Shut up alms in your storehouses: and it shall deliver you from all affliction.
Read Chapter 29
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Those who are going to receive the kingdom have given aid to the poor like good, faithful Christians, following the words of the Lord and confidently hoping in his promises. This is how they conducted themselves, because if they had not, their lives that were otherwise suited to holiness would have remained sterile, limiting themselves to abstaining from sins, not violating chastity or abandoning themselves to drunkenness, not stealing or doing anything bad. If they had not added charitable actions, they would remain sterile, only observing the first part of the commandment, "Stay far away from evil," and not the other part, "and do good." Thus, when it says, "Come, receive your kingdom," this call is not motivated by the fact that they have lived in chastity, refrained from stealing, or that they have not taken advantage of the poor, or robbed other people"s possessions or perjured themselves. Rather, it says, "Because I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." This fact is recog...
The rapacity of the one who grasps does not reduce avarice but provokes it. Indeed, it is written, "One who loves money will not be satisfied by money." Nor does one love God who does not pity the poor, in whom Christ asks us to recognize that he is either helped or neglected. "When you did not do this to one of these least," he says, "you did not do it to me." And the apostle John says in his epistle, "If someone sees his brother or sister in need and closes his heart to them, the love of God is not in him." One falsely says that he loves Christ if he does not love the poor person, if he denies in his actions the love that he professes with his words. Let everyone therefore make an effort to give proof by their actions that they love God, because the love of God will purify them from all sin. Do you want, then, to know to what a great extent alms lighten the weight of sins? Listen to the counsel the prophet Daniel offers to the rich sinner: "Now, O king," he said, "may my advice pleas...
Listen to Solomon, who says, "Do something good for yourself; give alms to the poor." Whoever, then, desires to look out for his own advantage willingly sustains the poor. There is no lack of opportunities by which, every day, you may acquire gain if you pay attention to the needs of the poverty of others. In fact, the Scripture says, "Sins are cleansed by alms and by faith." Look, this one seeks a meal with a famished mouth. And that one, by his nakedness, says that he lacks even the scantiest of clothing. - "Homily 8.3"
