Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that one ought not to give alms to those rather who are more closely united to us. For it is written (Ecclus. 12:4,6): "Give to the merciful and uphold not the sinner . . . Do good to the humble and give not to the ungodly." Now it happens sometimes that those who are closely united to us are sinful and ungodly. Therefore we ought not to give alms to them in preference to others.

Objection 2: Further, alms should be given that we may receive an eternal reward in return, according to Mt. 6:18: "And thy Father Who seeth in secret, will repay thee." Now the eternal reward is gained chiefly by the alms which are given to the saints, according to Lk. 16:9: "Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings, which passage Augustine expounds (De Verb. Dom. xxxv, 1): "Who shall have everlasting dwellings unless the saints of God? And who are they that shall be received by them into their dwellings, if not those who succor them in their needs? Therefore alms should be given to the more holy persons rather than to those who are more closely united to us.

Objection 3: Further, man is more closely united to himself. But a man cannot give himself an alms. Therefore it seems that we are not bound to give alms to those who are most closely united to us.

On the contrary, The Apostle says (1 Tim. 5:8): "If any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

I answer that, As Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. i, 28), "it falls to us by lot, as it were, to have to look to the welfare of those who are more closely united to us." Nevertheless in this matter we must employ discretion, according to the various degrees of connection, holiness and utility. For we ought to give alms to one who is much holier and in greater want, and to one who is more useful to the common weal, rather than to one who is more closely united to us, especially if the latter be not very closely united, and has no special claim on our care then and there, and who is not in very urgent need.

Reply to Objection 1: We ought not to help a sinner as such, that is by encouraging him to sin, but as man, that is by supporting his nature.

Reply to Objection 2: Almsdeeds deserve on two counts to receive an eternal reward. First because they are rooted in charity, and in this respect an almsdeed is meritorious in so far as it observes the order of charity, which requires that, other things being equal, we should, in preference, help those who are more closely connected with us. Wherefore Ambrose says (De Officiis i, 30): "It is with commendable liberality that you forget not your kindred, if you know them to be in need, for it is better that you should yourself help your own family, who would be ashamed to beg help from others." Secondly, almsdeeds deserve to be rewarded eternally, through the merit of the recipient, who prays for the giver, and it is in this sense that Augustine is speaking.

Reply to Objection 3: Since almsdeeds are works of mercy, just as a man does not, properly speaking, pity himself, but only by a kind of comparison, as stated above (Question 30, Articles 1,2), so too, properly speaking, no man gives himself an alms, unless he act in another's person; thus when a man is appointed to distribute alms, he can take something for himself, if he be in want, on the same ground as when he gives to others.

Articulus 9

Argumentum 1

Ad nonum sic proceditur. Videtur quod non sit magis propinquioribus eleemosyna facienda.

Dicitur enim Eccli. XII, da misericordi, et ne suscipias peccatorem, benefac humili, et non des impio.

Sed quandoque contingit quod propinqui nostri sunt peccatores et impii. Ergo non sunt eis magis eleemosynae faciendae.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, eleemosynae sunt faciendae propter retributionem mercedis aeternae, secundum illud Matth. VI, et pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.

Sed retributio aeterna maxime acquiritur ex eleemosynis quae sanctis erogantur, secundum illud Luc. XVI, facite vobis amicos de mammona iniquitatis, ut, cum defeceritis, recipiant vos in aeterna tabernacula; quod exponens Augustinus, in libro de verb. Dom., dicit, qui sunt qui habebunt aeterna habitacula nisi sancti dei? et qui sunt qui ab eis accipiendi sunt in tabernacula nisi qui eorum indigentiae serviunt? ergo magis sunt eleemosynae dandae sanctioribus quam propinquioribus.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, maxime homo est sibi propinquus. Sed sibi non potest homo eleemosynam facere. Ergo videtur quod non sit magis facienda eleemosyna personae magis coniunctae.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod apostolus dicit, I ad Tim. V, si quis suorum, et maxime domesticorum curam non habet, fidem negavit et est infideli deterior.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut Augustinus dicit, in I de doct. Christ., illi qui sunt nobis magis coniuncti quasi quadam sorte nobis obveniunt, ut eis magis providere debemus.

Est tamen circa hoc discretionis ratio adhibenda, secundum differentiam coniunctionis et sanctitatis et utilitatis.

Nam multo sanctiori magis indigentiam patienti, et magis utili ad commune bonum, est magis eleemosyna danda quam personae propinquiori; maxime si non sit multum coniuncta, cuius cura specialis nobis immineat, et si magnam necessitatem non patiatur.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod peccatori non est subveniendum inquantum peccator est, idest ut per hoc in peccato foveatur, sed inquantum homo est, idest ut natura sustentetur.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod opus eleemosynae ad mercedem retributionis aeternae dupliciter valet. Uno quidem modo, ex radice caritatis. Et secundum hoc eleemosyna est meritoria prout in ea servatur ordo caritatis, secundum quem propinquioribus magis providere debemus, ceteris paribus.

Unde Ambrosius dicit, in I de offic., est illa probanda liberalitas, ut proximos sanguinis tui non despicias, si egere cognoscas, melius est enim ut ipse subvenias tuis, quibus pudor est ab aliis sumptum deposcere.

Alio modo valet eleemosyna ad retributionem vitae aeternae ex merito eius cui donatur, qui orat pro eo qui eleemosynam dedit.

Et secundum hoc loquitur ibi Augustinus.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, cum eleemosyna sit opus misericordiae, sicut misericordia non est proprie ad seipsum, sed per quandam similitudinem, ut supra dictum est; ita etiam, proprie loquendo, nullus sibi eleemosynam facit, nisi forte ex persona alterius.

Puta, cum aliquis distributor ponitur eleemosynarum, potest et ipse sibi accipere, si indigeat, eo tenore quo et aliis ministrat.