ACC ~ Acts 10 v4

THE VIRTUE OF ALMS. CHRYSOSTOM: See how great the virtue of alms, both in the former discourse and here! There, it delivered from temporal death; here, from eternal death, and opened the gates of heaven. Such are the pains taken for the bringing of Cornelius to the faith, that both an angel is sent, and the Spirit works, and the chief of the apostles is fetched to him, and such a vision is shown, and, in short, nothing is left undone. How many centurions were there besides, and tribunes and kings, and yet none of them obtained what this man did! Hear, all you that are in military commands, all you that stand beside kings. “A just man,” it says, “fearing God”; “devout”; and what is more than all, with all his house. Not as we who do everything that our servants may be afraid of us, do everything, but not that they may be devout. … Not so this man; but he was “one that feared God with all his house,” for he was as the common father of those with him and of all the others [under his command.] But observe what [the soldier] says himself. … He adds this also, “well reported of by all the nation.” So what if he was uncircumcised? No, the alms give him a good report. There is nothing like alms. Great is the virtue of this practice, when the almsgiving is poured forth from pure stores; for it is like a fountain discharging mud when it issues from unjust stores, but when from just gains, it is as a limpid and pure stream in a paradise, sweet to the sight, sweet to the touch, both light and cool, when given in the noonday heat. Such is alms. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 22.

SANCTIFIED THROUGH GIVING. ARATOR: Cornelius, born of Gentile stock, was highly respected in the city of Caesarea; his life, given over to godly works, sanctified him for the waters, and he, who did whatever faith was inclined to perform in those washed by baptism, … began to believe through his actions. For an angel, sent from the stars, drawing near to [Cornelius] said, “The wealth that you distribute, the words that you pray, stand [pleasing] in the sight of the highest Lord. Rewards for your virtue will not be lacking. Accept the certain Way when Peter comes here.” Thus the glistening messenger implanted with his word the commands for eternal washings. ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1.

CORNELIUS: A WORKER CALLED AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR. BASIL THE GREAT: Are there even now some who work from the first hour and others from the eleventh, and who are they? Perhaps [the answer to this] is most evident to anyone from the events recounted in the divinely inspired Scripture that while there are many, in the words of the apostle, who have learned the holy Scriptures from childhood,many still, such as Cornelius, although making good use of natural movements, are slow in coming to perfection of knowledge because of a lack of teachers. “For how,” he says, “do they believe, if they do not hear?” If, therefore, it happens that some, like Cornelius, are engaged in nothing evil but rather are desirous of perfection and genuinely demonstrate the good that they can and that comes to their knowledge, to these God gives the same blessings as he did to Cornelius by not holding them culpable for the period of idleness, since it was not their fault, as I said, and he is content with their desire that was previously made manifest through their eager actions and what has been more diligently set right in relation to perfection. THE SHORT RULES 2.224.

SOBER AND OF GOOD WILL. CHRYSOSTOM: Did you see what assurance came from prayers and almsgiving to this man, whose whole life was spent in the cloak and belt of the soldier? Let them hear this who have enlisted in the army and let them learn that military service presents no hindrance to virtue for the one who is willing to be sober. Let them learn that one can take great care of virtue, even though he wears the soldier’s cloak and belt, even though he has a wife, the care of children, the management of a household, and even though he has undertaken a public duty. Look at this admirable man, who wore the soldier’s cloak and belt, who commanded troops, for he was a centurion! Of what care did heaven deem him worthy because of his good will, his sobriety and his vigilance?

And that you may know clearly that grace wings its way down to us from on high only after we have first done our fair share, hear the story itself. After Cornelius had taken the first step by his frequent and generous almsgiving, he was devoting himself earnestly to prayer. About the ninth hour, the Scripture says, an angel stood beside him as he prayed and said, “Cornelius, your prayers and your alms have gone up and been remembered in the sight of God.”

Let us not simply pass these words by, but let us carefully consider the virtue of the man. Then let us learn how loving and kind the Master is and how he overlooks no one. But where he sees a soul that is sober, there he lavishes his grace upon him. Here is a soldier who has had benefit of no instruction, who was tangled up in the affairs of this life, who has each day a thousand things to distract and bother him. Yet he did not waste his life in banquets and drinking and gluttony but spent his time in prayer and almsgiving. He showed such eagerness on his own initiative, he attended so constantly to prayer, he was so generous in his almsgiving, that he showed himself deserving of such a vision. BAPTISMAL INSTRUCTIONS 7.28-29.

PRAY TO KNOW THE TRUTH. AMMONIUS: It must be noted that whoever, with pure conscience, earnestly prays to God and gives alms, does not remain in the same condition, but God makes known, through the vision of an angel or through a pious person, the true faith through which we are saved. In the case where one does not know whether this or that action is pleasing to God, it is best earnestly to pray to God so that the truth may be revealed. This is essential especially if one is at a loss concerning the faith, what it is necessary to think or in whom one must believe. For this reason there are many heresies among those who seem to be Christians. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10.4.

ALL EFFORTS IN VAIN WITHOUT CHARITY. CHRYSOSTOM: We seek those virtues that are most salutary for our salvation and for our neighbor. Such is almsgiving and such is prayer, or rather the latter becomes efficacious and capable of flight as a result of the former. “Your prayers,” the text says, “and your alms have ascended for a memorial before God.” This is true not only of prayer, but fasting has its strength from this as well. If you fast without giving alms, your fasting is not considered to be valid. Rather, such a person is worse than a glutton and a drunkard, and so much worse as cruelty is harder to bear than luxury. And why do I speak about fasting? Even though you are chaste, even though you observe virginity, if you do not cultivate charity you are out of the bridal chamber. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 77 (78).6.

Acts