And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Acts 10:30-31
“A bishop shall not have any Sunday without almsgiving. And the poor and orphans shall he know as doth a father, and shall gather them together at the great festival of the Lord, vowing and distributing much alms and giving unto each whereof he had need. And at the feast of Pentecost he shall refresh all the people, because that on that day the Holy Ghost came down upon the church…The bishop shall gather all the widows and orphans and shall rejoice with them, with prayers and hymns, and shall give unto each according to his needs, for it is a day of blessing…This word have we spoken concerning the poor; God hath established the bishop because of the feasts, that he may refresh them at the feasts. For thus is God merciful and would not that any of mankind should suffer, for His lovingkindness is busied day and night that He may benefit mankind. Wherefore, O bishop, give relief unto the poor and needy and visit them and set them free.”
Athanasius of Alexandria (296-373) in The Canons of Athanasius of Alexandria: the Arabic and Coptic versions, ed. and trans. by Wilhelm Riedel and W.E. Crum (London: Williams and Norgate, 1904) 27-28.
Why read from the The Canons of Athanasius of Alexandria upon arrival in Korea (beside the fact that he’s the last of the four doctors of the Eastern Church for me to explore before turning my attention tomorrow back to contemporary voices)?
The canons outlined the expected practices for overseers God’s work to ensure obedience to Christ. It’s the stuff they were supposed to do! In similar fashion, it’s the kind of material I will teach my students this next week at Torch Trinity Graduate University.
Notice the focus of giving.
The overseers must tirelessly make sure that all that those in need — from orphans to widows — are ministered too, even as our merciful God “is busied day and night that He may benefit mankind.” Again, though I have just arrived in Seoul to equip students who will oversee God’s work in Asia, I will instruct them on live and lead likewise.
If you are reading this and oversee ministry, take note.
Your role at feast times in the church calendar is to refresh the entire flock, and you do that with your preaching and teaching. But what are you to do in ordinary time, Sunday after Sunday, with the funds of the church? Show your faith by serving the poor and needy among you!
Don’t do it because Athanasius says so or because I say so. Do it because Jesus instructed us to give alms (cf. Matthew 6:1-4) and God is watching our giving as today’s Scripture reminds us.
“Give relief unto the poor and needy and visit them and set them free.”