Thy couches are everywhere overlaid with silver, and the bodies of the saints are deprived of the necessary covering... And thou, having in addition to a common nature a thousand motives to be in close union with thy own members, namely, the endowment of understanding, participation in piety, and fellowship in innumerable blessings, have nevertheless become coarser than dumb animals, you show great concern for useless things, and you despise the temples of God, which perish from hunger and nakedness, and even often expose them yourself to a thousand calamities. If you do this out of love of glory, then you should take more care of your brother than of a horse. For the better he who enjoys your beneficence, the more beautiful is the crown woven for your diligence; but now, acting quite differently, you do not feel that you are arming thousands of accusers against you."

We will not dwell in more detail on the exposition of St. John's views on the universal humane foundations of the duty to do almsgiving, since this aspect of the matter will appear even more clearly in the exposition of the saint's views on the properties of almsgiving. Now let us turn to the teaching of St. John about the universality of the duty to give alms.

The teaching of St. John Chrysostom on the foundations of the duty to give alms and on the motives for it, which we have already expounded, leads us to assume that the Holy Father assimilates the universal significance of the duty to give alms. In fact, if the commandment to give alms is a commandment of God and, consequently, an expression of God's will[864]; if, furthermore, the fulfillment of this commandment is of such importance in the life of a Christian that it is impossible to enter the Kingdom of Heaven without alms[865]; then it is clear that the duty to give alms is a common Christian duty. This is one side of the matter, and St. John asserts with all his force that everyone must and can do almsgiving. But the universality of this duty in the teaching of St. John is valid not only in relation to the one who does good, but also in relation to the one who asks, that is, St. John definitely and extremely expressively, even more strikingly vividly, emphasizes the duty to give to everyone who asks, according to the commandment of Christ the Savior: to everyone who asks you, give. This, so to speak, is the other side in the concept of the universality of the duty to do almsgiving, which also logically inevitably follows from the foundations of the teaching of the saint. Indeed, if Christ's commandment to help everyone who asks is understood by the Holy Father in the literal sense; if every beggar is personified by a saint with Christ in need; If, finally, a person must listen to the compassionate voice of his heart in the matter of almsgiving, then it is clear that one should give to everyone who asks. And the Holy Father not only affirms this, but with amazing boldness of thought removes all possible objections to this understanding of the universality of the duty to give to everyone who asks.

Thus, first of all, every Christian is obliged and able to do almsgiving.

When St.

"The commandment of almsgiving," says the Holy Father, for example, "applies not only to the rich, but also to the poor: whenever a man eats by begging from others, this commandment applies to him, because no, verily, there is not a single poor man, no matter how poor he may be, that he does not have two mites[866]. Consequently, it is possible for him who gives little to surpass those who give much and those who give little, as was the case with that widow. The amount of alms is measured not by the measure of what is given, but by the will and diligence of the givers. So everywhere there is a need for will, everywhere love for God. If we do everything according to its prompting, then even if we give a little, having a little, God will not turn away His face, but will accept even small things as great and extraordinary. He looks at volition, and not at what is given; if he sees that it is great, he turns his decision and sentence on it and makes (the givers) participants in eternal blessings" [867]. And from this point of view, St. John even finds that poverty predisposes to almsgiving. "If people," he says, "intoxicated with wealth, shut their ears to my words, then those who live in poverty will pay attention to them. But how, you say, does this go to the poor? After all, they have neither gold nor many garments? But they have bread and cold water; there are two mites and legs to visit the sick; there is a tongue and a word to comfort the unfortunate; there is a house and shelter to receive the wanderer. We do not demand so many talents of gold from the poor, but only from the rich. But if someone is poor and comes to the doors of others (the poor), our Lord will not be ashamed to accept a mite, and will even say that He has received more from him than from people who have given much. How many of you here would like to live during the time when Christ was on earth in the flesh, to be under the same roof with Him and to share a meal with Him! Now it is possible: we can invite Him to the Supper and sup with Him even more profitably. Of those who then supper with Him, many perished, such as Judas and others like them"[868]. "Much or little," says the saint in another discourse, "is evaluated not by the quantity of what is given, but by the wealth of the giver. Let the rich not think much of himself, and let the poor not lose heart, like the giver of little, for often the poor give more than the rich. As a result of poverty, you should not consider yourselves unhappy, since it makes it easier for us to give alms, and finds more opportunities to do good. He easily goes to prison, visits the sick, gives a cup of cold water, and the rich man, haughty with his wealth, will not allow himself to do this. Therefore, do not complain about poverty, for poverty gives you a great opportunity to gain heaven. Even though you have nothing, you have a compassionate heart, and for this you are ready to be rewarded. Wherefore Paul commanded that those who wept should weep,869 and that the prisoners should be treated as if we were in bondage with them.870 To have many sufferers brings some consolation not only to those who weep, but also to those who are in other difficult circumstances; Sometimes one word can strengthen the dejected no less than money... He who has a humane and merciful disposition, if he has money, will distribute it; if he sees someone in misfortune, he will weep and shed tears; if he meets the offended, he will intercede; if he finds someone in need, he will give him his hand. Having a treasure of good things – a humane and merciful soul – he will pour out from it all that is necessary for the brethren and will receive all the rewards prepared by God. And in order for us to attain them, let us first of all take care to make our hearts meek." That is why all the speeches of the Holy Father about the "purchase of heaven" have, in essence, the same meaning in relation to the poor. "Heavenly goods are not sold for money, they are not bought with money, but by the free decision of the giver of money, by wisdom, by exaltation above the things of life, by philanthropy and almsgiving. If they bought with silver, then the wife who put in two mites would receive a little; but since it was not silver, but a good intention that had power, she, showing all her readiness, received everything... Money, however, is needed, you say? It is not money that is needed, but a decision. With the latter, you can buy heaven for two mites, and without it, even for a thousand golden talents, you cannot buy what you can buy for two mites. Why? For when thou hast given less of much, thou hast done alms, but not such as that of a widow; thou didst not give with such zeal as she did; it has deprived itself of everything, or better yet, it has not deprived itself, but has given itself everything. God promised the Kingdom, not for talents of gold, but for a cup of cold water, for diligence, not for death, which is not something great, but for intention." "Know for sure," teaches St. John, "that poverty is not an obstacle to almsgiving. Though you were a thousand times poor, yet you are not poorer than the one who had only a handful of flour[873] and the one who had only two mites, of which both, having spent all their possessions on the poor, were worthy of wondrous praise; and great poverty was not an obstacle to such great philanthropy, but almsgiving, consisting of two mites, was so rich and significant that it eclipsed all the rich both in the richness of disposition, and in the excess of diligence surpassed those who laid many statirs" [874]. "Do you have an obol? – the saint asks the poor man encouragingly. "Buy heaven, not because heaven is cheap, but because the Lord loves mankind. Don't you have an obol?" Give me a cup of cold water: whosoever shall give one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink for my sake, he shall not lose his reward. The subject of buying and selling is the sky, and we do not care. Give bread and take paradise, give small and take great; give the mortal and take the immortal; give the perishable and take the incorruptible"[875]. "When you are sitting at home, a beggar comes selling paradise and says: give bread and get paradise, give second-hand clothes and you will receive the Kingdom of Heaven; I do not tell you how much to give, so that you do not hesitate to plead your faults. Buy paradise for as much as you want: give bread; if you have no bread, give me an obol, give me a cup of cold water; Give me what you want, what you have, I accept everything, just buy paradise... He who sells paradise does not seek profit, but a soul of a compassionate and well-intentioned heart" [876]. And in this case, the Holy Father expands the concept of alms to such an extent that he makes it possible to do it regardless of the possession of money. "Almsgiving is done not only by money, but also by deeds. So, for example, you can intercede, you can give a helping hand; often in cases, the petition helped even more money. Thus, let us put into action in the present case all kinds of almsgiving. Can you do it with money? Don't hesitate. Can you petition? Don't say you don't have money; it is nothing, and it means a great deal, if you were so disposed as if you were giving money. Can you do it a favor? Do that too. For example, are you a doctor by rank? Take care of the sick, and it means a lot. Can you give me advice? This is much more important than anything; Counsel is all the better and higher of all, the greater it is useful: with it you deliver not hunger, but cruel death. The apostles were especially rich in it; therefore they entrusted the distribution of money to the inferior, while they themselves remained in the service of the Word[877]. Or do you think that alms will not be great if you can free a soul that is given over to despondency, in extreme danger, possessed by the flame (of passion), from this disease? For example, do you see a friend obsessed with the love of money? Show mercy to this man. Does he want to hang himself? Quench his flame. And what if he didn't listen? Do your job and don't be lazy. If you see him bound in chains (for the love of money is truly a bond), come to him, visit him, comfort him, try to free him from his bonds. If he does not agree, he will be to blame. If you see a naked man and a stranger (truly naked and a stranger to heaven, not caring about a virtuous life), take him into your house, clothe him in the garments of virtue, make him a citizen of heaven"[878]. And in general, St. John constantly insists that the value of alms is not measured by the amount of what is given, so that everyone should do good, and he especially likes to dwell in detail on the example of the widow of the Gospel and Old Testament from Zarephath of Sidon[879].

Thus, the universality of the duty to give alms appears in the works of St. John with all clarity in relation to those who do good: everyone must give alms, not excluding the most miserable cripples who live on the alms of others. But, as we have said, St. John extends this universality of the duty of helping the needy to those who ask, demanding that they be given to everyone who asks. Here St. John stands on a pure Gospel point of view. We have already seen that the absoluteness of the Gospel commandment is expressed, first of all, in the command: "Give to everyone who asks." Any restrictions that had a certain place in the Old Testament fall away. All practical considerations and reflections also fall away: both about the dignity and need of the supplicant, and about taking care of oneself. This point of the Gospel teaching, as has already been mentioned, appears in a somewhat distorted light in our systematic courses of theology. And if we called the elucidation of the Gospel view of property and wealth in our time not only illegal, but also incomprehensible, then with regard to this point of the teaching on almsgiving, we cannot call its adaptation to the existing conditions of life incomprehensible, although, of course, we also consider it illegal. The absolute height and purity of the teaching of the Gospel has always been a stumbling block on the path to clarifying its attitude to life. There has always been a great temptation to replace this ideal height with a height of another order of magnitude, measured by our yardstick. This happened in general, and so it happened in the understanding of the ideal meaning of almsgiving. Give to everyone who asks you. This commandment, it seemed, could easily lead to the discovery of its inner inadequacy, turn out to be "impractical" and bring not so much benefit as harm. How great is the temptation to soften the absolute meaning of this particular Gospel commandment is evident from the fact that in the ancient Church, too, authoritative voices were heard in favor of the legitimacy of scrupulousness in the provision of alms, for example, St. Ambrose of Milan, as we shall see below. If this was the case in the field of theoretical theology, then even more so in real life. Here such powerful allies as avarice and egoism came to the aid of the lofty constructions of the mind, who invented many reasons and grounds to justify the deviation from the fulfillment of the Gospel commandment: the lie of the supplicant, and his laziness, and appearance, and health... And so, in the face of such a predicament of theology and the hypocritical mask of ordinary egoism, St. John stands with unshakable firmness in defense of the ideal purity of the Gospel truth. For St. John it was clear that the duty to give alms does not mean so much those who receive as those who give, as we have seen; that the center of gravity of this duty is not in its practical results, but in a certain mood of the benefactor. And St. John with invincible energy struggles against attempts to be selective in personal almsgiving, and with such vivid imagery he proves the duty to give to everyone who asks and breaks down all the arguments of those who oppose him, that we have not encountered anything like this anywhere: neither in the writings of the Holy Fathers, nor in the works of universal human thought of all times. In view of this, we will allow ourselves to convey the more characteristic passages from the saint's discourses, relating to the point of his teaching on almsgiving, which is now being revealed, in the possible entirety. Here, for example, is how eloquently he speaks of not even trying to be interested in finding out whether a person is really in need and whether he has come with a good intention. "We clearly know," says St. John, "that we receive Christ among us, yet we do not become meek as a result... Do not be curious, for you accept for Christ's sake. He who receives even the unworthy is not made guilty, but has his reward: receive the prophet in the name of the prophet, he will receive the reward of the prophet. And whoever bypasses a person worthy of wonder out of undue curiosity incurs punishment upon himself. So, do not be curious about life and affairs, because for one piece of bread to examine a whole life is a sign of extreme vanity. If he were a murderer, a robber, or the like, do you think he is not worth a piece of bread and a few coins?... But I will tell you even more: even if you know well that he is full of innumerable evils, then you will have no excuse if you deprive him of his daily sustenance. Thou art the servant of Him Who said, "I know not of what spirit ye are; you are the servant of Him who rendered services to those who threw stones at Him... Do not tell me that he has killed a man: if he intended to kill you, then do not despise him when he is hungry. After all, you are a disciple of Him Who desired salvation for those who crucified Him, Who even on the cross said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not see what they do"... Can anything compare to this?... He weeps for those who intend to kill Him, and is troubled and troubled when He sees a traitor, not because He Himself will be crucified, but because he will perish... Thy Lord kisseth and allows to touch His lips the one who soon had to shed His precious blood; but you do not deign a beggar even a piece of bread, you do not respect the law given by Christ... Therefore, do not say that so-and-so has killed so-and-so, and because of this I abhor him. If anyone wants to pierce you with a sword, to plunge his hand into your throat, kiss this hand, because Christ kissed the lips that caused his death... And you treat a beggar cruelly! If he were guilty of innumerable crimes, then his poverty and hunger are enough to soften your soul, if it is not too coarse." And St. John foresees and easily destroys all those arguments by means of which human avarice and cunning sought to justify the violation of the Lord's direct commandment. "It is truly madness and manifest absurdity," says the saint in one of his discourses, for example, "to fill chests with garments, and not to pay attention to one who is created in the image and likeness of God and has no clothes, shivers from the cold and can hardly stand on his feet. But you will say: he pretends to be trembling and weak. And you are not afraid to bring lightning upon yourself with such words? I'm sorry, I'm trembling with anger. You are satiated, you continue to drink until late at night, you bask on soft carpets and do not think of giving an account of such a lawless use of God's gifts... but from a poor, unfortunate man, who is no better than a dead man, do you demand a strict account, and do not fear the terrible and terrible judgment of Christ? If he pretends, it is because of poverty and necessity, because of your hardness of heart and inhumanity, which requires such pretense and otherwise does not bow down to mercy. Who, indeed, is so unhappy and miserable as to assume such an ugly appearance without any need for a piece of bread, to torment himself and endure such torment? And so, his pretense proclaims to all about your inhumanity. If he begs, begs, speaks pitiful words, weeps, weeps, wanders all day long and does not find the necessary food, then perhaps he has invented such a trick, which serves not so much to him as to you as to dishonor and accusation. He is worthy of compassion for having gone to such an extreme, and we are worthy of a thousand plagues that we force the poor to do so. If we were easily inclined to mercy, he would never dare to undergo it. What do I say about the flesh and shivering from the cold? I will say something even more terrible: some had to blind small children in order to touch our insensibility. Since, wandering sighted and naked, they could not attract the attention of the hard-hearted, either by the tenderness of age or by misfortune, they added to their misfortunes another most deplorable calamity to satisfy their hunger, finding it easier to be deprived of the common light and the rays of the sun granted to all, than to constantly struggle with hunger and undergo the most miserable death. You are not accustomed to sympathize with poverty, but amuse yourself with misfortune; That is why they satisfy your insatiable desire, kindling in themselves and in you a flame that is fiercest to hell. And in order that you may be convinced that all this and the like is for this very reason, I will present to you an indubitable proof, which no one can contradict. There are the poor, the frivolous and the faint-hearted, who cannot endure hunger and are ready to endure everything else besides this. They, having repeatedly approached you with pitiful countenances and pitiful words, but having received no help, at last give up their entreaties and resort to tricks no worse than sorcerers: some chew the leather of worn-out shoes, others drive sharp nails into their heads, some lie down on the frozen water with their bare stomachs, and others subject themselves to still more absurd tortures in order to imagine a pitiful sight. While this is being done, you stand and laugh, wondering and comforting yourself at the misfortunes of others, who put our common nature to shame. What worse can the man-hating devil do than this? And in order for him to do this more diligently, you give money with great generosity. Whoever asks, calls upon God, and approaches you meekly, you do not deign him either an answer or a glance, and if he often annoys you, you say such unbearable words about him: "Should he live, should he breathe, should he look at the sun?" And to them, on the contrary, you are benevolent and generous, so that you yourself become the author of their ridiculous and satanic ugliness. When God says: "Give alms, and I will give you the Kingdom of Heaven," you do not listen; but when the devil shows a head wounded by nails, you suddenly become generous; the cunning of the evil demon, which causes so much harm, has a greater effect on you than the promise of God, which bestows many blessings. It would be necessary to give gold, so that it would not happen, so as not to see it, it would be necessary to do and endure everything to eradicate this great madness; And you, on the contrary, try in every possible way and take care to make it happen, to look at it. And you, tell me, still ask, what is Gehenna for? For what punishment are not worthy of those who make this cruel and inhuman spectacle, and laugh at those for whom they and yourselves ought to weep, and especially you, who compel them to such outrageous acts? But, you will say, I do not force them. How then do you not compel me, tell me, when you do not even want to listen to the meek, weeping and calling on God, and to them you generously give money and invite others to marvel at them? But, you will say, we are retreating, feeling sorry for them. But don't you demand it? No, man, it is not pity when you force them to endure such torment for a few obols, when you command them to tear themselves apart and tear the skin on their heads into many pieces in a pitiful and deplorable way in order to obtain the necessary food." And the Holy Father expressed similar thoughts more than once, forestalling more and more objections to the duty to do good to everyone who asks. "Receive the prophet in the name of the prophet, he will receive the reward of the prophet; and receive the righteous in the name of the righteous, he will receive the reward of the righteous; whosoever shall give one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, only in the name of a disciple, Amen, I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward"[882]. Thus, here He speaks of the prophets, the righteous, and the disciples; and in another place He commands to receive even the most contemptible, and to those who do not receive them, He determines the punishment: "For you have not created the least of these alone, you have not created Me"[883]; and of the lesser ones he again says that he who receives them receives Himself. Let the one you receive not a disciple, nor a prophet, nor a righteous man; but he is a man who lives in the same world with you, sees the same sun, has the same soul, the same Lord, partakes of the same sacraments, moreover, is called to heaven and has the absolute right to demand care from you, being poor and in need of necessary food. Meanwhile, now, when people come to you in bad weather with flutes and pipes, wake you up from your sleep, disturb you in vain and without work, they depart from you with no small gifts; In the same way, those who wear swallows, rub themselves with soot and laugh at everyone, receive from you a reward for their mischief. And if a poor man comes to you and begs for bread, you will speak a lot of curses at him, you will slander him, reproach him with idleness, shower him with reproaches, hurtful words and ridicule, and you will not think of yourself that you also live in idleness, yet God gives you His blessings. Don't tell me that you do anything yourself, but show me what you do that is useful and necessary. If you tell me that you are engaged in trade, tavern, and strive to save and increase your possessions, then I will tell you that this is not a business; the real deeds are almsgiving, prayers, protection of the offended, and other virtues, which we completely neglect. And yet God never says to us: "Because you live in idleness, I will not shine on you with the sun; for you do not attend to the necessary things, and I will extinguish the moon, I will shut up the bowels of the earth, I will stop the lakes, springs, rivers, I will take away the air, I will not give rain in time." On the contrary, God gives us all this in abundance, and allows us to use all this not only for those who live in idleness, but also for those who do evil. If, therefore, you see a poor man and say, "I am vannoyed that this young, healthy man does nothing, wants to live in idleness, and perhaps he is still a fugitive servant who has left his master," then apply all that I have said to yourself, or rather, allow him to say it with all boldness. And he can say to you with great right: "And I am vexed that you, being in good health, live in idleness and do nothing of what God has commanded you, but like a slave who has fled from the commands of his master, you wander in a foreign land, spending your life in vices, in drunkenness, intemperance, in theft, in predation, and in the destruction of other people's houses. You reproach you for idleness, and I reproach you for evil deeds, when you plot, when you swear, lie, steal, when you do a thousand similar deeds..." Be only ready to show mercy, then the poor will immediately abandon idleness, and you will cease to be cruel. But you will say: the beggar lies a lot and pretends. And in this case, he deserves pity, because he has gone to such an extreme that he is not even ashamed to lie like that. And not only do we have no pity, but we also add such cruel words: "Have you not received once and twice?" So what is it? Does he not need to eat again, because he ate once? Why do you not put the same rule on your belly, and say to it, 'You were full yesterday and the third day, so do not ask today?' On the contrary, you satiate your belly excessively, and when he asks you for a little, you refuse, although you should give him alms because he is forced to come to you every day. If you do not feel any other motives, then for this alone you must give him alms. After all, extreme poverty forces him to do this. Thou hast no pity for him, because when he hears thy words, he is not ashamed; but need is stronger than shame. But not only do you have no pity for him, but you mock him, and while God commanded that alms be given secretly, you publicly revile the one who has come, when you ought to have shown him compassion.

In need, shamelessness is forgivable. Yet we are often not ashamed of doing things for which we ought to be punished; and while we should humble ourselves in thinking of such matters, we attack the poor: they ask us for healing, and we add to their wounds. If you do not want to give, then why do you beat him? If you do not want to show mercy, then why do you offend? But he won't go away without it? Thus do as the wise man commanded: rebuke him peacefully in meekness[884]. He does not act so shamelessly against his will. Verily, there is no man who would want to become shameless without any need; And even if thousands of proofs were presented, I will never believe that a person who lives in abundance would dare to beg. Therefore, no one should assure us of the opposite. If Paul also says: "If anyone will not work, let him eat below," then he says this to the poor, and not to us; On the contrary, he says to us: "Do not be cold when you do good." We do the same in domestic affairs: when two people quarrel with each other, we take each one aside and give them opposite advice. This is what God did, and so did Moses, who said to God: "If you forgive them sin, forgive them, if you blot me out..."[885] Therefore, let us not be hard-hearted, but let us fulfill what Paul said: Do not be cold when you do good. Let us fulfill what the Saviour Himself said: "Give to everyone who asks you"[886]; and be merciful, as your Father[887]. In giving many other commandments, the Lord did not add such words, but used them, speaking only about almsgiving. Nothing likens us to God as much as charity... Don't be a cruel judge. Even if you are pure from all sins, then even in this case the law of God forbids you to judge the misdeeds of others harshly. If the Pharisee perished because of this, what excuse will we have? If people of an irreproachable life are forbidden to judge the faults of others harshly, how much more so are sinners. Therefore, let us not be cruel, inhuman, implacable, insensitive; let us not be more evil than the beast"[888]. The general ground of principle on which St. John asserts himself in his defense of the principle of indiscriminate almsgiving, in addition to the already mentioned duty of compassion for need, is the unlawfulness of judgment on our part in relation to those who ask for it, which was clearly emphasized by the Holy Father. Such judgment is not only not our duty, but God has not given us the right to judge those who ask, and this prohibition is a manifestation of God's mercy not only to the poor, but also to those who give alms, since it relieves us of the trouble of investigation and the danger of making mistakes in other cases. "He who gives charity," says St. John, "should not investigate the life of the poor, but help the poor and satisfy need. The only excuse for the poor is lack and need; ask him nothing more; but if he, even if he be the most vicious of all, needs the necessary food, then let us satisfy his hunger. Christ also commanded us to act in the same way: "Be like," He says, "like your Father, who is in heaven, as his sun shines on the evil and the good, and rains on the just and the unjust." The Merciful One is a haven for the needy, and the harbor receives all those who have been shipwrecked and saves them from danger; whether they are evil or good, or whoever they are in danger, she takes them into her arms. In the same way, when you see a man shipwrecked on earth by poverty, do not expect or demand an account, but deliver him from misfortune. Why do you incur labor? God has freed you from all care and anxiety. How many would many speak and be indignant if God commanded first to investigate life with accuracy, to find out the behavior and actions of everyone, and only then to give alms? And now we are freed from all such difficulty. Why do we incur unnecessary worries upon ourselves? One is the judge, the other is the giver of alms. Alms are called so because we give it to the unworthy. Paul also exhorts us to act in the same way: "Do good," he says, "let us not be cold." If we inquire and inquire about the unworthy, we will not soon find the worthy; and if we give to the unworthy, then both the worthy and the like will fall into our hands, as happened to the blessed Abraham, who, without questioning or inquiring about those who come, was once vouchsafed to receive angels. Let us also imitate him, and with him his descendant Job; for this one also imitated the magnanimity of his ancestor with all exactness, and therefore said: "My door is open to everyone who comes"[891]. It was not open to such-and-such, but closed to another, but it was open to everyone in general. Thus I exhort us, let us also do it, not exploring anything beyond what is proper. The dignity of the poor is only need; whoever ever comes to us with her, let us investigate nothing more; for we do not give to a disposition, but to a person, and we pity him not for virtue, but for misfortune, so that we ourselves may attract great mercy from the Lord, so that we ourselves, who are unworthy, may be vouchsafed His love for mankind. But if we begin to seek out and examine the merits of our concelebrants, then God will do the same to us; and, trying to demand an account from our equal servants, we ourselves will lose the Highest love for mankind. For whom, saith the Lord, judge ye with judgment, ye shall be judged" [892]. "Many," says St. John in another of his discourses, "often enter into rigorous investigations about the needy, ask about their homeland, way of life, manners, occupations, and bodily health, reproach them, and demand from them many explanations about their health. For this reason many (of the poor) appear to be mutilated in body, in order to bow down our cruelty and inhumanity by the sight of this misfortune.

To reproach them for this in the summer, though cruelly, but not so much, but in winter and in the cold to be such a ruthless and inhuman judge, and not to show them any leniency for doing nothing, is it not the height of cruelty? Why, you will say, did Paul give the Thessalonians this law: "If anyone does not want to work, let him eat less?" [893] In order that you, too, when you hear this, may address Paul's words not only to the poor, but also to yourself, because Paul's commandments apply not only to the poor, but also to us. I will also say something difficult and unpleasant; I know that you will be angry, but nevertheless I will say this, because I speak not to offend you, but to correct you. We reproach the poor with idleness, which often deserves excuse, and we ourselves often do things that are worse than any idleness. But I, another will say, possess my father's inheritance. Tell me, should the poor perish because he is poor, and from poor (parents), and did not have rich ancestors? But that is why he especially deserves mercy and compassion from the rich. You, often spending the whole day in the theater or in meetings, and in useless or even harmful conversations, do not think that you are doing bad and are doing nothing; And this wretched and miserable poor man, who spends the whole day in begging, in tears, and in a thousand troubles, do you condemn him, and drag him to the judgment seat, and demand an account from him? Where, tell me, is human conscience here? When, therefore, shalt thou say, What shall we say to Paul? Say this not only to the poor, but also to yourself. And on the other hand, read not only his threat, but also his condescension, because (the Apostle), having said: "If anyone does not want to work, let him eat less," he added: "But you, brethren, do not be cold for what you do good" (v. 13). Be philanthropic and indulgent to sorab, forgive him his sins, however many there may be, and be merciful, so that you yourself may be worthy of the same. Why do you trouble yourself? Why do you make searches? If God had commanded that the way of life (of the poor) should be investigated, and that their morals should be thoroughly examined, then would not many have murmured? Would they not have said: what is this? God has ordained a difficult task for us: we cannot examine the way of life of others and know what sins so-and-so has committed? Would not many and many more of this kind have said? And now, when He has freed us from all such searching, and has promised us a full reward (for almsgiving), whether the people who receive it will be evil or good, we bring anxiety upon ourselves...

If we examine the way of life (of the needy), we will not show mercy to any man, but because of such misplaced inquisitiveness we will remain barren, we will give no help to anyone, and we will labor uselessly and in vain. Therefore, I ask you to abandon this misplaced inquisitiveness, give (alms) to all those in need, and do it with great generosity." "It is good to do good with simplicity and not to be too picky about the one who receives the beneficence... The pious do not want to appear pious and does not assume such an appearance, even if he is threatened with contempt for it; but the deceiver, for whom deception is a trade, appears to be very pious, so that it is difficult to recognize him. From this it happens that he who does good to people, apparently impious, falls on the pious; but whoever seeks those who are revered as pious often falls upon the impious"[895].

For the time being, our task has been to clarify the view of St. John Chrysostom on the universality of the debt of almsgiving. But at the same time we had to expound the views of the Holy Father on the properties of truly Christian almsgiving, these are precisely those great and characteristic features of Christian almsgiving, according to which, firstly, its amount does not depend on the quantity, but is determined by the attitude to the size of the property and the mood of the benefactor; and, secondly, that alms should be done without inquiry and scrupulousness, but should be given for Christ's sake to everyone who asks. It is precisely these aspects of Christian alms that are emphasized by St. John with the greatest fullness and expressiveness. Now we need only supplement the exposition of the Holy Father's teaching on the properties of almsgiving. As regarding, first of all, the quantitative aspect of the teaching on the moral value of almsgiving, then, in addition to the detailed view of the Holy Father that the value of alms does not depend on quantity, it is necessary to note the true meaning of this proposition in its relation to the sign of generosity, which is necessarily conceivable in the concept of Christian almsgiving. Generosity, as we have already said, is a necessary expression of the fullness of love of the benefactor, that is, therefore, a characteristic feature of Christian almsgiving. And St. John, who so emphatically emphasized the indifference in the matter of the moral value of almsgiving, the magnitude of the sacrifice, points out with all certainty that his words in this case are applicable only to the poor, and the general property of alms should be generosity: the rich are generous when they give much; and the poor – even when he gives little, like the view of the Holy Father on the alms of the widow of the Gospel, which we have already revealed. "It is not enough," the saint instructs, "to give, but it must be done with generosity... It is not enough to do good, but it must be done sparingly... In perfect charity there must be generosity"[896]. "Let us therefore not be miserly; on the contrary, let us lavish with a generous hand"[897]. "Let us squander, let us give to the poor, as we ought to give. God values many things and small things not according to the measure of what is given, but according to the wealth of the giver. Therefore it may happen that if you put in a hundred gold coins, you put less than one who put only a small obol, because you put in from an abundance." "Now you would give your children for charioteers, and for dancers you would lay down your very souls, but you do not want to give even the smallest part of your possessions to the hungry Christ; but if, when you give a little silver, you are in such a frame of mind as if you had given everything, forgetting that not only to give, but to give generously, is what alms especially consist of. Therefore, the prophet glorifies and blesses not those who only give, but those who give generously; He doesn't just say "Dade", but how? Squander it, give it to the poor. What good is it if you, being rich, give as much as he, for example, who gave a glass of water from the whole sea, and do not imitate the generosity of a widowed wife? How will you say: "Lord, have mercy on me according to the commands of Thy mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, cleanse my iniquity," when you yourself do not have mercy not only with great mercy, but perhaps even with a small one? I am greatly ashamed when I see many rich men riding horses adorned with golden bridles, accompanied by servants dressed in golden robes, resting on silver couches, and indulging in many other extravagances; but as soon as it is necessary to give to the poor, they appear to be poorer than the poorest"[899]. "Therefore, let not the rich man boast that he gives much; nor let the poor be discouraged, as if giving little, because the latter often gives more than the former. Much and little is determined not by the measure of almsgiving, but by the size of the property of the givers"[900].

This is the quantitative criterion of the value of almsgiving, from the point of view of St. John Chrysostom. Here we can only note that the saint appropriated moral value only by alms from righteously acquired property; and has no such value, and even more than that, it is an offense to God when it is given out of what is acquired dishonestly, by stealing. "There is nothing equal to almsgiving; or rather, so great is the power of this virtue when it comes from pure treasuries! As that which comes from the unrighteous is like "a fountain that pours out impurities, so that which comes from the righteous is like a clear and pure stream in the garden, pleasant to look at, delightful to the taste, and bring freshness and coolness at noon. Such is almsgiving! At this spring grow not poplars, pines or cypresses, but other, much better than these, great growths" [901]. "But I do not mean alms from unrighteousness, because it is no longer almsgiving, but cruelty and inhumanity. Indeed, what is the use of stripping one and dressing another? Alms should come from compassion, and this is inhumanity. And even if we give away everything that we have stolen from others, it will be of no use to us. First give away from theft and then give alms. It is better not to show mercy than to show such mercy. After all, it was better for Cain not to bring anything at all. And if he, having brought less, angered God, then how can he not anger Him who gives someone else's things?" [902]. "Alms are no small medicine: it can be applied to all wounds. ' "Give alms," said (the Lord), "and behold, all shall be pure unto you,"[903] almsgiving, but not that which is acquired by covetousness, for what is given of what is acquired by covetousness is of no importance, even though you give to the needy. Thus, true alms are free from all unrighteousness, and it is this that makes everything pure" [904]. "Why do you offend the Lord by offering Him unclean gifts? Christ does not want to be nourished by covetousness, He does not accept such food. It is better to despise one who is tormented by hunger than to nourish him from such means; It is better not to give anything to others than someone else's. Tell me, If you saw two people, one naked and the other having clothes, and then, having undressed the one who had clothes, clothed the naked, would you not do wrong? This is obvious to everyone. If, by giving to another all that you have taken, you have offended and not shown mercy, then when you hardly give the smallest part of what you steal, and call it almsgiving, what punishment will you be subjected to?" [905]. "Can he be called merciful who steals someone else's property, even if he makes innumerable alms?... If people who have not done any injury to others are punished only because they did not share their property with them, then those who stole someone else's property will be even more punished. Do not justify yourself by saying that by harming one, you are showing mercy to another. It is unfair to do so... A philanthropist is not the one who himself smites and heals those who are afflicted by him, but the one who heals the wounds inflicted by others... Do you want to know what great evil is done by him who shows such mercy? Listen to what the Scripture says: As thou shalt kill a child before his father, so thou shalt offer sacrifice from the possessions of the poor"[906]. Turning to the exposition of St. John Chrysostom's views on those qualities of Christian almsgiving that characterize the very mood of the philanthropist and serve as its expression, we must, of course, expect that these qualities will be a reflection of the basic principle that permeates the entire Christian life – the principle of love. With regard to the personal disposition of the benefactor, love for the needy naturally and necessarily produces that alms are not some kind of duty, not a heavy burden, but a free inclination of the heart to help the needy, joyfully, diligently, and completely unselfishly. In relation to the person to whom alms are given, this very loving disposition of the benefactor must also be expressed in sincere cordiality, tenderness and meekness, excluding the possibility of reproaches, humility, excluding arrogance, and, finally, in the speed of help, in the unwillingness to leave the needy in a position of need, even for a short time. And all these natural qualities of truly Christian almsgiving are noted by St. John.

We have said that the loving disposition of the benefactor is the necessary foundation for the perfect freedom and joy of benevolence. This aspect of the matter is emphasized with particular force by the Holy Father. "Have mercy with good will," the saint quotes the words of the Holy Apostle Paul and explains: it is not enough to do good, but it must be done sparingly and without sorrow, or, better said, not only without sorrow, but also with a cheerful and joyful spirit, because it is not the same thing not to be sad and to rejoice. Paul argued the same thing with great care in his Epistle to the Corinthians. Urging them to generosity, he said: "Sow poverty, poverty and it will reap, and sow for blessing, for blessing, and it will reap"[907]; And when he taught the disposition with which this should be done, he added, "Neither out of tribulation, nor out of need," v. 7. In the one who does good there must be both: both generosity and cheerful disposition. Why do you weep when you give alms? Why do you grieve when showing mercy, and thereby you are deprived of the fruit of your merits? If you grieve, then there is no mercy in you, but you are cruel and inhuman. For if you yourself are in sorrow, how can you encourage him who is in sorrow? It is pleasant that he does not suspect anything wrong, and also when you give it to him with joy, because for people nothing seems so humiliating as to accept something from others, unless you turn away suspicion by special cheerfulness and show that you yourself receive more than you give... That is why the Apostle says: "Have mercy with good will"... Therefore, pay attention not to the expenditure of money, but to the benefit of this expenditure. If the sower rejoices, though he sows into the unknown for the future, how much more should he who tills the heavens rejoice. If you have given little, but with joy, you have given much; In the same way, if you have given much, but with sorrow, you have done little out of much. Thus the widow's two mites surpassed many talents, because her disposition was full of generosity. You will say: How can one who himself lives in extreme poverty and is lacking in everything give with cordiality? Ask a widow, and you will learn from her how this can be done, and you will learn that it is not poverty that creates a predicament, but one's own will that produces both this and the opposite. It is possible to be generous in poverty, and to be faint-hearted in wealth. If you have love, you will not feel either the waste of money or bodily labor... But you will endure everything courageously: whether it is necessary to help your neighbor with hard work, money, words, or anything else... Such is true love, and if it does, all the rest will follow by itself." "Alms are such only when you give it willingly, when you think that you do not give, but accept yourself, when you recognize it for yourself as a benefit and gain, and not a loss, otherwise it is not grace. He who shows mercy to another should rejoice, not grieve. Is it not foolish, in fact, to alleviate the sorrow of another, to grieve oneself? Then you are no longer giving alms. If you grieve that you have saved another from sorrow, then you are setting an example of extreme cruelty and inhumanity. It is better not to save than to save like that. And what, in fact, are you grieving about, man? Is it that your gold will decrease? But if you have such a disposition, then don't give it at all."[909] "Or are you not sure what you will receive by giving? If you are not sure, then I do not want you to give... If anyone is not convinced beforehand that he receives more than he gives, that he receives the greatest benefit, that he is more benefited than he does good, let him not give; If anyone thinks that he shows mercy to the receiver, let him not give... To give alms means not simply to give, but with zeal, with joy, and with a feeling of gratitude to the receiver: neither out of sorrow, it is said, nor out of need: God loves the giver of good will. Therefore, if anyone does not give with such a disposition, it is better not to give, because this is not almsgiving, but a waste of it." And in direct connection with this inner freedom of the giver of alms, there is also that property of alms, according to which alms should be given "secretly", without vanity and appearances, but in the name of the inner movement of the soul to help the disadvantaged. "I am very fond of almsgiving," says St. John, "and I grieve when I see how vanity spoils and corrupts it... Let us imagine that someone gives alms with a generous hand only for show in front of people. In this way, the giver of alms leads her out of the palace of her fathers. In fact, the Heavenly Father commands that even the left hand should not know about it, and this kind of alms puts itself on display both to slaves and to everyone they meet, even if they do not know it at all... If you want to see... how useless is almsgiving when you give it out of show and out of vanity, then consider what sorrow befalls you, and what endless sorrow will overwhelm you when the voice of Christ thunders before you: you have destroyed all your reward! Vanity is pernicious everywhere, but especially in matters of philanthropy, since here it is the utmost cruelty, deriving praise for itself from the misfortunes of others, and almost mocking those who live in poverty. If to point out one's good deeds is to reproach the beneficent, is it not much worse to flaunt them before many? How can we avoid this evil? We will avoid it when we learn to be truly merciful and consider from whom we seek glory... Do you want to be known among people as merciful? What kind of profit? There is no profit, and the harm is endless, since those whom you call as witnesses take away from you, like robbers, the treasures of heaven, or, rather, it is not they, but we ourselves plunder our possessions... Do you want glory? Is not glory enough for you from God, the lover of mankind, Who Himself accepts alms from you, that you seek more glory from people? Beware lest you suffer the opposite, lest people look upon you with contempt, as a man who does not show mercy, but boastfulness and ambition, and only exposes the misfortunes of others. Alms are a mystery. Therefore, shut the doors, so that no one can see what should not be shown. Our main mysteries are God's mercy and love for mankind... In the same way, when you show mercy to a person as much as you can, shut the door: let only the one who receives mercy see it, and if possible, even if he does not see it. If you open the door, you will discover your secret... and he from whom you seek glory will condemn you"[911]. "When you give alms, not out of charity, but in order to show yourself, then it is not only not almsgiving, but is even an offense, because you flaunt your brother. Alms do not consist only in giving money, but in giving with a sense of mercy... In the same way, when you give alms out of vanity, you only reward the one who accepts it from you for the offense you do to him, and through this you create a bad reputation for yourself and for him, and hence unspeakable harm. As a fierce beast and a mad dog attack everyone, so this evil disease of inhumanity robs us of our blessings. Such almsgiving, indeed, is inhumanity and cruelty, or worse. Only the hard-hearted one does not give to the one who asks, but you do worse than him: you hinder those who want to give. In fact, when you flaunt your alms to everyone, you thereby cast doubt on the poverty of the one who accepts your gift, and thereby restrain the one who intends to give alms, especially if he is a frivolous person. Such a person no longer gives to the beggar, as he has already received alms and is not particularly in need, and moreover, he will reproach him and accuse him of shamelessness when, having received alms from you, he comes to him to beg. And so, what kind of alms is this, when you dishonor him, and yourself, and the one who received it, and still more the One Who commanded you to do it, since you are not satisfied with the fact that (God) himself sees your alms, and you also demand that the eyes of your brethren be turned to it." But, of course, St. John, giving advice regarding the secret giving of alms, had in mind the inner mood of the heart, and not the external situation in which it might happen that it would be necessary to give alms. "When you do not do it for people to see, then at least the whole world knows about your deeds, no one knows, because you did not do it with such an intention. Christ did not simply say, "Do not do before men," but added, "That ye may be seen by them."

If the inner mood of the giver is characterized by perfect inner freedom and should be imbued with a single consciousness of the joyful duty to serve one's neighbor, then in relation to the latter such a loving disposition should be expressed not only in generosity, of which we have already spoken, but also in complete cordiality, tenderness, and sympathy. All these qualities are necessary and, as it were, appear by themselves in such a case, when alms are a joyful expression of true love. "Do you not see," says St. John, "