From a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen
Serve Christ in the poor |
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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.
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, honour 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.
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