Spiritual Life & Practices
Almsgiving & Charity
One of the three pillars of the spiritual life alongside prayer and fasting. Giving to the poor is giving to Christ Himself (Matthew 25:40). Orthodoxy emphasizes that almsgiving is not mere philanthropy but a spiritual practice that purifies the soul from attachment to material things. 'Alms delivers from death and purges every sin' (Tobit 12:9).
Sources
- Matthew 25:31-46 the Greek New Testament
- Tobit 12:9 the Septuagint
- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Wealth and Poverty CCEL, the Fathers
- St. Basil the Great, Homily on 'I will tear down my barns'
Connections
- Fasting
- Great Lent
- Orthodox Social Teaching
- Ss. Cosmas and Damian of Asia
- St. Anastasia the Deliverer from Potions
- St. Basil the Great (330-379)
- St. Elizabeth the New Martyr
- St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407)
- St. John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)
- St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco
- St. John the Merciful (d. 619)
- St. Maria of Paris
- St. Melania the Younger (c. 383-439)
- St. Nicholas of Myra (c. 270-343)
- St. Olympias the Deaconess
- St. Tabitha of Joppa
- St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch
- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
- St. Xenia of Petersburg