13 November, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

Almsgiving and Simplicity

1. Some people are so afraid of poverty that they rarely give alms. Let them meditate on these words of St. Cyprian. "You are afraid that if you begin to engage in too many charitable enterprises your substance will be dissipated and you will be reduced to poverty. Have confidence and do not be afraid.'' (De Opere et eleemosynis, 9-10)

That fortune will never be exhausted, he assures us, from which the possessor draws frequently in order to relieve Christ's poor or to perform an act of religion. He does not assure us of this on his own authority, he says, but bases his promise on the evidence of Sacred Scripture.

Speaking through the medium of Solomon, the Holy Spirit says: “He who gives to the poor suffers no want, but he who ignores them gets many a curse.” (Prov. 28:27) In other words, the avaricious and self-centred man is more likely to be reduced to poverty than the kind and bountiful man.

St. Paul says much the same under the influence of divine inspiration. “He who provides the sower with seed will both give you bread to eat and will multiply your seed, and will increase the growth of the fruits of your justice, that being enriched in all things, you may contribute with simplicity of purpose.” (2 Cor. 9:10) “The administration of this service,” he adds, “not only supplies the wants of the saints, but over-flows also in much gratitude to the Lord.” (Ibid. 9:12) The poor thank God for the alms which we give them and our prosperity increases as a result.

In the Gospel Our Lord reproaches men for their niggardliness and lack of confidence. “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ (for after all these things the Gentiles seek), for your Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be given you besides.” (Mt. 6: 31) The man who aims at divine justice, therefore, will not go in want. When the day of judgment comes, moreover, he has Our Lord's promise that he will be given a share in the kingdom for the sake of which he performed his charitable actions.

"You are afraid," says St. Cyprian, "that your substance will be exhausted if you take from it in order to give in charity. You do not realise, wretched man, that while you are afraid of losing your substance you are losing life itself. While you are carefully guarding against the diminution of your possessions, you do not see that you yourself are diminishing. You love money more than life. While you are afraid of expending your wealth for the sake of spiritual gain, you are ruining yourself for the sake of your possessions."

2. There are others who give generously but are anxious to make a good appearance before their fellow-men. It is of these that it has been written that “they have received their reward.” (Mt. 6:2)

We should give with holy simplicity in the manner indicated in the Gospel. “When thou givest alms, do not let thy left hand know what thy right hand is doing.” (Mt. 6:3). Such unostentatious generosity is more pleasing to the poor than the gift itself.

3. Let us meditate on this passage from Hermes' “Pastor:” (Cf. Vision V)
“(1) Preserve your simplicity and be good in the manner of children who know nothing of the malice which destroys men's lives. (2) Speak evil of nobody and do not listen to detractors so that you may not be a party to their crime. (3) Be prudent when you are doing good, but pleasant at the same time. Do not care about who is indebted to you and who is not, but give simply to all who are in need from the fruits of your work with which God has provided you. Be generous to everybody, because God does not wish anyone to be deprived of His favours. (4) Everyone who has received must render to God an account of his possessions. He who receives because he is in need will be exempt from blame, but he who receives through duplicity will be answerable for it. (5) He who gives in charity is innocent, because he observes God's commandment in utter simplicity without enquiring to whom he is obliged to give and to whom he is not. The fulfilment of His precept remains pleasing to God. The man who helps his neighbour with guileless nobility will live with God."