You can think a lot about mercy and virtue, because giving alms correctly is a great art, the mastery of which directly determines a person’s well-being, but giving without condemnation is difficult.

If you decide to give alms to someone, give without thinking about whether you are doing good or bad by giving him alms, and why this is so, but simply give, because you are giving to the Lord. Do not make distinctions between men and women, nationalities, for for Him everyone is His children, and He looks at you from Heaven - how you will react to His creation.

The Lord can test a person in another way.
If you are showered with great luck, money, wealth and the like, remember that this too is a test from the Lord: how will you react to him and your smaller brothers? It is not without reason that at all times, eminent merchants gave money for the construction of churches (by the way, if a person gives for the construction of a new church, any damage is removed from him), frames for icons, and donated to widows and orphans.
If a person does not stand the test of wealth - he begins to despise the poor and weak and use it for evil among people, then the Lord takes away his wealth. The test may be like Job's. And then you should not complain, but you should pray and give to the church and the poor. Wealth is given to a person for someone and in the name of something, some good purpose, the increase of love in the world.

However, it should not be given to everyone and not everywhere, for some people are not worth giving to. There are freaks and cripples punished by God for their sins, and there are people who have been sent a severe test. Therefore, as you pass by, listen to yourself and ask: “Should I give this?” and you will hear the voice of your soul, you will hear the answer, only it will be very quiet, so that some will not want to listen.

You can give if the beggars are sitting: (but always be careful - look at the person)

At the entrance to the temple, chapel, near holy springs and holy places;
- at the entrance to the market;
- at a trolleybus stop;
- at the entrance to the hotel.

You cannot serve to those who sit below ground level (in underground passages) and are drunk, because you are not serving to God. Also, you should not give alms to those sitting at crossroads, near pharmacies and medical institutions (a person gives his health), near cemeteries and "unclean places", near post offices, under sacred trees (oak, apple, aspen), with signs or with children . If the person asking is sitting with a dog, it is possible. Children under 15 years of age should be given only food, so as not to corrupt them. Give money to young and middle-aged people with caution (if there is malicious intent, they can take away energy, health, and vitality). You should not give alms on Wednesdays - this is the day of Mercury (there will be interference in business and trade, because you are giving away your success), on your birthdays and christenings, as well as when returning from some rituals.

Before giving alms, you need to look at the face of the petitioner and his clothes. If a person is dirty and downcast, looks from under his brows, has a “hare lip,” “bird-like” facial features, is red-haired, six-fingered, one-eyed, withered (if he is one-armed, one-legged, first ask whether this is a punishment for him from the Lord God or not ?), standing with a hat in his hand - do not serve. The hat should lie on the ground, next to the feet (in the subtle world, small copper money is tears, and when a person bends down, everything rolls off of him into this hat).

It should be served in medium and small coins, preferably 5 kopecks, or if the coin depicts a rider on a horse (such coins were preferred by the wonderful Russian saint Ksenia of Petersburg), bills with ones and zeros can be used (10 lats, 100 rubles). You can’t give coins with an even number (especially 2), and don’t give 50 kopecks, except for the church. It should be served without touching the person asking for it.

It is advisable to give the person who named a small amount, but if he asks for a second time, you should politely refuse, saying “the first word is more valuable than the second.”

Or, for example, someone comes up and asks you to buy a bouquet of flowers at the station for a certain amount, then you need to buy it, and then you won’t have any problems on the road and you will avoid major troubles.

When leaving the bazaar (and not vice versa, so as not to be robbed), you can give alms to those collecting alms at the entrance to the bazaar, if they are squatting, on a mat or chair, and the hat is lying close to their feet. The server sitting on the box will soon "play the box" himself.

Alms given in churches deserve special attention.
When entering a church, you should always cross yourself three times, but not in the vestibule, but after crossing the threshold into the hall, the same should be done when leaving the church.

They always first place candles on a round table - "for health", and then on a square table - "for repose".

When you come to church with a request to be cured, the damage removed, and so on, you should light candles, clearly and clearly state your request, stand for 15 minutes at the icon, and then submit it to the church by putting coins in the church box.

Do not give alms to anyone in church.

Those applying for the monastery can only serve in the vestibule of the church. The one who gives at the exit from the church leaves all his troubles and sins, takes off the burden, and the one who gives at the entrance keeps it for himself, bringing it into the temple and taking it back from there.

You can give alms if there is an odd number of petitioners sitting in a row (if there is an even number, you give to the dead) - in this case, it is advisable to give a little to everyone, if not in a row - to whomever you deem necessary.

There is also almsgiving in a hidden form. A striking example of this is refusing change in a store. In this case, the seller, who received alms from the buyer, can take on his karmic illnesses.
A seller who overcharges a buyer or does not give change violates God’s commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” thereby incurring God’s wrath and worsening karma—his own and his children’s.

Based on forum materials

What is alms and how to give it? It would seem that what is so difficult here? It turns out that not everyone can not always be helped, even if asked. Almsgiving is a whole science. Before learning it, you should study and understand the language of theology well.

What is almsgiving? Parable of Alms

There are many parables that say that the rich should give to the poor. And then the one who sympathizes will be rewarded for his mercy, and the one who asks for his patience.

According to religion, almsgiving is giving to the poor. Sharing with one's neighbor is one of the main life tenets of a true Christian. But here we need to correctly interpret the concept of “giving alms.” Who is really worth helping, and who should you bypass and thereby save both your soul and the person asking?

Parable of the Wandering Jews

One of the biblical parables is also devoted to this issue. The Jews, wandering in the desert, sacrificed gold twice. In the first case, they collected all the jewelry of their women and cast a calf from them. They presented this gift to the devil. The second time, all the Jewish husbands collected all the gold and silver coins. They presented them as a gift to the Lord God.

What does this mean? That when a person spends what he earns on all his whims, such as parties, clothes, expensive jewelry, then he presents all this to his demon. That is, thereby feeding it. And if he gives acquired property and money to the poor or buys them food and clothing, then the person saves his soul. After all, he makes a presentation to the bright side of his inner being.

Is a person really in need?

But in our world, it is sometimes very difficult to determine who is truly in need and who is fraudulent, begging for money for their greedy needs. You cannot give donations to everyone who asks, and most importantly, how much he asks. One must be able to distinguish between those truly in need and typical speculators making money. This is also stated in the Bible. That is, everyone should give depending on their income. The one who is richer is, accordingly, more. The poor man can give according to his strength. And they will be credited equally. After all, they give equally according to their capabilities.

You need to do good deeds correctly

So how should you give alms? Remember, do everything from your heart and with good intentions. If you see that a person needs more than you, give it, don’t regret it. Avoid scammers and try to warn other applicants about the unclean intentions of the person asking. The look should be welcoming and bright. Under no circumstances should you give with regret or reluctance. Like, you need to apply, but you don’t want to. Or as many do, especially the rich: they throw alms to the poor with a favor. All this will come back to you with the same pain that the person asking you experienced at that moment.

After all, the Bible says that you give not just to the poor person in need, but to your God. Thus, thank him for all your good deeds and daily trials. The saying “As you sow, so shall you reap” applies perfectly here. That is, the more you sacrifice with a pure heart, the more will be returned to you later in the works of the Lord.

“When the right hand serves, the left hand should not know about it.” What does it mean? When you donate, no one needs to know about it. And you yourself should not count how much you have given, but how much good is left. If you did something like this, then forget it. The more you give, the more you will receive.

Serve on time

Remember that alms, like everything in this life, must be timely. Serve before it's too late. The poor man has not yet taken the dark road. After all, many may commit crimes in order to feed themselves and their children. They can steal, deceive, force others to give them their property and, worst of all, commit murder. Remember that food should be given when a person is hungry, and not when he died without ever seeing food. Help orphans or those who have stumbled, so that you don’t have to answer to the Lord later. They could have helped, but they passed by, the man laid hands on himself, taking a great sin upon his soul. But you could have done something and didn’t want to, which means that you will have to answer later before the Almighty.

Alms can be different!

After all, almsgiving is a kind human attitude towards someone in need.

You see a woman crying on the street - don’t pass by. Suddenly she was robbed, and she needs help. Or maybe she has a problem at home, and she has no one to share it with, and she cries. It is possible that a person simply feels bad, but does not have the strength to ask for help. After all, you or your loved ones may find yourself in such a situation, and it’s good when strangers don’t pass by indifferently.

Or look around, maybe you have an old neighbor whose children don’t go to see her, or she’s completely lonely and needs help. Go to the store, get water, chop firewood, clean the house, or just talk over a cup of tea. For many lonely old people, your half an hour of time will not only lift their spirits, but will also bring them back to life. And you need to do this every day, and not when you yourself feel bad and think about others.

After all, most of us go to church when one of our loved ones begins to get sick or is unwell ourselves. That’s when we light candles in church and distribute them to the poor. Is this right? Of course not. Every day someone needs help, and not just when we remember it, and then only in order to save ourselves. It is better to do things when you are healthy and share them with others.

It also happens that rich people are so stingy that they don’t even help their children and don’t share their wealth. And when they are already on their deathbed, they remember them. Then they begin to divide who gets what. Can such a person be sure that his children will fulfill his last wishes? After all, during his lifetime he did not honor them, and they can repay him in kind. If the Lord blesses a rich man through his wealth, then he must share it during his lifetime.

Alms in the church

Many people wonder: what is the correct way to give alms in church? Now you can stumble upon dishonest priests. All of them unanimously claim that if you give alms in church, then you will be rewarded doubly for it. But where is it written and said in the Bible that good deeds in the temple are doubled? All this looks like a marketing scheme by those church fathers who want to put everything into their pockets. Here, too, everyone must distinguish where to leave a donation, and which temple is better to bypass.

Unfortunately, in some modern cathedrals and churches the priests don’t even know all the prayers, and not only do they not know, but they haven’t even finished reading the Bible. But you can’t be categorical about everyone. Most of them still truly serve the Lord. Also, many poor churches need alms or simply physical strength. After all, it’s not the good church that has huge domes and everything inside is bursting with wealth and gold. And the one where the priest will help and forgive sins with a bright and pure soul. The church is considered to be the house of the Lord, where people gather and talk with him. Some people ask for health, others for peace of mind.

A good priest gives thanks for what he already has. Many come to the temple to honor the memory of loved ones and relatives. Or they just bring a donation. But the Scripture does not say that the house of the Lord should be richer in gold and wealth than the parishioners who bring alms to its doors.

Conclusion

To summarize the above, we can say that alms are a good gift from the giver to the needy. Therefore, help people from the bottom of your heart!

It doesn’t matter where alms are given: a church or just a busy street. The main thing is to help someone in need, if not with money, then at least with a kind word.

HOW TO GIVE ALMS CORRECTLY, so as not to harm yourself. You can think a lot about mercy and virtue, because giving alms correctly is a great art, the mastery of which directly determines a person’s well-being, but giving without condemnation is difficult. If you decide to give alms to someone, give without thinking about whether you are doing good or bad by giving him alms, and why this is so, but simply give, because you are giving to the Lord. Do not make distinctions between men and women, nationalities, for for Him everyone is His children, and He looks at you from Heaven - how you will react to His creation. The Lord can test a person in another way. If you are showered with great luck, money, wealth and the like, remember that this too is a test from the Lord: how will you react to him and your smaller brothers? It is not without reason that at all times, eminent merchants gave money for the construction of churches (by the way, if a person gives for the construction of a new church, any damage is removed from him), frames for icons, and donated to widows and orphans. If a person does not stand the test of wealth - he begins to despise the poor and weak and use it for evil among people, then the Lord takes away his wealth. The test may be like Job's. And then you should not complain, but you should pray and give to the church and the poor. Wealth is given to a person for someone and in the name of something, some good purpose, the increase of love in the world. However, it should not be given to everyone and not everywhere, for some people are not worth giving to. There are freaks and cripples punished by God for their sins, and there are people who have been sent a severe test. Therefore, when passing by, listen to yourself and ask: “Should I give this?”, and you will hear the voice of your soul, you will hear the answer, only it will be very quiet, so that some will not want to listen. You can give if the beggars are sitting: - at the entrance to the temple, chapel, near holy springs and holy places; - at the entrance to the market; - at a trolleybus stop; - at the entrance to the hotel. Moreover, there is a golden rule: it is always given at the output, nothing at the input. You cannot serve to those who sit below ground level (in underground passages) and are drunk, because you are not serving to God. Also, you should not give alms to those sitting at crossroads, near pharmacies and medical institutions (a person gives his health), near cemeteries and “unclean places,” near post offices, under sacred trees (oak, apple, aspen), with signs or with children. If the person asking is sitting with a dog, it is possible. Children under 15 years of age should be given only food, so as not to corrupt them. Give money to young and middle-aged people with caution (if there is malicious intent, they can take away energy, health, and vitality). You should not give alms on Wednesdays - this is the day of Mercury (there will be interference in business and trade, because you are giving away your success), on your birthdays and christenings. Before giving alms, you need to look at the face of the petitioner and his clothes. If a person is dirty and downcast, looks from under his brows, has a “hare lip”, “bird-like” facial features, is red-haired, six-fingered, one-eyed, withered (if one-armed, one-legged - first ask whether this is a punishment for him from the Lord God or not?), standing with a hat in hand - do not serve. The hat should lie on the ground, next to the feet (in the subtle world, small copper money is tears, and when a person bends down, everything rolls off of him into this hat). It should be given in medium and small coins, and should be given without touching the hand of the person asking. It is advisable to give the person who named a small amount, but if he asks for a second time, you should politely refuse, saying “the first word is more valuable than the second.” If you are asked from any institution (for example, a registry office), especially in the morning, for a strictly certain amount of small coins, this means that the Almighty specifically sent this person to take away all the sins of the giver, after which the giver of alms will calmly and reliably leave get married or get married, and will be happy in marriage. Or, for example, someone comes up and asks you to buy a bouquet of flowers at the station for a certain amount, then you need to buy it, and then you won’t have any problems on the road and you will avoid major troubles. When leaving the bazaar (and not vice versa, so as not to be robbed), you can give alms to those collecting alms at the entrance to the bazaar, if they are squatting, on a mat or chair, and the hat is lying close to their feet. The server sitting on the box will soon “play the box” himself. Alms given in churches deserve special attention. When entering a church, you should always cross yourself three times, but not in the vestibule, but after crossing the threshold into the hall, the same should be done when leaving the church. They always place candles first on a round table - “for health”, and then on a square table - “for repose”. When you come to church with a request to be cured, the damage removed, and so on, you should light candles, clearly and clearly state your request, stand for 15 minutes at the icon, and then submit it to the church by putting coins in the church box. Do not give alms to anyone in church. Those applying for the monastery can only serve in the vestibule of the church. The one who gives at the exit from the church leaves all his troubles and sins, takes off the burden, and the one who gives at the entrance keeps it for himself, bringing it into the temple and taking it back from there. You can give alms if there is an odd number of petitioners sitting in a row (if there is an even number, you give to the dead) - in this case, it is advisable to give a little to everyone, if not in a row - to whomever you deem necessary. There is also almsgiving in a hidden form. A striking example of this is refusing change in a store. In this case, the seller, who received alms from the buyer, can take on his karmic illnesses. A seller who overcharges a buyer or fails to give change violates God’s commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” thereby incurring God’s wrath and worsening karma—his own and that of his children.” When giving alms, a person hopes for retribution, but does not always receive it. Why? YES because that, without knowing it, violates the esoteric laws of alms. The famous Greek theosophist Eiros Macready wrote the book “The Magic of Sympathy”, where he tried to answer the question: how to turn alms to your own benefit? These are the main postulates of this work. When giving alms, a person deals a crushing blow. to the devil. The main magical property of mercy is retribution. Show mercy, give alms only to those who evoke your sincere sympathy. Do not give alms for the sake of your own vanity, for praise and to attract attention. When doing mercy, do not expect reward. people, but from the bright heavenly forces. The most effective mercy before major holidays is in the amount of a tithe of what a person has. Giving with joy, without touching the hand of the person asking. Not giving alms is tantamount to stealing, both from others and from oneself. To gain health. It should not be served to middle-aged people sitting at crossroads, near medical institutions, or cemeteries. This is dangerous because in case of malicious intent, along with alms you can give away vitality, energy and health. The seller who deceived the buyer takes on himself and his children his karmic illnesses. It’s another matter if the buyer leaves the change himself, both receive a positive charge of energy and health. When giving alms, you need to out loud wish the person asking for health, just as you wish yourself. To find love. Serve on holidays, on Fridays and Saturdays before lunch. Children begging for animals, and the elderly. Show mercy to children only with food or things, and in no case with money. Those who ask with animals receive food for the animals, and a ruble goes to the owner. Show hidden mercy to old people, that is, buy something you don’t need from an elderly person at the market and give it to someone who needs it. Give alms to a blind man without saying a word. Giving someone a smile in public transport is also a mercy, and the reward for it is immediate, especially for those who suffer from loneliness. To get money. It is best to submit on Monday, on the last days of the month and year, to the person who named the amount. Multiply the named amount by three and put it in a hat, a box lying on the ground near the person asking, or in any other place, but not in the hands. Do not give on Wednesday, after seven in the evening, at the entrance to the market, on your birthday and on name day, along with money on these days, you are giving away your success. Thefts and interference in financial affairs, trade, transactions, and the division of property and inheritance are possible. Don't give your neighbor salt on Christmas Eve. In the group's feed you will find prayers, conspiracies and a lot of information useful to you.

There is a big difference and a now forgotten meaning in the phrase with which alms are given. If you rearrange the words, you get the following:

“Let my hand fail” (oath).

Wed. "Oh, guards and all sorts of quarterly guards of the good old days! May my hand become impoverished if it writes an unkind word about you!" (Saltykov)

Give more alms, saying to yourself: “Let the hand of the giver not fail!” (Stepanova)

“Let the hand of the giver not fail.” I didn’t even know that you have to give alms very carefully... that is, not to everyone and not everywhere. There are people punished by God for their sins, and there are people who have been sent a severe trial. Therefore, when passing by, you need to listen to yourself and ask: “Should I give this?”, and having heard the voice of our soul, we will hear the answer, only it will be very quiet, so you need to be attentive.

You can give if the beggars are sitting, for example: - at the entrance to a temple, chapel, near holy springs and holy places; - at the entrance to the market; - at stops.
There is a golden rule: it is always given at the output, and nothing at the input.
It cannot be served to those sitting below ground level (in underground passages) or to those who are drunk.
Also, you should not give alms to those sitting at crossroads (of course, not literally at a crossroads), near pharmacies and medical institutions (a person gives his health), near cemeteries and “unclean places,” near post offices, under sacred trees (oak, apple, aspen) , with signs or with children (this is pure deception).
Children under 15 years of age should be given only food, so as not to corrupt them. Give money to young and middle-aged people with caution (if there is malicious intent, they can take away energy, health, and vitality).
You should not give alms on Wednesdays - this is the day of Mercury (there will be interference in business and trade, because you are giving away your success), on your birthdays and christenings.
Before giving alms, you need to look at the face of the petitioner and his clothes. If a person is dirty and downcast, looks from under his brows, has “bird-like” facial features, is one-eyed, withered (if he is one-armed, one-legged - first ask yourself, is it worth giving? More often the answer will be no), standing with a hat in his hand - do not give.
Give alms with your right hand, and in order not to take over the misfortunes of a beggar, you should not hand the money into his hands, but put it in a jar or hat, which the beggars usually have in their hands. And remember that money is not given into your hands at all. The hat should lie on the ground, next to the feet (in the subtle world, small copper money is tears, and when a person bends down, everything rolls off of him into this hat). If it is not possible to put it on the ground, then refrain from giving alms. When giving alms, whisper in a whisper: “I only give tribute, but I keep what’s mine!”
If you give in the evening, place the money on the ground, the beggar will pick it up himself. If you are sure that the person asking will drink the money, then do not give it. By giving money for drinking, you can tie yourself to a “drinking place.”

Serve in medium and small coins, preferably 5 kopecks; bills with ones and zeros (1, 10, 100 rubles) can be used. You cannot give coins with an even number - 50 kopecks, except for the church.
It should be served without touching the person asking for it. If they ask from any institution, for example the registry office, especially in the morning, a strictly certain amount of small coins, this means that the Almighty specifically sent this person to take away all the sins of the giver, after which the one who gave alms will calmly and reliably get married, and will be happily married.
Or, for example, someone comes up and asks you to buy a bouquet of flowers at the station for a certain amount, then you need to buy it, and then you won’t have any problems on the road and you will avoid major troubles.

When leaving the bazaar, you can give alms to those collecting alms at the entrance to the bazaar, if they are squatting, on a mat or chair, and the hat is lying close to their feet.
The server sitting on the box will soon “play the box” himself.
Alms given in churches deserve special attention. Do not give alms to anyone in church. Those applying for the monastery can only serve in the vestibule of the church. The one who gives at the exit from the church leaves all his troubles and sins, takes off the burden, and the one who gives at the entrance keeps it for himself, bringing it into the temple and taking it back from there. You can give alms if there is an odd number of petitioners sitting in a row (if there is an even number, you give to the dead) - in this case, it is advisable to give a little to everyone, if not in a row - to whomever you deem necessary.
There is also almsgiving in a hidden form. For example, refusing change at a store. In this case, the seller, who received alms from the buyer, can take on his karmic illnesses.

1 . Christ gives us the highest ideal: “ Give to the one who asks from you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.» (). « Do good to those who hate you and pray for those who use you ()». « Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful» (). « Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.» ().

“Let us do good to everyone, and especially to our own by faith” ().

"5. Give to everyone who asks you and do not demand it back, for the Father wants everything given to be from His gifts. Blessed is he who gives according to the commandment, for he is innocent. Woe to the one who receives, for if someone, having a need, accepts, he will be innocent; will not leave there until he gives the last coin.
6. But about this it is also said: let your alms sweat in your hands until you know who to give it to."

“I added to this that one should not take upon oneself the distribution of property, but entrust it to the one who is entrusted with managing the affairs of the poor. And he confirmed this with a passage from the Acts, that when he sold his goods and brought, “ laid at the feet of the Apostles", and them " everyone was given what they needed" (). For, he said, experience is needed to distinguish between someone who is truly in need and someone who asks out of covetousness. And whoever gives to one oppressed by poverty gives to the Lord and will receive a reward from Him; and whoever lends money to anyone passing by throws it to the dog, who annoys with his recklessness, but does not arouse pity with his poverty.”

“Who gave, or ordered to give, to a beggar a piece of bread and a glass of water; and, feasting at a luxurious table, does not care whether the hunger and thirst of the beggar are really satisfied, and does not take sincere humane participation in it: let him not rush to assure himself that he has already acquired the right to the kingdom of heaven. To value the kingdom of heaven at the price of a loaf of bread and a glass of water would be to value it too cheaply and to offend the dignity of what is valued.
A work of charity done without thoughtful and heartfelt participation in the needy is a body without a soul: and has no true dignity before the court of Christ, whose law is spiritual, and Who judges according to the spiritual law.
If someone has given alms that are satisfactory and abundant to many; but he did this with the desire to have the glory of a benefactor; such a one gave alms to his vanity: it is not difficult to judge how much Christ owes him for what he did for himself and not for Christ.”

“Every person has boundaries of responsibility outlined by the hand of God. They also tell us the correct hierarchy: who we help first, who we help second, who we help third. The boundary of responsibility outlined by the hand of God for each person is, first of all, his family. It is said: “Whoever... does not take care of his family has renounced the faith and is worse than an infidel” (). These are his people. It is said: “And the Lord divided the tongues.” These are the people who belong to his religious tradition, that is, our brothers and sisters in faith. And when we build relationships with people in charity, based on the correct hierarchy of preferences, it is very reasonable.”

“Alms done for the sake of Christ, for the sake of love for Him, cleanses from sins more than sacrifices, opens heaven more than virginity, can make equal to the apostles”