σεαυτῷ κατάλεξον στρατὸν, ἄοπλον, ἀπόλεμον, ἀναίμακτον, ἀόργητον, ἀμίαντον· γέροντας θεοσεβεῖς, ὀρφανοὺς θεοφιλεῖς, χήρας πραότητι ὡπλισμένας, ἄνδρας ἀγάπῃ κεκοσμημένους. Τοιούτους κτῆσαι τῷ σῷ πλούτῳ, καὶ τῷ σώματι, καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ δορυφόρους, ὧν στρατηγεῖ ὁ Θεός. Ἐλεήμονας εἶναι βούλεται, οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἔλεον ποιοῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς θέλοντας εὐποιεῖν, κἂν μὴ δύνωνται, οἷς κατὰ προαίρεσιν τὸ ἐνεργεῖν πάρεστι. Τῆς αὐτῆς οὖν μεθέξουσι τιμῆς τοῖς δυνηθεῖσιν οἱ βουλόμενοι, ὧν ἡ προαίρεσις ἴση, κἂν πλεονεκτῶσιν ἕτεροι τῇ περιουσίᾳ. -Ἐλεημοσύνας δεῖ ποιεῖν, ὁ λόγος φησὶν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ κρίσεως, καὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ γεωργὸς σπείρει οὐκ εἰς ἁπλῶς τὴν γῆν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀγαθὴν, ἵνα αὐτῷ καρποὺς κομίσῃ, οὕτω δεῖ σπείρειν τὴν εὐποιΐαν εἰς χήρας, εἰς ὀρφανοὺς, εἰς τοὺς ἀπεριστάτους, ἵνα τῆς ἀπ' αὐτῶν εὐκαρπίας διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν ἐπιτύχῃς. Ἐν ᾧ ἄν τις δύναται εὐποιεῖν τῷ πλησίον, ἢν μὴ ποιῇ, ἀλλότριος τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Κυρίου νομισθήσεται. Τοῦ ἐλεεῖν καὶ εὐεργετεῖν, οὔτε προτιμώτερον, οὔτε φιλανθρωπότερόν ἐστιν ἡμῖν τι ἕτερον, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τῷ Θεῷ. Μακάριόν ἐστιν ἀληθῶς, εἰς πάντα πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα συνιέναι, ἵνα τις κατὰ σύνεσιν τὰ τῆς κοινωνίας πτωχῷ καὶ πένητι ποιήσηται, μείζονα καὶ σπουδαιότερον τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιούμενος