Giving Alms “Silver Bullets”
From various homilies – The necessity of giving alms by Saint John Chrysostom bishop (349-407)
Narrated by Frank Dugan, Huntington Beach, California
“Almsgiving is one of the numerous paths of repentance leading to heaven; it atones for many sins, and its power is great and far reaching.”
“If you think yourself generous, well then, measure your generosity not my how much you give, but rather, by how much you hold back.”
“On giving to the poor, Christ might say to us: ‘You are bound to me by innumerable favors, and now I ask you to make some return. Not that I demand it as my due. I reward you as though you were acting out generosity; for your trifling gestures, I am giving you a kingdom.” I do not say: ‘Put an end to my poverty,’ or ‘Make over to me your wealth, although it was for you that I became poor.’ All I ask for is a little bread, clothing and a little comfort in my hunger.”
“For he who said “This is my body, and made it so by his words, also said: You saw me hungry and did not feed me, and inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did not do it for me.
“There is nothing colder than a Christian who does not seek to save others. You cannot plead poverty here; the widow putting in her two small coins will be your accuser. Each one can help his neighbor if only he is willing to do what is in his power. Look at the trees that do not bear fruit: have you not noticed how strong and fine they are, upstanding, smooth and tall? If we had a garden, we would much prefer trees with fruit – pomegranates and olives – to trees that are for pleasure, not for utility, and any utility these have is small. Such are those who think only of their own concerns. In fact, they are even worse: the trees are at least useful for building or for protection, whereas the selfish are fit only for punishment. . . . Such are those men who refuse to give Christ food.”
“Nothing is as precious as a human soul. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul? Yet the love of money has perverted and destroyed all our values; it has driven out the fear of God and holds our souls in its power, as a tyrant holds a citadel. . . . We are not really owners of our money and other possessions; we merely hand them on. The folly of it!”
“What a tyranny money exercises! It invades the whole of life forcing men to go where it chooses, like slaves in chains.”
Saint John Chrysostom was born at Antioch about the year 349. After an extensive education he embraced a life of asceticism. He was ordained a priest and distinguished himself by his preaching which achieved great spiritual results among those who heard him preach. He was elected bishop of Constantinople in 397 and proved himself a capable pastor, committed to reforming the life of the clergy and the faithful. Twice he was forced into exile by the hatred of the imperial court and the envy of his enemies. After he had completed his difficult labors, he died at Comana in Pontus on September 14, 407. His preaching and writing explained Catholic doctrine in a way that is unequaled to this day. As a trained orator from the best schools of his day, he presented the merits of living the Christian life in such a persuasive and eloquent way that he was called “Chrysostom” which means “Golden Mouth” by those who studied his works.