Alms Quotes

“To explain the matter I will employ a simile, which yet, I confess is very dissimilar; but its dissimilitude is greatly in favour of my sentiments. A rich man bestows, on a poor and famishing beggar, alms by which he may be able to maintain himself and his family. Does it cease to be a pure gift, because the beggar extends his hand to receive it? Can it be said with propriety, that 'the alms depended partly on THE LIBERALITY of the Donor, and partly on THE LIBERTY of the Receiver,' though the latter would not have possessed the alms unless he had received it by stretching out his hand? Can it be correctly said, BECAUSE THE BEGGAR IS ALWAYS PREPARED TO RECEIVE, that 'he can have the alms, or not have it, just as he pleases?' If these assertions cannot be truly made about a beggar who receives alms, how much less can they be made about the gift of faith, for the receiving of which far more acts of Divine Grace are required!”

“My life should be unique; it should be an alms, a battle, a conquest, a medicine.”

“He had ceased to believe in the efficacy of alms; it was not sufficient that one should be charitable, henceforth one must be just. Given justice, indeed, horrid misery would disappear, and no such thing as charity would be needed.”

“In the future society, i.e. the communist society that we want to build, we are not going to establish charity institution, as there shall be no needy or poor, and no alms-giving and alms-taking.”

“Steal the hog and give the feet for alms.”

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them.”

“Give if thou can an alms if not a sweet and gentle word.”

“We must give alms. Charity wins souls and draws them to virtue.”

“There is not a soul who does not have to beg alms of another, either a smile, a handshake, or a fond eye.”

“I pray like a robber asking alms at the door of a farmhouse to which he is ready to set fire.”