The Charity of Almsgiving
"Let us have charity and humility, and let us give alms, for almsgiving washes the soul of the filth of sin. For we lose everything we leave behind in this world, but we take with us the merit of the charity and the almsgiving we've practiced and for which we will receive from the Lord a reward and worthy recompense." --St. Francis, Letter to All the Faithful, Second Version
Alms are money given specifically to the poor. When we give in this way, we are not only helping those in need, we are helping ourselves. This may sound self-serving, but it's not if you are giving from a sense of gratitude for the ability to give. It can be quite humbling to realize "but for the grace of God there go I." Realizing and recognizing that we only have something to give because God gave it to us in the first place, is the blessing that we receive.
"Let us have charity and humility, and let us give alms, for almsgiving washes the soul of the filth of sin. For we lose everything we leave behind in this world, but we take with us the merit of the charity and the almsgiving we've practiced and for which we will receive from the Lord a reward and worthy recompense." --St. Francis, Letter to All the Faithful, Second Version
Alms are money given specifically to the poor. When we give in this way, we are not only helping those in need, we are helping ourselves. This may sound self-serving, but it's not if you are giving from a sense of gratitude for the ability to give. It can be quite humbling to realize "but for the grace of God there go I." Realizing and recognizing that we only have something to give because God gave it to us in the first place, is the blessing that we receive.
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