being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, A without understanding, without natural affection, unmerciful." B Yet those whom God brings back to piety, He teaches both to abstain from evils and to be diligent in mercy toward their neighbor, just as the prophet Isaiah taught from the person of God, saying: "Cease to do evil, learn to do good." And the law had many commandments regarding not harming one’s neighbor, as well as instructions regarding being humane and showing mercy. For if anyone should abandon one of these, the other is not sufficient for the correction of a man. For neither is an act of beneficence toward the needy acceptable before God if it is done from unjust gains, nor is he who abstains from injustice praiseworthy if he imparts none of his own goods. For it is written concerning those who are unjust and yet endeavor to offer gifts to God: "The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord"; and concerning those who do not show mercy: "He that shuts his ears to avoid hearing the poor, he also shall call, and there shall be none to hear him." For this reason, the Proverb counsels: "Honor the Lord from your righteous labors, and offer to Him from the fruits of your righteousness." For if you are about to offer to God from injustice and rapine, it were better neither to possess such property C nor to offer from it. For a pure gift will exalt the prayer, as it is written: "The prayers of those who walk uprightly are acceptable to Him." And again, if you possess gains from righteous labors but do not offer to God the offerings from which the poor are fed, it shall be reckoned to you as rapine, as he says through the prophet Malachi, that the firstfruits and the tithes are with you, and there shall be a plundering in your houses. Therefore, it is necessary that you mingle mercy and judgment, such that you acquire with judgment, but spend on mercy, according to what is written: "Keep mercy and judgment, and draw near to your God always." For God loves alms and judgment. Wherefore he draws near to God who provides for mercy and judgment. D It remains, then, that here each one should examine himself, and the rich man should more diligently weigh the household means from which he intends to offer gifts to God: whether he has oppressed the poor, or burdened the weaker, or despoiled those subject to him, professing desire as if it were justice. For we are commanded to cultivate justice and equity, even toward servants. Do not use force because you have the power, nor defraud others because you rule over them; but since many things [are] yours...
are within your power, show forth the things of justice. For you will not provide the proof of your obedience and fear toward God in matters where you are unable [to act], but rather in matters where you have the power to transgress, yet do not transgress. If, however, after taking away from the poor, you give to the poor, it would have been better had you neither taken away nor given. Why do you defile your own wealth by bringing into it unjust gains? Why do you make your offering to God an abomination, [an offering] derived from injustice, attempting to offer it at the very time you are about to show mercy to another beggar? Show mercy to the person you are wronging. Use your philanthropy toward him; show grace to him, and you will fulfill mercy with judgment. For God will not share in greed, nor is the Lord a partner of robbers and plunderers; nor did He leave the poor to us as if He were unable to feed them, but He seeks from us a just and philanthropic harvest for our own benefit. Almsgiving does not come from injustice, nor blessing from a curse, nor acts of kindness from tears. To those who cause the tears of the oppressed to flow, God says, B "You were doing things I hated; you were covering the altar of the Lord with tears, and with weeping and groaning." Show mercy from your own labors, and do not wish to do injustice, using the pretext of offering to God mercy [gained] from injustice. Such things are empty conceit, looking toward the praises of men and not toward the praise that comes from God. For this reason, the Lord rightly says, "not to be seen by men." For if you do almsgiving as though God, who sees it, [is the one who perceives it], you will take care not to do it from greed, knowing that you do not delight God, who is the Overseer. Thus, let us perform almsgiving so that we may receive from God. And God rewards those whom He praises; but He praises no greedy person. It is not possible for you to offer gifts to God if you grieve your brother. "If you offer," He says, "your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave first, be reconciled to your brother, and then coming, offer your gift." Remember the tax collector Zacchaeus, who, C proposing to restore fourfold if he had defrauded anyone of anything, thus distributed half of his remaining goods to the poor. For he knew that he wished to receive Christ, and Christ would not otherwise accept the bounties toward the poor if the acts of greed against those who had been wronged were not undone. And thus the Lord accepted the righteousness of Zacchaeus, and said: "Today salvation has come to this house." And this pertains to those who perform mercy but care little for justice. But to those who abstain from injustice, yet neglect mercy, we say: "Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire," and such a tree will never [deserve] the heavenly D [reward].
from the Husbandman who said: "He came seeking fruit on the fig tree, and he found none," and who ordered it to be cut down so that it would not occupy the ground. He also appears condemned before God who does not return a pledge to a poor man, and a threat is made against such a person: "For," He says, "if he who has not received back his pledge cries out to Me, I will hear him, because I am merciful." It was a grave and wicked thing to gather up ears of corn left after the harvest, or to collect the remaining grapes, or to pick up olives that had fallen; rather, they were left for the poor to be plucked by them. But if such B commandments applied to those who were under the Law, what are we to say about the disciples of Christ? To whom the Lord says: "Unless your righteousness abounds more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." For this reason, the Apostle exhorts us to relieve the poor not only from fields and revenues, but also from the works of our hands: "Work," he says, "with your hands what is good, so that you may have something to give to him who is in need." To him who desires to follow Him, the Lord counsels that he sell all his substance and give it to the poor, and thus follow Him. Indeed, to His own servants and the perfect, He commends a perfect and absolute fullness of almsgiving, so that, once the ministry of wealth is completed, they may pass over to the worship of reason and spirit. From the others, however, He demands continuous largess and expenditures from their own resources, so that through these they may be found as imitators of divine mercy, practicing humanity, liberality, and kindness. For, He says, "Give, and it will be given to you." By these things, He declares that they will also share with Him. For these are they who will stand at the right hand of the Lord, to whom the King, when He comes, will say: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and in prison and you came to Me." And when the just shall wonder and say: "When did we do these things to You, Lord?" He will answer: "Amen, amen, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." For dedication to the saints is piety toward Christ; and the zealous helper of the poor will share with Christ, not only if he gives great things from great resources, but also if he brings forth from what is small, even if he gives nothing more than a cup of cold water to drink to a disciple in the name of a disciple. For the indigence of the disciples, which is poverty to the world, is to you a true fountain of wealth. Indeed, because through it you are found to be a co-worker with Christ; you nourish the soldiers of Christ, and indeed willingly, not by compulsion. For the heavenly King D
does not compel, nor does He demand taxes, but He accepts those who are willing, that by giving they may receive, and by honoring they may be honored, and by sharing the things that are transitory, they may be called to a share in those that are eternal. Let these things be always in our memory and before the eyes of our soul, so that we may not neglect the opportunity that has come to us, nor, putting off the present moment, wait for another, lest by tarrying and delaying we be caught by the end. May the Lord grant that we be found fruitful, watchful, and mindful of His commandments, prepared and unhindered for His glorious meeting, in Christ Himself, our God, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
BY THE SAME: CONSOLATORY HOMILY TO ONE WHO IS SICK
Bless me, Father.
B The life of men is short, and the splendor of this laborious life is of brief duration. It is a spider's web, C glory is easily dissolved, the fantasy of life is a dream, but the rest of the just is most blessed. D The rest in the heavens is endless, the gifts of the incorruptible and bountiful One are, naturally, unfading. For with Him whose nature is unchangeable, the giving is also unceasing. Therefore, the struggle for us here is temporal, but the victory there, with its rewards, is eternal. For we toil as in a wrestling school throughout this life, wrestling with afflictions, and nature has many antagonists. Pleasures dissolve the strength of the soul, luxuries render the manly spirit effeminate, sloth breaks the nerves, calumniators sow insults, flatterers weave traps, and fear strikes in the struggle.