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[[Gospel of Luke]] 12:44: "[Jesus said:] 'Sell your possessions and give alms; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.' "[[Gospel of Luke]] 6:33ff: "[Jesus said:] 'And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same.' "
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[[File:Christ-in-the-poor-icon-1-1.jpg|thumb|right|Icon portraying Matthew 25:31-46]]
''For a list of charitable organizations, see'' [[Orthodox Charities]]
'''Philanthropy''' entails serving the poor by giving one's time, money, goods, or efforts to support a charitable cause, usually over an extended period of time and in regard to a defined objective. In a more fundamental sense, philanthropy may encompass any altruistic activity which is intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. The word Philanthropy comes from the Greek words ''philos'' (love) and ''anthropos'' (man), or love of mankind.
Throughout the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]] Scriptures, there are numerous instances in which the faithful are exhorted to help the poor:
:[[Deuteronomy]] 15:7, 11: "Thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother. Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land."
:[[Isaiah]] 58:66ff: "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"
:[[Micah]] 6:8: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" :[[Gospel of Matthew]] 6:2-4: "[Jesus said:] 'When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.' "
:[[Gospel of Matthew]] 619:2-420ff: "[The young man said to Him, 'All these commands I have kept; what am I still lacking?' Jesus said:] to him, 'When therefore If you give almswish to be complete, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues go and sell your possessions and in give to the streetspoor, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to and you, they shall have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your alms may be treasure in secretheaven; and your Father who sees in secret will repay youcome, follow Me.' "
:[[Gospel of MatthewLuke]] 193:20ff11: "The young man said to Him, 'All these commands I have kept; what am I still lacking?' [Jesus said to him] answereth and saith unto them, 'If you wish to be completeHe that hath two coats, go and sell your possessions and give let him impart to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heavenhim that hath none; and comehe that hath meat, follow Melet him do likewise.' "
:[[Gospel of Luke]] 34:1116-21: "And [Jesus] answereth came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and saith unto themas was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read... 'The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He appointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He that hath two coatshas sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meatset free those who are downtrodden, let him do likewiseto proclaim the favorable year of the LORD... Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.' "
:[[Gospel of Luke]] 412:16-2144: "And [Jesussaid:] came to Nazareth'Sell your possessions and give alms; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbathno thief comes near, and stood up to readnor moth destroys... 'The Spirit of the LORD For where your treasure is upon Me, because He appointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD... Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in there will your hearingheart be also.' "
:[[Gospel of Luke]] 14:12-14: "[Jesus said:] 'When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.' "
:The [[Acts of the Apostles]] 4:32-35: "And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need."
:[[2 Corinthians]] 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." {{ref|2}}
:[[1 John]] 3:17: "But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
===The Church Fathers on Philanthropy===
====St Basil the Great on Wealth and Almsgiving====
[[Image:Basil2.jpg|left|St. Basil the Great]]
“[T]hrow open all the gates of your treasury, supplying generous outlets for your wealth. Like a mighty river that is divided into many streams in order to irrigate the fertile soil, so also are those who give their wealth to be divided up and distributed in the houses of the poverty-stricken…[W]ealth left idle is of no use to anyone, but put to use and exchanged it becomes fruitful and beneficial for the public.” (''I Will Tear Down My Barns'')
“The bread you are holding back is for the hungry, the clothes you keep put away are for the naked, the shoes that are rotting away with disuse are for those who have none, the money in your vaults is for the needy. All of these you might help and do not—to all these you are doing wrong.” (''I Will Tear Down My Barns'')
[[Image:John Chrysostom.jpg|right|thumb|250px|St John Chrysostom]]
====St John Chrysostom on Wealth and Almsgiving====
==History of Orthodox Philanthropy==
In the Christian [[Byzantine Empire]], philanthropy was considered to be a civic and ecclesiastical virtue. Benevolence and giving were also seen as a form of worship and service to God. Early Christians put hospitality into action by founding many of today's social institutions, including orphanages, hospitals for the destitute, homeless shelters, and refuges for the poor. Later Christians also pioneered the development of schools for the needy.
[[Image:Sts.CosmasandDamianatRome.jpg|right|frame|Unmercenary Saints [[Cosmas and Damian]], who offered medical services to the needy free of charge, obeying the commandment of Christ to the twelve [[Apostles]]: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).]]
In the ''[[Shepherd of Hermas]]'', a second-century Christian apocalypse, the author, Hermas, encourages the wealthy to help the poor in any way they can. He says, "Instead of fields, then, purchase souls that have been afflicted, in so far as you can, and take care of widows and orphans and do not neglect them; spend your wealth and all your furnishings for such fields and horses as you have received from God. For this is why the master made you rich, that you may carry out these ministries." (Shepherd of Hermas 50:8-9). In addition Hermas reminds us that helping the poor is a great joy and that as Christians we have a duty to God to carry out his work. In one of his parables, that of the elm tree and the vine, an important lesson is learned: the vine and elm tree are mutually beneficial. Hermas explained this by saying that these two trees symbolize the slaves of God. The vine is a tree that produces fruit, while the elm tree does not. The vine that bears fruit grows on the elm tree because if it did not, it would grow on the ground and thus bear rotten fruit. It is only when the vine grows on the elm tree that it bears fruit because of elm tree's support. In this best case scenario, both the elm and the vine bear fruit because of their cooperation with each other. This parable applies to the "slaves of God, the poor and the rich." The parable is explained further: the rich have money, but are poor towards the Lord because they are distracted by their wealth and their prayer before the Lord is weak. It is when the rich depend on the poor that the rich find favor with God. The poor who find their needs supplied for by the rich then thank God for providing them with the one who supported them in their time of need. Ultimately, God gives both the rich and the poor benefits, for everything that we are given on earth is given to us from above. This is but one illustration of Christian philanthropy that was taught in the early Church.
Saint [[Basil the Great|Basil]] is a classic example of a [[saint]] who cared about philanthropy and paid particular attention to the Gospel's message as recorded in Romans 13:9-10, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does your neighbor no harm, so love is the fulfillment of the law."{{ref|2}} This quote from Saint Paul's letter to the Romans is the true definition of what philanthropy is; this is also the second commandment of God, which is "love your neighbor as yourself." In the West, confusion between Saint Basil and Saint [[Nicholas of Myra|Nicholas]] has occurred in that the two accounts of their lives have intermingled. Attributes of Saint Basil in providing to the poor and giving gifts to children have instead been attributed to Saint Nicholas. Saint Basil lived in the fourth century a.d. and was the Bishop of [[Caesarea]], a city in Asia Minor. One of his many well-known virtues was his broad charitable activities and educating children. In his city he St Basil founded care facilities for the elderly and visited the sick and poor regularly. A lasting monument of his episcopal care for the poor was the Basiliad, a great institute he founded before the gates of Caesarea that functioned as a combination of poorhouse, hospital, and hostel for the homeless. Saint Basil also reminds Christians of Christ's philanthropy for man when he says, "Everytime Every time we kneel down and rise up we show by deed that because of our sin we fell down upon the earth, and that we were invited back to heaven through the ''philanthropia'' of our creator."
One important Orthodox tradition that honors Saint Basil and his philanthropy is also supposed to encourage the faithful to give to the poor. In this tradition, which occurs yearly on New Year's Day, vasilopita bread is made by selected people in the [[parish]]. (Vasilopita simply means the bread of Basil.) The bread is baked with a coin inside and taken to the church for a blessing; there it is auctioned off to the highest donation for the bread. The donation of the vasilopita is then put into a fund that goes to the poor. However, some people focus too much on the cutting of the bread in order to find the coin that is contained in the bread. The person who finds the coin is said to be lucky and will be blessed with good fortune for the upcoming new year. This emphasis of the finding of the coin could undervalue the importance of the act of almsgiving and the real honor of Saint Basil's philanthropy. This ritual is intended to emphasize philanthropy.
==Orthodox Saints Devoted to Serving the Poor==
[[Image:15806010-2-.jpg|right|thumb|Mother [[Maria (Skobtsova)]] of Paris, who selflessly served the poor and was martyred by the Nazis on Holy Saturday, 1945.]]
*[[Apostle Stephen the Protomartyr]]
*[[Basil the Great]]
*[[Elizabeth the New Martyr]]
*[[Juliana of Lazarevo]]
*[https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2008/07/20/108892-righteous-martyr-maria-skobtsova Mother [[Maria (Skobtsova]] ) of Paris]*[[https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2020/12/20/103598-repose-of-saint-john-of-kronstadt John of Kronstadt]]
*[[John Maximovitch]] of Shanghai and San Francisco
== References ==
*Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic. "All of Us Are Beggars: Theological Foundations of Philanthropy." Included in ''Theology as Surprise: Patristic and Pastoral Insights''. St Vladimir's Seminary Press. 2018.
*Constantelos, Demetrios J. Byzantine Philanthropy and Social Welfare. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. 1968.
*Ehraman, Bart[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15570274.2016. Lost Scriptures1145475 "Byzantine Philanthropic Institutions and Modern Humanitarianism"] by Timothy Miller*[https: Books that Did Not Make it Into the New Testament//www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15570274. 2016.1145479?src=recsys "Orthodox Christianity and Humanitarianism: An Introduction to Thought and Practice, Past and Present"The Shepherd of Hermas] by Elizabeth H." New YorkProdromou & Nathanael Symeonides*[https: Oxford University Press//static1. 1999squarespace.com/static/5e78f10494c7b26bc99e2fd2/t/5e8e23e22d66574920296d3c/1586373602527/48.ORPHANAGES_PHILANTH_IN_BYZANTIUM.pdf "Orphanages and Philanthropy in Byzantium"] in ''Road to Emmaus'' journal
*[http://www.stjohndc.org/Russian/saints/e_9601a.htm St. Basil the Great, archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia - Universal Teacher]
*[http://www.holytrinitysf.org/familian/jan2007/ The Vasilopita: A Catalyst for Meaningful Christian Philanthropy]
