No one can say,” I am poor and have nothing to give”. For even if you cannot
give, as those rich men who put their gifts forward, give two cents, as that
poor widow did, and God accepts your offering better than the gifts of the rich.
Don’t you have that either? But you have physical strength, and you can by
your ministry have mercy on the sick. You can’t even do that? You can by your
good word comfort your brother. Have mercy on him then with your good word
and listen to the one who says: “A good word is better than material gifts”.
Suppose that even with the word you can’t have mercy. But you can, if your
brother is angry with you, have mercy on him and bear with him in his hour of
trouble, since you see him harassed by the common enemy, the devil. So
instead of saying a word to him and agitating him further, keep silent and have
mercy on his soul, taking it out of the hands of the enemy.
St Dorotheos of Gaza
Translated by Dr. Nick Stergiou
