Homilies on Second Corinthians

As it is written,
He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor;
His righteousness abides for ever.

This is the import of “abound;” for the words, “he has dispersed abroad,” signify nothing else but the giving plentifully. For if the things themselves abide not, yet their results abide. For this is the thing to be admired, that when they are kept they are lost; but when dispersed abroad they abide, yea, abide for ever. Now by “righteousness,” here, he means love towards men. For this makes righteous, consuming sins like a fire when it is plentifully poured out.

3. Let us not therefore nicely calculate, but sow with a profuse hand. Do you see not how much others give to players and harlots? Give at any rate the half to Christ, of what they give to dancers. As much as they give of ostentation to those upon the stage, so much at any rate give thou unto the hungry. For they indeed even clothe the persons of wantons with untold gold; but thou not even with a threadbare garment the flesh of Christ, and that though beholding it naked. What forgiveness does this deserve, yea, how great a punishment does it not deserve, when he indeed bestows so much upon her that ruins and shames him, but thou not the least thing on Him that saves you and makes you brighter? But as long as you spend it upon your belly and on drunkenness and dissipation, thou never thinkest of poverty: but when need is to relieve poverty, you have become poorer than any body. And when feeding parasites and flatterers, you are as joyous as though you had fountains to spend from; but if you chance to see a poor man, then the fear of poverty besets you. Therefore surely we shall in that day be condemned, both by ourselves and by others, both by those that have done well and those that have done amiss. For He will say to you, 'Wherefore were you not thus magnanimous in things where it became you? But here is a man who, when giving to an harlot, thought not of any of these things; while thou, bestowing upon your Master Who has bid you “not be anxious”, art full of fear and trembling.' And what forgiveness then shall you deserve? For if a man who has received will not overlook, but will requite the favor, much more will Christ. For He that gives even without receiving, how will He not give after receiving? 'What then,' says one, 'when some who have spent much come to need other men's help?' You speak of those that have spent their all; when you yourself bestowest not a farthing. Promise to strip yourself of every thing and then ask questions about such men; but as long as you are a niggard and bestowest little of your substance, why throw me out excuses and pretenses? For neither am I leading you to the lofty peak of entire poverty but for the present I require you to cut off superfluities and to desire a sufficiency alone. Now the boundary of sufficiency is the using those things which it is impossible to live without. No one debars you from these; nor forbids you your daily food. I say food, not feasting; raiment, not ornament. Yea rather, if one should enquire accurately, this is in the best sense feasting. For, consider. Which should we say more truly feasted, he whose diet was herbs, and who was in sound health and suffered no uneasiness: or he who had the table of a Sybarite, and was full of ten thousand disorders? Very plainly the former. Therefore let us seek nothing more than this, if we would at once live luxuriously and healthfully: and let us set these boundaries to sufficiency. And let him that can be satisfied with pulse and can keep in good health, seek for nothing more; but let him who is weaker and requires to be dieted with garden herbs, not be hindered of this. But if any be even weaker than this and require the support of flesh in moderation, we will not debar him from this either. For we do not advise these things, to kill and injure men but to cut off what is superfluous; and that is superfluous which is more than we need. For when we are able even without a thing to live healthfully and respectably, certainly the addition of that thing is a superfluity.