February 27

Charity is only charity when it is a sacrifice.

1

Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days.

— James 5:3

2

There is something immoral in money, in money itself, in the possession of it.

3

If you want God’s mercy, show your deeds. But, perhaps, even now someone will say, like the rich young man: “I have done everything: I did not lie, I did not kill, I did not commit adultery.” But Christ said that this is not enough, that something else is needed. What is it? “Sell what you have,” he said, “and give to the poor, and follow me.” (Matthew 19:21) To follow him means to imitate his deeds. What deeds? The love for one’s neighbor. And if the young man, living in such abundance, could not distribute his possessions to the poor, then how could he say that he loves his neighbor? If his love is strong not only in word, then it will show itself in deed. And for the rich to show love in deed means to give up their wealth.

— After John Chrysostom

4

The one who is compassionate is never rich; the one who is rich is certainly not compassionate.

— Manchurian saying

5

Wealthy philanthropists do not see that what they donate to the poor had been snatched by them from the hands of those who are oftentimes even poorer.

6

Even if the rich give charity to the poor, they are nevertheless doing a great harm to the people by their being wealthy and living in luxury. They do not realize that their adoration of wealth, the luxury of their lives and their contempt for poverty and the dull life corrupt the poor and inspire them with the notion that wealth is the only good in the world and that one should pursue it above all else.

— After Channing

7

A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

— Matthew 19:23–24

Wealth cannot be used to do good. In order to do good, a rich person must first of all get rid of his wealth.