The Poor And Judgement

In die mala liberabit eum Dominus... Qui se novet per mala saeculi vitam ducere, eleemosynae semper secum auxilium ducat, ad praesidium sibi turmas pauperum vocet, in pastu pauperum largus prorogator exuberet, pauperum frequentet donum, non trepidet erogando; deficere nescit cui porrigit manum parcus acceptor; exhauriri thesaurus is non potest, de quo sufficit nummus: In die mala liberabit eum Dominus. In die mala illi Deus liberator assistet, qui a malis pauperem liberavit. In angustiis illum Deus clamantem audiet, qui pauperem cum clamaret audivit. Non videbit diem malum, qui dies bonos habere pauperem fecit. Videbit diem malum, qui diem judicii sine advocatione paupertatis intraverit: Sine causa accusant peccata, quem pauper excusat. Excusari non potest, quem fames pauperis accusarit. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo XIV, De Fructibus Eleemosynae, In Psalmum XL Source: Migne PL 52.233a-b

'On the day of evil the Lord will free him...' 1 He who knows that he spends his life among the evils of the world, let him always have alms-giving as a help to him, let him call crowds of the poor to come to him for his protection, let him lavishly increase his abundance in feeding the poor, and with frequent giving let him not fear to be generous, for he knows no lack who welcomes the outstretched hand, that treasury which cannot be exhausted, from which a coin is enough. 'On the day of evil the Lord will free him.' On the day of evil God will be there to deliver the one who has delivered the poor man from evil. God will hear him who cries out in distress, he who has heard the poor man when he was crying out. He who has allowed the poor man to have good days shall not see the day of evil. But he will see the day of evil who comes to the day of judgement without a poor man for his advocate. The one whom a poor man excuses, sins accuse without cause. But he cannot be excused whom the poor man's hunger shall accuse. Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 14, On The Fruits of Almsgiving, on Psalm 40 1 Ps 40.2