Charity




     The Holy Chuch of God, based on the God's revelation which vere written down by the holy men of God inspired by the holy Ghost, teaches for 2000 years that human life doesn not and by the phisical death, but last in another, spiritual world. Still there are people, Christians unfortunately, who have doubts about that, wondering about if there is there life after death?

     Those people existed for ages, but I think that nowdays there are much more of them. Though modern since, in it's numeros branches, as well as those sciences that are studying not living malters (such as physics and chemistry) or those which are studying life ( such as biology and phisiology ) or those studying endless spaces (such as astronomy and cosmonautics), reaches a huge invisible world, yhe world which limit can not be comprehended, becouse of that this visible world which in just as a drop in the ocean, it comes to ever grear miracles og God and eddles and in that way it confirms many truths of our holy Christmascreed - still, I think, that the mankind has never been so spiritually drooped, so deep in the roughest materialism as today.

     Getting material goods at any cost, not concerning moral and honesty, and the lowest pleasures became the main goal in life of many people here on earth. Where thoes that lead? It leads us into criminal and deviations, moral decadence and disaster, who into the loss of this and the next life.

     If it has ever been needed to talk about the life after death, that would be to nowdays generations. if it has ever been needed to assure people that thay should deserve a life after death, by the way thay live their lives here on earth, that would be today.

(Z. M. Marinkovic, rector of the Faculty of  Theology, 24th Februar 1968, Kragujevac)



 

     The act that is considered to be a good deed fot the death is charity or helping our poor brothers with material things. These kind of acts are making the faith of the dead souls easier, partly becouse doing a good deed for the poor we make the number of people, praying for the salvation of a dead person, greater; and partly becouse doing a good deed in the name of God we do the deed that pleases God most; in that way we appreciate, supply and comfort the brothers He loves. Which brother will not care for us and love us, if we do good to his brothers, the brother he loves?

     If people do that for gratitude, wanting to give love for love, favaur for favaur, than that can be expected from Him., who breathed the sense of love and honesty into people's hearts resulting in mutual favours. The one who gives to the poor, gives not only to Chris't brother but the God himself. We can not see that by our eyes, but God can see that.

     God himself comfirmed this trought the words of Solomon: The one who gives to the poor, borrows to God, and God will pay him double for his good deed (stories 19, 17). As much as we borrow the good to God , He will more give us back - by what are we asking from Him. Because no one is better, more accurone and righteus in praying debts than God. If you cure forced to borrow something, there are great chanches that God will listen ti our prayers for the apsolution of our dead brothers, becouse we provide charity for the poor in order to save them, we help Christ's brothers and in that way we make God help us.

(taken from: "A necessity and usage of mentioning the death" - Aton's Monastery St. Panteileimon).






     "Make sure that you buy, by the wealt of this world, even one smallest chamber in heaven, it will make you richer in the eternal life than you can be if you would own the whole world here. Charity is not about giving a lot or a little, but the point is giving from your hart"
(St. Jefrem Sirin)



 

     "Brothers, please, no matter if you listen to this or read, be charitable, friendly, modest if you want to be decent on heaven."
(Prologue, 18th October)



 

"It is easy for the charitablebecouse, they will be forgiven"

(Matia's gospel, chapter 5)



 

     "The charity made from the heart, urifies the heart. The charity made from a soul, purifies man kind. In a word, inner charity makes the wholeman pure."
(St. Vladika Nikolaj Velimirovic)



 

"A life gives us a back when we give the others"

(Ivo Andric - writer, Nobel prize winner)



 

People can be made rich and wise only by God. The world without God produces beggars and stupid people.



 

     "The gifts given inwillingly, with regret and without care for a person who needs one, are without value. The world charity mesans that it is something about the hart, abaut simpaties for the necessities of unwilling person. The real making good is shown only by love and sincere care for someone. The poor follows you every day: that means that God's charity visit's you every day. Who would run away from that?"



  

     "God, teach me how to charity willingly, cheerfully and with tendernes, and assure me to that in this way. I get more than I give. Make my eyes not see many of them with cold hearts, who meet the poor with apathy and without symphaties, and who despise the beggars and in that way make my heart feeling coldness towards them. God, you take this charity and make me every gift useful for the recriver, not consing harm. In the name of your beggars You take my gift, Almighty, Algod, Alwise".
(St. Jovan Kronstat)