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'''Alms''' or '''almsgiving''' is the giving materially to another as an act of [[charity]] to benefit the poor and needy, given for Christ’s sake. For Orthodox Christians almsgiving is an important part of an individual’s spiritual life. When one fasts, the fasting should be accompanied by [[prayer]] and almsgiving.<ref>Kallistos (Ware), Bishop; Mary, Mother (1978), ''The Lenten Triodion'', South Canaan PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 2002, pp. 35ff, ISBN 1-878997-51-3</ref>

The need to contribute toward the welfare of the poor and needy appears throughout the [[Holy Scripture]] and in the works of the [[Church Fathers]]. Since the Apostolic times the history of the Church has shown that Christians fully realized the importance of the obligation to almsgiving.