Almsgiving

[[File:|thumb|Alms. Museum of Rio de Janeiro.]] Alms usually refer to a gift of money given to a poor person. Alms must be given with charity and discretion. It can also take a mystical form through sacrifices for the conversion of the world and sinners.

In "The Gospel as It Was Revealed to Me"

• J茅sus distributes alms to the Confessionals, the elders, a widow with many children, then he corrects a thief.
• Be discreet when giving alms: "Be discreet in doing Good. Even when giving alms. A publican knew how to be so before his conversion. And you, will you not know how to be so? Yes, I praise you, Matthew, for the discreet offering each week that the Father and I alone knew about, and I cite you as an example. This reserve is also a form of chastity, friends. Do not unveil your goodness, just as you would not unveil a very young girl before the eyes of a crowd."
• The alms of Elijah the Pharisee - whose grandson, bitten by a snake, was saved from death by Jesus - was the result of a passing emotion.
• Sermon on the Mount: on the rightful use of wealth: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven", "When you give alms, do not sound a trumpet to draw attention".
• Alms of those who want to follow Jesus: "Sell your goods, give alms if you are alone. Give your own those means of existence that compensate for your leaving home to follow me, for it is right not to take away bread from children and wives."
• Love the poor in the name of Jesus: "Relieve through this promise my c艙ur overwhelmed: that in the poor you will always see me, and that you will welcome them as the truest representatives of the Christ who is poor, who wished to be poor for the love of those who are the most unfortunate on Earth, and to expiate by his penance and his poignant love the prodigal injustices and the egotisms of men."
• Spiritual alms: "Pray, suffer, make others pray, make others suffer, ask for alms of sacrifices and sufferings from those who are pure, good, generous, so that thus the brothers may convert."
• (Jesus at the Temple observes) a poor little woman, dressed in dark brown, who climbs the steps ashamed and goes toward a wall where there are lion heads or other animals of the same kind, mouths open (...) His eye looks at her with pity and becomes very gentle when he sees her stretch out a hand and throw something into the stone mouth of one of these lions.
  "Do you see this woman? She gave only two small coins, less than what is needed to pay for the meal of a caged passerby, and yet she gave more than all those who, since the Temple opened at dawn, have cast their obol into the Temple Treasury. (...)
  But, in truth, I tell you no one gave more than she. Her obol is charity, the other is not. She is generosity, the other is not. She is sacrifice, the other is not. Today this woman will not eat because she has nothing left. She will have to work first for a wage so she can give bread to her hunger."
  Note: And, shortly before His Passion, Jesus makes sure that this poor widow is given the obol from Mary Magdalene and told to go to B茅thanie to Lazarus after the holidays (for even more help).

In other works of Maria Valtorta

In the notebooks

• Catechesis of June 17, 1943: "But if you give alms, even considerable, and if you do it to be noticed and applauded by the world, do you believe you are performing an act of charity? No. You are mistaken. Charity means love. Charity, therefore, is to have pity and love for all the needy on earth. Money is not necessary to perform an act of charity. A counsel, a word of comfort, of gentleness, a gesture of material aid, a prayer are charity. Alms given without any delicacy, which humiliates the poor in whom you do not know how to see me is not charity."

person who, among the Romans, was responsible for collecting taxes and duties for the State. The legal rate of each tax being hidden, the publicans could raise the amount without any means of control. (Ex: Matthew the evangelist, before following Jesus as an apostle).