Quotations about mercy

Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve.

From a letter written to all the faithful by Saint Francis of Assisi.

{22:9} He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.

Proverbs 22:9

Even though the poor are often rough and unrefined, we must not judge them from external appearances nor from the mental gifts they seem to have received. On the contrary, if you consider the poor in the light of faith, then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who chose to be poor. Although in his passion he almost lost the appearance of a man and was considered a fool by the Gentiles and a stumbling block by the Jews, he showed them that his mission was to preach to the poor: He sent me to preach the good news to the poor. We also ought to have this same spirit and imitate Christ’s actions, that is, we must take care of the poor, console them, help them, support their cause.

Since Christ willed to be born poor, he chose for himself disciples who were poor. He made himself the servant of the poor and shared their poverty. He went so far as to say that he would consider every deed which either helps or harms the poor as done for or against himself. Since God surely loves the poor, he also loves those who love the poor. For when one person holds another dear, he also includes in his affection anyone who loves or serves the one he loves. That is why we hope that God will love us for the sake of the poor. So when we visit the poor and needy, we try to understand the poor and weak. We sympathize with them so fully that we can echo Paul’s words: I have become all things to all men. Therefore, we must try to be stirred by our neighbors’ worries and distress. We must beg God to pour into our hearts sentiments of pity and compassion and to fill them again and again with these dispositions.

It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to offer such service as quickly as possible. If a needy person requires medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer. Do not become upset or feel guilty because you interrupted your prayer to serve the poor. God is not neglected if you leave him for such service. One of God’s works is merely interrupted so that another can be carried out. So when you leave prayer to serve some poor person, remember that this very service is performed for God. Charity is certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rules must lead to charity. Since she is a noble mistress, we must do whatever she commands. With renewed devotion, then, we must serve the poor, especially outcasts and beggars. They have been given to us as our masters and patrons.

From a writing by Saint Vincent de Paul, priest

Man should be like the earth and bear fruit; he should not let inanimate matter appear to surpass him. The earth bears crops for your benefit, not for its own, but when you give to the poor, you are bearing fruit which you will gather in for yourself, since the reward for good deeds goes to those who perform them. Give to a hungry man, and what you give becomes yours, and indeed it returns to you with interest. As the sower profits from wheat that falls onto the ground, so will you profit greatly in the world to come from the bread that you place before a hungry man. Your husbandry must be the sowing of heavenly seed: Sow integrity for yourselves, says Scripture.

You are going to leave your money behind you here whether you wish to or not. On the other hand, you will take with you to the Lord the honor that you have won through good works. In the presence of the universal judge, all the people will surround you, acclaim you as a public benefactor, and tell of your generosity and kindness.

Do you not see how people throw away their wealth on theatrical performances, boxing contests, mimes and fights between men and wild beasts, which are sickening to see, and all for the sake of fleeting honor and popular applause? If you are miserly with your money, how can you expect any similar honor? Your reward for the right use of the things in this world will be everlasting glory, a crown of righteousness, and the kingdom of heaven; God will welcome you, the angels will praise you, all men who have existed since the world began will call you blessed. Do you care nothing for these things, and spurn the hopes that lie in the future for the sake of your present enjoyment? Come, distribute your wealth freely, give generously to those who are in need. Earn for yourself the psalmist’s praise: He gave freely to the poor; his righteousness will endure for ever.

How grateful you should be to your own benefactor; how you should beam with joy at the honor of having other people come to your door, instead of being obliged to go to theirs! But you are now ill- humored and unapproachable; you avoid meeting people, in case you might be forced to loosen your purse-strings even a little. You can say only one thing: “I have nothing to give you. I am only a poor man.” A poor man you certainly are, and destitute of all real riches; you are poor in love, generosity, faith in God and hope of eternal happiness.

From a sermon on charity by Saint Basil the Great, bishop

Blessed are the merciful, because they shall obtain mercy, says the Scripture. Mercy is not the least of the beatitudes. Again: Blessed is he who is considerate to the needy and the poor. Once more: Generous is the man who is merciful and lends. In another place: All day the just man is merciful and lends. Let us lay hold of this blessing, let us earn the name of being considerate, let us be generous.

Not even night should interrupt you in your duty of mercy. Do not say: Come back and I will give you something tomorrow. There should be no delay between your intention and your good deed. Generosity is the one thing that cannot admit of delay.

Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the needy and the homeless into your house, with a joyful and eager heart. He who does acts of mercy should do so with cheerfulness. The grace of a good deed is doubled when it is done with promptness and speed. What is given with a bad grace or against one’s will is distasteful and far from praiseworthy.

When we perform an act of kindness we should rejoice and not be sad about it. If you undo the shackles and the thongs, says Isaiah, that is, if you do away with miserliness and counting the cost, with hesitation and grumbling, what will be the result? Something great and wonderful! What a marvellous reward there will be: Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will rise up quickly. Who would not aspire to light and healing.

If you think that I have something to say, servants of Christ, his brethren and co-heirs, let us visit Christ whenever we may; let us care for him, feed him, clothe him, welcome him, honor him, not only at a meal, as some have done, or by anointing him, as Mary did, or only by lending him a tomb, like Joseph of Arimathaea, or by arranging for his burial, like Nicodemus, who loved Christ half-heartedly, or by giving him gold, frankincense and myrrh, like the Magi before all these others.

The Lord of all asks for mercy, not sacrifice, and mercy is greater than myriads of fattened lambs. Let us then show him mercy in the persons of the poor and those who today are lying on the ground, so that when we come to leave this world they may receive us into everlasting dwelling places, in Christ our Lord himself, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

From a sermon by Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, bishop.

...knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 6:8

Be not faint-hearted in your prayer;
And neglect not to give alms.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 7:10

Also to the poor man stretch out your hand,
That your blessing may be perfected.
A gift has grace in the sight of every man living;
And for a dead man keep not back grace.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 7:32-33

Give to the Most High according as he has given;
And as your hand has found, give with a good eye.
For the Lord recompenses,
And he will recompense you sevenfold.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 35:10-11

Let not your hand be stretched out to receive, and closed when you should repay.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 4:31

Incline your ear to a poor man, and answer him with peaceful words in meekness.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 4:8

1 My son, deprive not the poor of his living,
And make not the needy eyes to wait long.
2 Make not a hungry soul sorrowful;
Neither provoke a man in his distress.
3 To a heart that is provoked add not more trouble;
And defer not to give to him that is in need.
4 Reject not a suppliant in his affliction;
And turn not away your face from a poor man.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 4:1-4

Do not rejoice unless you have done well.

Thomas à Kempis "The Imitation Of Christ"

One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

Proverbs 28:27

{11:24} There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.

{11:25} The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.

Proverbs 11:24-25

{41:1} Blessed is he who considers the poor. Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil.

{41:2} Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.

{41:3} Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness.

The Psalms 41:1-3

{15:7} If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;

{15:8} but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.

{15:9} Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, "The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand"; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.

{15:10} You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to.

{15:11} For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.

{15:12} If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and serves you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.

{15:13} When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty:

{15:14} you shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.

Deuteronomy 15:7-14

Do what is good and no evil shall touch you.

The Book of Tobit, 12:7

He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him.

Proverbs 19:17

Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold, for alms can deliver from death and will purge away all sin. Those who practice almsgiving and righteousness shall be filled with life.

The Book of Tobit, 12:8-9

...for there is no man without fault, no man without burden, no man sufficient to himself nor wise enough. Hence we must support one another, console one another, mutually help, counsel, and advise.

Thomas À Kempis

...and according to your abundance give alms; and do not let your eye be envious, when you give alms.

The Book of Tobit 4:16

Give alms from your resources; and when you give alms, do not let your eye be envious, nor turn your face from any of the poor, and then the face of God shall not be turned away from you.

If you have abundance, give alms accordingly; if you have only a little, do not be afraid to give according to that little;

for you will store up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity,

because alms deliver from death and preserve from falling into darkness.

The Book of Tobit 4:7-10

For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy.

The Letter from James 2:13

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.

Daniel 4:27

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