The patterns of grace…

Sometimes the soul finds rest in the deepest quietness, and joy and perfect peace in perfectly focused spiritual delight and ineffably deep repose. At other times the soul is stirred up by grace and taught lessons in ineffable wisdom and understanding and knowledge of the spirit, in ways that pass beyond all our ability to speak about them. . . . Manifold are the patterns of grace, and most varied are the ways it leads the soul. Sometimes, as God decides, grace gives rest to the soul. At other times it puts it to work.
–Saint Macarius the Great (295-392)

Almsgiving proceeds…

Almsgiving proceeds from a merciful heart and is more useful for the one who practices it than for the one who receives it, for the man who makes a practice of almsgiving draws out a spiritual profit from his acts, whilst those who receive his alms receive only a temporal benefit.
–Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)