Giving to the Poor

Σὺ δὲ, εἰ μὲν καὶ τὰ μείζω δυνατὸς εἴ, καὶ οἶς εὐεργετεῖται ψυχὴ πεποίηκε γάρ σε καὶ ταῦτα πλούσιον ὁ θεὸς, εἰ θελήσειας. μεδὲ ταῦτα εὖ ποιεῖν ἀπόσχῃ τὸν ἐνδεῆ· μᾶλλον δὲ πρῶτα καὶ μάλιστα τῷ αἰτοῦντι σε δίδου, καὶ πρὶν αἰτηθῆναι, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλεῶν καὶ δανείζων τὸν λόγον. καὶ ἀπαιτῶν φιλοπόνως τὸ δάνειον μετὰ τόκου τῆς τοῦ ὠφελημένου προσθήκης, ἥν ἀεὶ τῷ λογῳ προστίθησιν, αὔξων ἑαυτῷ κατὰ μικρὸν τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας σπέρματα. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, τά γε δεύτερα καὶ μικρότερα, καὶ ὅσα εἰς δύναμιν ἥκει τὴν σήν· ἐπικούρησον, ὅρεξον τροφὴν, ὅρεξον ῥάκος, προσένεγκε φάρμακον, κατάδησον τραύματα, ἐρώτησόν τι περὶ τῆς συμφορᾶς, περὶ κατρερίας φιλοσόφησον, θάρσησον, πρόσελθε· Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, Λόγος ΙΔ'

But you, if you are indeed capable of greater things, those which benefit the soul, and here also God has made you rich, if you so choose, do not withhold these goods from those in need, or rather, as your primary concern, try to give to the one who begs even before petition, being merciful and ever offering words and anxiously seeking repayment of the loan with interest in the from of the spiritual increase of the one you have benefited. In this way the beneficiary adds steadily to the deposit of your words and little by little makes grow in his own right the seeds of piety. But if you cannot do this, do the secondary smaller things, and in that all that you can: offer a hand, offer food, give clothes, provide medicine, bind wounds, speak with them about their difficulties, counsel fortitude, offer encouragement, keep them company. Saint Gregory Nazianzus, Oration 14