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was established, and imitate the Master. The mercy of man is upon his neighbor; but the mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh.

Do not use a word of grumbling with your giving, which is what many do, giving, but not adding eagerness, which is greater and more perfect than providing. Neither seek to test the one who is to receive, who is worthy, and who is not. For it is much better, I think, to give to the unworthy on account of the worthy, than to deprive the worthy on account of the unworthy.

It is better to contribute according to one's ability, than (769) to lack completely. For not the one who was unable, but the one who was unwilling is at fault.

Become more honored to your neighbor by appearing more kind. Become a god to the unfortunate, imitating the mercy of God.

The request must be in proportion to the one being asked. For it is equally absurd to seek great things from a small person, and small things from a great one. For the one is inopportune; the other, petty.

Chrysostom. When you nourish the poor, consider that you are nourishing yourself. For such is the nature of the matter, that what is given passes from us to us.

Let us not fear a judge who holds out his hand before the tribunal. Let us not fear a judge who does not refuse to receive.

It is great foolishness, when one wants to buy a field, to seek out fertile land; but when heaven is set before us instead of earth, and it is possible to acquire a place there, to remain on the earth and endure its toils.

Gregory of Nyssa. He who has fellowship with a poor man will place himself in the portion of the one who became poor for our sakes.

Nilus. Just as it is characteristic of light to give light, so it is characteristic of God to have mercy and pity on his own creations.

Of Saint Irenaeus from the letter to Victor. In whatever way one could do good to his neighbors, and does not do it, he will be considered a stranger to the love of the Lord.

Philo. Be such toward your servants, as you pray for God to be to you. For as we hear, we will be heard by God; and as we see, we will be seen by him. Let us therefore offer mercy for mercy, so that we may receive like for like.

Demosthenes. It is just to pity, not the unjust among men, but those who are unfortunately contrary to reason.

Bias. Bias, when he was about to condemn someone to death, wept. And when someone said, "What's wrong, that you yourself are weeping while condemning?" he said, "Because it is necessary to render to nature its sympathy, but to the law its vote."

Phocion. Neither an altar from a temple, nor mercy from human nature, must be taken away.

Democritus, Isocrates, and Epictetus. Share with strangers, and with those in need from what you have; for he who does not give to one in need, will not himself receive when in need.

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συνεστάθη, καί μίμησαι τόν ∆εσπότην. Ἔλεος ἀνθρώπου ἐπί τόν πλησίον αὐτοῦ· Ἔλεος δέ Κυρίου ἐπί πᾶσαν σάρκα.

Μή χρήσῃ ῥῆμα γογγυσμοῦ μετά τῆς ἐπιδόσεως, ὅπερ πάσχουσιν οἱ πολλοί, διδόντες μέν, τό δέ προθύμως οὐ προστιθέντες, ὅ τοῦ παρέχειν μεῖζόν ἐστι καί τελεώτερον. Μηδέ δοκιμασίαν ζήτει τοῦ ληψομένου, ὅστις ἄξιος, καί ὅστις οὔ. Πολλῷ γάρ βέλτιον, οἶμαι, διά τούς ἀξίους ὀρέγειν καί τοῖς ἀναξίοις, ἤ τούς ἀξίους ἀποστερεῖν δά τούς ἀναξίους.

Κρεῖσσον τό κατά δύναμιν εἰσενεγκεῖν, ἤ τό πᾶν (769) ἐλλείπειν. Οὐ γάρ ὁ μή δυηνηθείς, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μή βουληθείς ὑπαίτιος.

Γενοῦ τῷ πλησίον τιμιώτερος, ἐκ τοῦ φανῆναι χρηστότερος. Γενοῦ τῷ ἀτυχοῦντι θεός, τόν ἔλεον τοῦ Θεοῦ μιμούμενος.

Συμμετρεῖσθαι δεῖ τῷ αἰτουμένῳ τήν αἴτησιν. Ὁμοίως γάρ ἄτοπον παρά μικροῦ μεγάλα ζητεῖν, κκαί παρά μεγάλου μικρά. Τό μέν γάρ ἄκαιρον· τό δέ, σμικρολόγον.

Χρυσοστ.Ὅταν διαθρέψῃς τόν πένητα, σαυτόν νόμιζε διατρέφειν. Τοιαύτη γάρ ἡ τοῦ πράγματος φύσις, ἐξ ἡμῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς μεταχωρεῖ τά διδόμενα.

Μή φοβηθῶμεν δικαστήν, πρό τοῦ δικαστηρίου τήν χεῖρα προτείνοντα. Μή φοβηθῶμεν δικαστήν οὐκ ἀρνούμενον τό λαβεῖν.

Πολλῆς ἀλογίας, ἀγρόν μέν βουλόμενον ὠνήσασθαι, τήν εὔφορον γῆν ἐπιζητεῖν· οὐρανοῦ δέ ἀντί γῆς προκειμένου, παρόν ἐκεῖ κτήσασθαι χωρίον, μένειν ἐπί τῆς γῆς, καί τῶν ἐκ ταύτης ἀνέχεσθαι πόνων.

Γρηγ. Νύσσης, Ὁ πτωχῷ κοινωνήσας, εἰς τήν μερίδα τοῦ δι᾿ ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσαντος ἑαυτόν καταστήσει.

Νείλου. Καθάπερ ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦ φωτός τό φωτίζειν, οὕτως ἴδιον Θεοῦ τό ἐλεεῖν καί οἰκτείρειν τά οἰκεῖα πλάσματα.

Τοῦ ἁγίου Εἰρηναίου ἐκ τῆς πρός Βίκτωρα ἐπιστολῆς. Ἐν ᾧ ἄν τις δύναιτο εὖ ποιεῖν τοῖς πλησίον, καί οὐ ποιεῖ, ἀλλότριος τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Κυρίου νομισθήσεται.

Φίλωνος. Τοιοῦτος γίνου περί τούς σούς οἰκέτας, οἷον εὔχῃ σοί τόν Θεόν γενέσθαι. Ὡς γάρ ἀκούομεν, ἀκουσθησόμεθα ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ· καί ὡς ὁρῶμεν, ὁραθησόμεθα ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Προενέγκωμεν οὖν τοῦ ἐλέου τόν ἔλεον, ἵνα τῷ ὁμοίῳ τό ὅμοιον ἀντιλάβωμεν.

∆ημοσθ. ∆ίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐλεεῖν, οὐ τούς ἀδίκους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλά τούς παρά λόγον δυστυχοῦντας.

Βίαντ. Βίας θανάτῳ μέλλων καταδικάζειν τινά, ἐδάκρυσεν. Εἰπόντος δέ τινος, Τί παθών, αὐτός καταδικάζων κλαίεις ; εἶπεν· Ὅτι ἀναγκασθαῖόν ἐστι, τῇ μέν φύσει τό συμπαθές ἀποδοῦναι, τῷ δέ νόμῳ τήν ψῆφον.

Φωκίων. Οὔτε ἐξ ἱεροῦ βωμόν, οὔτε ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἀφαιρετέον τόν ἔλεον.

∆ημοκρίτ. Ἰσοκράτ. καί Ἐπικτήτου. Ξένοις μεταδίδου, καί τοῖς δεομένοις ἐκ τῶν ὄντων· ὁ γάρ μή διδούς δεομένῳ, οὐδέ αὐτός λήψεται δεόμενος.