Книга пророка Даниила, Глава 4, стих 24. Толкования стиха

ALMSGIVING AND CHARITY. AUGUSTINE: It is written, as I reminded you a short while ago, “O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you.” . . . And there are many other teachings in the divine writings that show how much almsgiving and deeds of charity avail for extinguishing and wiping out sins. Accordingly, to those whom he is going to condemn—no, first, on the contrary to those whom he is going to reward with crowns, he is going to impute nothing but their acts of charity, as though to say, “It would be difficult, if I examined you closely, and weighed you in the balance and thoroughly scrutinized your deeds, for me not to find reasons to condemn you; but, ‘Go into the kingdom; for I was hungry and you gave me to eat.’ So you are not going into the kingdom because you never sinned, but because you redeemed your sins with alms deeds.” SERMON 389.5.

REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING. CHRYSOSTOM: Do you wish that I should speak of the ways of repentance? They are many and various and different, and all lead to heaven . . . a fourth way is almsgiving. For Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, when he had come to all kinds of evil and had entered on all impiety, “O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you.” . . . What could be compared with this act of compassion? After countless sins, after so many transgressions, he is promised that he will be reconciled with him whom he has had conflict with if only he will show kindness to his own fellow servants. . . . So we have shown you five ways to repentance: first the condemnation of sins, next the forgiveness of our neighbor’s sins, third that which comes of prayer, fourth that which comes of almsgiving, fifth that which comes of humility. Do not then be lazy, but walk in this day by day. CONCERNING THE POWER OF DEMONS, HOMILY 2.6.