A letter from the 4th Century [View all]
St. John Chrysostom writes to those who made drastic cuts to food stamps today:
"What madness is this, to fill your wardrobes with apparel, and overlook him that is made in God's image, who is hungry and sick and homeless?
But you say he pretends this hunger and weakness. And do you not fear lest a thunderbolt from heaven should strike you? (I am furious: bear with me.) You pamper and fatten yourself and comfort yourself under soft coverlets, but do not think you should be subject to judgment. But from the poor and wretched you demand strict accounts. If he does act hypocritically, he does it from necessity because of your cruelty and inhumanity. For who is so wretched and miserable who would, for one loaf of bread, submit to such humiliation? Any hypocrisy of his announces to everyone your inhumanity. Any disgrace and blame falls not on him but on you: for he indeed is to be pitied because he has fallen into such great need; but we are worthy of innumerable punishments because we compel the poor to suffer such things."
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