Almsgiving

“ The relief of the poor is equal, whether they receive it from ostentation or charity; and the effect of example is the same, whether it be intended to obtain the favour of God or man. Let thy virtue be thus diffused; and if thou believest with reverence, thou shalt be accepted above. Farewell, May the smile of Him who resides in the Heaven of Heavens be upon thee! And against thy name in the volume of His will may happiness be written!"
The King, whose doubts like those of Mirza, were now removed, looked up with a smile that communicated the joy of his mind. ”

“ Paul bids us "give thanks in ALL things," and daily throughout the year the Church makes the priest pray in the name of every one of the faithful: "It is truly meet and just, right and salutary, that we should at ALL times and in ALL places give thanks to Thee, O Holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God." O St. Therese, pray for me, that these words may sink deep into my soul and that I may truly give thanks and rejoice in ALL things, that thus my joy, like yours, may attain to the heroic, the very refinement of all joy, a joy pure and wholly unselfish. ”

“ God will be gracious to those who undertake this expedition, that they may have a favourable year, both in abundance of produce, and in serenity of season. Those who may die will enter the mansions of heaven; while the living shall behold the sepulchre of the Lord. And what can be greater happiness, than for a man, in his life-time, to see those places, where the Lord of heaven was conversant as a man? Blessed are they, who, called to these occupations, shall inherit such a recompence: fortunate are those who are led to such a conflict, that they may partake of such rewards. ”

“ The Dervise, after a short silence, advanced and saluted him with the calm dignity, which independence confers upon humility, requested that he would reveal his purpose.
"Almet," said the stranger, "thou seest before thee a man, whom the hand of Prosperity has overwhelmed with wretchedness. Whatever I once desired as the means of happiness, I now possess but I am not yet happy, and therefore I despair. I regret the lapse of time, because it glides away without enjoyment and as I expect nothing in the future but the vanities of the past, I do not wish that the future should arrive. ”

“ Thou hast not found felicity in temporal things; and therefore thou art disappointed. Let not instruction be lost upon thee; but go thy way, let thy flock clothe the naked, and thy table feed the hungry; deliver the poor from oppression, and let thy conversation be above. Thus shalt thou rejoice in Hope, and look forward to the end of life, as the consummation of thy felicity."
Almet, in whose breast devotion kindled as he spake, returned into the Temple, and the stranger departed in peace. ”

“ Second Point. — Cast yourself in spirit at the feet of your Creator, and present to him the sacrifice of thanksgiving which he deserves, viz., a voluntary, unreserved oblation of your whole being. Can that be too much for him who has created you to his image and likeness, and redeemed you with his precious blood? or rather, what can be enough for him who has loved you so far as to give you himself? If you would really and entirely belong to God, you should make a two-fold sacrifice — a sacrifice of your body with all its senses, and of your heart and soul with all their powers and affections. ”

“ Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. ”

“ The friar who had treated me with a sermon the day before, and who was quite upon the itch to be preaching again, managed to turn the conversation upon the vanities of the world, that he might take the opportunity of informing us we could look for none but false pleasures in this world, and that true pleasure is in heaven, where only it is to be found; that even such diversions as promise the greatest possible pleasure, are sure to be either accompanied or followed by some mortification or other. ”

“ CHAPTER LXXVII
"Accuse not thyself overmuch, deeming that thy tribulation and thy woe is all thy fault." "AH thy living is penance profitable." "In the remedy He willeth that we rejoice"
OUR good Lord shewed the enmity of the Fiend: in which Shewing I understood that all that is contrary to love and peace is of the Fiend and of his part. And we have, of our feebleness and our folly, to fall; and we have, of mercy and grace of the Holy Ghost, to rise to more joy. ”

“ His voice faltered, his hand dropped from the curl that had twined itself around his finger, a smile of ineffable love, joy and peace passed over his features, and his spirit crossed the portals to the unseen world. He had gone to his Thanksgiving feast in heaven.
There is something deeply significant in the placid serenity of the death smile. In the tumultuous rush of emotions that crowd upon us at such a moment when every careless word and thoughtless act come like so many accusing spirits, we feel that all is forgiven, and nothing can disturb that peaceful repose. ”

“ Whoever begins with, 'Deliver me—I will wait upon Thee,' will pass very quickly, even before the outward deliverance comes, into—'O my Strength! unto Thee will I sing!' Every song of true trust, though it may begin with a minor, will end in a burst of jubilant gladness. No prayer ought ever to deal with complaints, as we know, without starting with thanksgiving, and, blessed be God, no prayer need to deal with complaints without ending with thanksgiving. ”

“ His last words from the throne were those of praise and prayer. His joy ran straight into thanksgiving, and in this thanksgiving two principles were conspicuous, he gave all the glory to God, and he acknowledged himself and his people to be utterly unworthy of the sacred privilege of this happy service. This is the true view of service and of gifts. When God calls us to work for Him, or to give for Him, we should not regard it as a burden laid upon us, but as an honour to which we are invited, an honour that angels themselves might covet. ”

“ When by chance you have raised me to elysium by a friendly greeting, my pride is mingled with humility, and I depart as though God's blessing rested on me. Nor does the joy vanish without leaving a long track of light behind. ”

“ How it cheers me to see those who have come in good courage and faith, not knowing that the feast was here. Eat and give thanks," he said; while a band played some lively airs.
Shall we refuse to ascend each day the mount whereon dwells our Father? Shall we, because some days no feast awaits us, linger in the valley of doubt, and lose the bounties which his hand at other times has ready for us? No: the faithful and believing will go up to the mount each day, and take without murmur the morsel, or the fruits with thanksgiving. ”

“ Every man's might who walketh in pride
is verily like as if a man should sew up
a bladder, and blow it full of wind,
and afterward make a hole, when it is puffed out,
then, in its greatness, the might departeth.'
Almachius said to her as they strove with words:
'Oh thou, unhappy one! knowest thou not that power
is given to me to slay and to make alive again. ”

“ NURSE. Pray heaven send your worship good luck, marry, and amen with all my heart, for you have put on one stocking with the wrong side outward.
FORE. Ha, how? Faith and troth I'm glad of it; and so I have: that may be good luck in troth, in troth it may, very good luck. Nay, I have had some omens: I got out of bed backwards too this morning, without premeditation; pretty good that too; but then I stumbled coming down stairs, and met a weasel; bad omens those: some bad, some good, our lives are chequered. ”

“ Alms is really thanksgiving for a benefit received, the thanks being similar in kind to the benefit. Thus health is a great blessing, for which every limb owes alms. Therefore healthy persons ought to occupy all their limbs with devotion and not yield them to pleasure and pastime, in order that the alms due for the blessing of health may be fully paid. Moreover, there is an alms for every spiritual blessing, namely, outward and inward acknowledgment of that blessing in proportion to its worth. ”

“ It was the sort of night that makes one forced to be out look forward lovingly to home, and think pityingly of the unfortunate, while those within doors involuntarily thank God for comfort, and hug at whatever remnant of happiness living has left them. ”

“ Can joy be made lasting? In what proportion should love mingle tears with pleasures? The cold policy of the funereal, monotonous, persistent routine of the convent seemed to me at these moments the only real life; while the wealth, the splendor, the tears, the delights, the triumph, the joy, the satisfaction, of a love equal, shared, and sanctioned, appeared a mere idle vision. ”

“ Wherefore, though God signalized her, while living, by many miracles, yet I more particularly bring forward this circumstance, to show that charity began all her works, and humility completed them: and finally, many miracles in her life-time, and since her death, confirm the devotion of her heart and the incorruptness of her body, which the attendants at her churches at Winchester and Pershore relate to such as are unacquainted with them. ”

“ Thou art still every day busied in the search of food; thy mind is not wholly at rest neither is thy trust in Providence complete. What art thou taught by this vision? if thou hast seen an eagle commissioned by Heaven to feed a fox that is lame, shall not the hand of Heaven also supply thee with food, when that which prevents thee from procuring it to thyself, it is not necessity, but devotion? ”

“ Veneration, or Worshipping, comprehends several articles, as ascription, confession, remorse, intercession, thanksgiving, deprecation, petition, &c. Ascription of honour and praise to the peerless, supreme Majesty of Heaven, and confession and deprecation, are to be uttered with all that humility of looks and gesture, which can exhibit the most profound self-abasement, and annihilation, before One; whose superiority is infinite. The head is a little raised, but with the most apparent timidity and dread ”

“ ALMET the Dervise, who watched the sacred lamp in the sepulchre of the Prophet, as he one day rose up from the devotions of the morning, which he had performed at the gate of the temple, with his body turned towards the east, and his forehead upon the earth, he saw before him a man in splendid apparel, attended by a long retinue, who gazed steadfastly on him, with a look of mournful complacency, and seemed desirous to speak, with unwilling to offend. ”

“ To the end, that we may come to the knowledge of the one and the other, let us pour out tears without intermission, and continually pray, that as we expect at the gate of humility, so we may obtain by it all our desires, and persevere in humble thanksgiving to the divine bounty, without any trust to our own works, or to any thing that is ours. ”

“ Yea, more, “In the sweat of thy face” opened a pathway through which Hope ran to find salvation from the deadly power of sin. Coming back, with face aglow, that bright clad Angel bade man first to give his strength in building an altar on which to offer heartfelt thanks to God, who had made the human hand with which to toil and rebuild paradise.
Happy and fortunate is the man who learns to do his daily stint of work with a cheerful heart. ”

“ It is more a saying of thanksgiving for those who have the happiness to live within the pale of our holy mother the Church than a malediction upon those who have the misfortune to live apart from her. God sees to the depths of all hearts ”

“ And when you give the final salaams remember the two angels who sit on your shoulders.”
In the giving of alms he says seven things are required: promptness, secrecy, example— (and in this connection he quotes a Tradition ascribed to the Prophet about the left hand not knowing what the right hand doeth) —absence of boasting or pride, the gift must not be spoken of as great, our best is demanded, for God is supremely good and He will only take the best, and we must give our alms to the right persons. ”

“ Nous tristes rechappés du naufrage — nous nous rejouissons avec nos frères de la paix et de la tranquilité dont ils jouissent, et nous en benissons Dieu de tout notre coeur. La difference des mouvemens s’y fait reconnoitre; la douleur y est, la joye y est; mais la charité leur a fait changer de situation et de place; la joye a pris celle de la douleur et la douleur a pris celle de la joye. ”

“ That giving alms, is an excellent good thing, and highly pleasing to the Lord Jesus; and if we be humble and sincere in it, he will graciously accept of it, though in some circumstances there may not be all the discretion in the world. 2. Those that have but a little, ought to give alms out of their little. Those that live by their labour, from hand to mouth, must give to those that need, Eph. ”

“ But the kiss and the strength of those strong arms had worked a miracle for her. She no longer felt the weak restlessness and alternate blackness of despair and madness. She went into the little hut bravely, with tears trembling on her eyelids, partly the outcome of the struggle she had gone through, and partly of a vague sense of happiness and satisfaction that was beginning to glow within, like some glowing light of summer. ”