Charity and Almsgiving
The virtue of charity expressed through generous almsgiving, care for the poor, and personal sacrifice of one's patrimony for the relief of the afflicted. Moses bore a "motherly love" toward his people; Basil relieved famine and gave away his inheritance; Van der Burch spent his own patrimony on works of charity.
Preliminaries
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Moses bore a "motherly love" toward his people, praying to be blotted from the book of life for their sake. Basil's benefactions included rousing sluggish minds, building monasteries, caring for the poor, and establishing religious houses.
"Moses bore a motherly love toward his hard-hearted people, and so greatly did he love them that he prayed to be blotted out of the book of life."
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Basil relieved a public famine by persuading the wealthy to open their granaries, then personally served the poor. Gregory of Nyssa adds that Basil gave away his own personal inheritance.
"By opening the granaries of the wealthy with his speech and exhortation, he did what Scripture says: He breaks bread for the hungry, satisfies the poor with loaves, nourishes them in famine, and fills hungry souls with good things."
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Van der Burch spent not only Church revenues but his own patrimony on restoring churches and works of charity.
"in these and similar works of charity you have spent not only the revenues of the Church but also your own personal patrimony. All the poor, the sorrowful, and the afflicted celebrate your charity"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Van der Burch found nothing more pleasurable than visiting hospitals and homes of the poor, comforting them and assisting with alms.
"there is nothing you do more willingly, nothing more pleasurable, than to visit hospitals and the homes of the poor and the wretched, to comfort them, to assist them with alms"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Lietbert of Cambrai "believed the love of money to be the surest poison of all his hopes."
"he believed the love of money to be the surest poison of all his hopes"
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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Chapter I: On the Excellence, Necessity, and Fruit of Sacred Scripture
— What heart is so cold as not to grow warm with charity when it hears Paul burning with love, hurling fiery flames of divine love everywhere?
"What heart is so cold as not to grow warm with charity, when it hears Paul burning with love, hurling fiery flames of divine love everywhere?"
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Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture
— Augustine: all understanding of faith, hope, and charity rests on Scripture; "the end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart."
"What is disputed in the Secunda Secundae concerning faith, hope, and charity rests so entirely on Sacred Scripture that the whole understanding of them is referred to these three"