Resenting having to give
The presence of the passion of avarice reveals itself when a person enjoys receiving but resents having to give. — St. Maximos the Confessor
The Poor
Love scatters money
The lover of money sneers at the Gospel, and is a willful transgressor. He who has attained to love scatters his money. But he who says that he lives for love and for money has deceived himself. — St. John Climacus
Comment: the overturning of the moneychangers tables is a sign of this.
pretext of almsgiving, hatred of the poor
The beginning of love of money is the pretext of almsgiving, and the end of it is hatred of the poor. So long as he is collecting he is charitable, but when the money is in hand he tightens his grip. — St. John Climacus
Christ is reaching to us with the hand of the Poor.
Thus ought we ever to exercise hospitality by our own personal exertions, that we may be sanctified, and our hands be blessed. And if you give to the poor, disdain not yourself to give it, for it is not to the poor that it is given, but to Christ; and who is so wretched, as to disdain to stretch out his own hand to Christ? This is hospitality, this is truly to do it for God’s sake. — St. John Chrysostom,