Fr. Arsenie Papacioc on almsgiving

God doesn't preserve us because we are very worthy. He preserves us because He is very merciful.

Almsgiving doesn't only mean giving something from your purse or wallet. It also means allowing someone to sit next to you without pushing him out of your mind. If you have a colleague who has some trouble, you need to know how to comfort him, how to put a smile on his face. If you see a poor man on the street and you can't give him anything because you are on a bus, then say a short prayer, "Lord, have mercy on him!"

The question is: how is our heart in relation to the suffering around us? The biggest question we will face at the Final Judgment will be: "Why didn't we give more attention to our fellow human beings?"

There is always a reason for someone being next to you. It happens with God's knowledge, either for you to help that person or for you to learn something useful. You learn something because maybe that person has more spiritual strength. Or you help him, in the sense that you are patient with him. When we rebuke someone, that is a grave mistake! God is patient with him, and that is why He put that person in your path, so you can be patient with him too, and thus acquire the crown of patience!

God doesn't preserve us because we are very worthy. He preserves us because He is very merciful.