For the poor will never cease from being in the land. Therefore, I command you, saying, “You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and needy in your land.”
The people asked him, “What then must we do?”
John answered, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise.”
Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured unto you.”
Sell your possessions and give alms. Provide yourselves purses that do not grow old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Give to him who asks you, and from him who would borrow from you do not turn away.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Let him who steals steal no more. Instead, let him labor, working with his hands things which are good, that he may have something to share with him who is in need.
What does it profit, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but has no works? Can faith save him?
If a brother or sister is naked and lacking daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” and yet you give them nothing that the body needs, what does it profit?
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak and not please ourselves.
Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, but closes his heart of compassion from him, how can the love of God remain in him?
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
and He will repay what he has given.
In all things I have shown you how, working like this, you must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Having said these things, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
They all wept much and embraced Paul’s neck and kissed him,
grieving most over the words he spoke, that they were to see his face no more. Then they escorted him to the ship.
For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in.
I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
And when did we see You sick or in prison and come to You?’
“The King will answer, ‘Truly I say to you, as you have done it for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you have done it for Me.’