Prologue in Sermons: November 11

On Almsgiving

November 11

(Saint John Chrysostom on Almsgiving)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Saint John Chrysostom speaks of almsgiving as follows: "Almsgiving possesses great boldness: it will loosen the bonds of the imprisoned, dispel darkness, quench fire, kill the worm, drive away the gnashing of teeth, and with great joy open the gates of heaven." Is Saint John Chrysostom's expression about almsgiving justified? Yes, know, brethren, that it is expressed quite correctly, and there should be no doubt whatsoever concerning the truth of his words.

Almsgiving "loosens the bonds of the imprisoned," that is, it frees a person from sins. This is evidenced by the account of the Lord's visit to the house of Simon the Pharisee. In this house, a woman, despised by all for her sins, offered alms to the Lord. She took an alabaster jar of precious ointment; upon entering the house, she knelt at Jesus' feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and anointing them with the ointment. Seeing this, the Lord said to Simon: "I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, because she loved much." Then, turning to the woman, He said, "Your sins are forgiven you" (Luke 7:36–50). 

"Almsgiving," says Saint John Chrysostom, "dispels darkness," that is, it reveals true knowledge of God to a person and delivers from the snares of the devil. The first is demonstrated by the story of Cornelius the centurion. Even when he was still a pagan, he was extraordinarily charitable. For this, the Lord sent His Angel to him, so that he would show Cornelius the way to true knowledge of God. The Angel said to Cornelius: "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God, and now send men to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is called Peter; he will speak words to you, through which you and your entire household shall be saved" (Acts 10:4–6). And indeed, soon after this, Cornelius received Holy Baptism and was saved. Secondly, that almsgiving saves a person from the snares of the devil is revealed in the story of Tobit. Tobit was merciful, and he writes about himself: "I have performed many alms for my brethren; I gave my bread to the hungry, and clothing to the naked; and if I saw any of my family deceased, I buried him" (Tobit 1:16–17). For this, the Lord granted him sight, a peaceful life, and delivered his son from Asmodeus, that is, from the devil.

Furthermore, Saint John Chrysostom states that almsgiving "quenches fire, kills the worm, and drives away the gnashing of teeth." This truth is affirmed by Blessed Augustine, who says: "At the gates of Gehenna stands mercy, and it does not allow anyone to be cast into the prison" (Discourse 39, Question 50).

Finally, Saint John Chrysostom writes that almsgiving, accompanied by great joy, opens the gates of heaven. This is evident from the life of Saint Philaret the Merciful. After his passing, one of his relatives saw a bright and joyful paradise. There, a sweet fragrance filled the air, and a gentle breeze stirred beautiful trees laden with fruits and flowers. Words cannot describe all the blessings that the Lord has prepared there for those who love Him. There, Philaret's relative saw the righteous, clothed in white garments, delighting in heavenly blessings. Among them was an elder whom he suddenly did not recognize. He was seated on a golden throne; on one side, newly baptized children surrounded him, holding candles, while on the other side, a multitude of poor people crowded to come closer to him. And the relative asked a young man: "Who is this elder, seated on the throne among these most radiant men? Is it not Abraham?" And he replied: "This is Philaret of Amnia, who, for his love of the poor and destitute, is established here" (December 1).

Thus, brethren, it seems that Saint John Chrysostom spoke the truth when he affirmed that almsgiving "loosens the bonds of the imprisoned, dispels darkness, quenches fire, kill sthe worm, drives away the gnashing of teeth, and with great joy opens the gates of heaven." Now that we understand what these words mean, what should we do, brethren? Certainly, we must be merciful. How? According to the word of God: "Do right to the widow, judge for the fatherless, give to the poor, defend the orphan, clothe the naked, care for the broken and the weak, show no disdain to the lame, defend the maimed, bring the blind to the vision of the holy Lord, shelter the old and the young within our walls, and grant burial to the dead wherever they may be found, and I will give you the first place in my resurrection" (3 Esdras 2:20–23). When we act in such a manner, then, undoubtedly, according to the words of Saint John Chrysostom, almsgiving will, with great joy, open the gates of heaven for us as well, and we will be convinced with our own eyes of the truth of the Lord, which says: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.