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Job 29. I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame; I was a father to the helpless.

Proverbs 3. Let not alms and faith fail you; but bind them about your neck, and you will find favor.

Daniel 4. Redeem your sins by almsgiving, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.

Sirach 3. Water will quench a flaming fire, and almsgiving atones for sins.

Sirach 4. Incline your ear to the poor man without grief, and answer him with peaceable words in meekness.

Sirach 12. Give to the godly man, and do not help the sinner; do good to the humble, and do not give to the ungodly.

Sirach 29. Shut up alms in your storehouses, and it will deliver you from all punishment [affliction], and it will fight for you against your enemy more than a mighty spear.

Sirach 35. Mercy is beautiful in a time of tribulation, as a cloud of rain in a time of drought.

(765) Of Basil.The most grievous form of covetousness, is not to share perishable things with the needy.

You wrong as many as you were able to provide for.

Of the Theologian. Doing good is more honorable than suffering it, and mercy is more to be desired than gain.

It is better to be called the father of ten thousand children, than to have ten thousand staters in a purse. For you will leave your money here, even unwillingly; but the honor for your good works you will carry away to the Master; when a whole people, presenting you before the common Judge, call you nourisher and benefactor, and all the names of philanthropy; God will be the one who accepts; angels praising; the people from creation calling you blessed; eternal glory, crowns of righteousness, the kingdom of heaven will be your reward.

Wealth, when scattered in the way the Lord commands, is destined to remain; but when held onto, to be alienated. If you keep it, you do not have it; but if you scatter it, you will not lose it. He has scattered, he has given to the poor.

Piety is a good burial shroud. Depart having clothed everyone. Make your wealth your own adornment; have it with you. Be persuaded by the good counselor who loved you, Christ, who for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich.

Of the Theologian. Almsgiving, which is freed from all injustice; this makes all things clean. This is better even than fasting and sleeping on the ground; and although those are more toilsome and laborious, yet this is more profitable, it colors the soul, refines it, makes it good and beautiful.

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Ἰώβ κθ´. Ὀφθαλμός ἤμην τυφλῶν, πούς δέ χωλῶν· ἐγώ ἤμην πατήρ ἀδυνάτων.

Παροιμ. γ´. Ἐλεημοσύναι καί πίστις μή ἐκλειπέτωσάν σε· ἔφαψαι δέ αὐτάς ἐπί σῷ τραχήλῳ, καί εὑρήσεις χάριν.

∆αν. δ´. Τάς ἁμαρτίας ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις λύτρωσαι, καί τάς ἀνομίας σου ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς πενήτων.

Σιράχ γ´. Πῦρ φλογιζόμενον κατασβέσει ὕδωρ, καί ἐλεημοσύνη ἐξιλάσκεται ἁμαρτίας.

Σιράχ δ´. Κλῖνον πτωχῷ ἀλύπως τό οὖς σου, καί ἀποκρίθητι αὐτῷ ἐν πραΰτητι εἰρηνικά.

Σιράχ ιβ´. ∆ός τῷ εὐσεβεῖ, καί μή ἀντιλαβοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ· εὖ ποίησον ταπεινῷ, καί μή δῷς ἀσεβεῖ.

Σιράχ κθ´. Σύγκλεισον ἐλεημοσύνην ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις σου, καί αὕτη σε ἐξελεῖται ἐκ πάσης κολάσεως [κακώσεως], καί ὑπέρ δόρυ ἀλκῆς κατέναντι ἐχθροῦ πολεμήσει ὑπέρ σοῦ.

Σιράχ λε´. Ὡραῖον ἔλεος ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως, ὡς νεφέλη ὑετοῦ ἐν καιρῷ ἀβροχίας.

(765) Βασιλείου.Πλεονεξίας εἴδος τό χαλεπώτατον, μήτε τῶν φθειρομένων μεταδιδόναι τοῖς ἐνδεέσιν.

Τοσούτους ἀδικεῖς, ὅσοις παρέχειν ἠδύνασο.

Θεολόγου. Τό εὖ ποιεῖν, τοῦ πάσχειν τιμιώτερον, καί περισπουδαστότερον κέρδους ἔλεος.

Κρεῖττον μυρίων παίδων πατέρα προσαγορεύεσθαι, ἤ μυρίους στατῆρας ἔχειν ἐν βαλαντίῳ. Τά μέν γάρ χρήματα καταλείψεις ἐνταῦθα, καί μή βουλόμενος· τήν δέ ἐπί τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις φιλοτιμίαν ἀποκομίσεις πρός τόν ∆εσπότην· ὅταν δῆμος ὅλος ἐπί τοῦ κοινοῦ Κριτοῦ παριστάντες σε, τροφέα καί εὐεργέτην, καί πάντα τά τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἀποκαλῶσιν ὀνόματα· Θεός ἔσται ὁ ἀποδεχόμενος· ἄγγελοι εὐφημοῦντες· οἱ ἀπό κτίσεως ἄνθρωποι μακαρίζοντες· δόξα αἰώνιος, στέφανοι δικαιοσύνης, βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἆθλός σοι ἔσται.

Σκορπιζόμενος ὁ πλοῦτος, καθ᾿ ὅν ὁ Κύριος ἐπιτάττεται τρόπον, πέφηκε παραμένειν· συνεχόμενος δέ, ἀλλοτριοῦσθαι. Ἐάν φυλάσσεις, οὐκ ἔχει· ἐάν δέ σκορπίσεις, οὐκ ἀπολέσεις. Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησι.

Καλόν ἐντάφιον ἡ εὐσέβεια. Πάντας περιβαλόμενος ἄπελθε. Οἰκεῖον κόσμον τόν πλοῦτόν σου ποίησον· ἔχε αὐτόν μετά σεαυτοῦ. Πείσθητι καλῶς συμβούλῳ τῷ ἀγαπήσαντί σε Χριστῷ, τῷ δι᾿ ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσαντι, ἵν᾿ ἡμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσωμεν.

Θεολόγου. Ἐλεημοσύνη, ἡ πάσης ἀπηλλαγμένη ἀδικίας· αὕτη πάντα καθαρά ποιεῖ. Τοῦτο καί νηστείας βέλτιον καί χαμευνίας· καίτοιγε ἐκεῖνα μοχθηρότερα καί ἐπιπονώτερα, ἀλλ᾿ αὕτη κερδαλεωτέρα, χρωτίζει ψυχήν, λεπτύνει, καλήν καί ὡραίαν ποιεῖ.