"On Repentance and Almsgiving"

I just finished reading On Repentance and Almsgiving by St. John Chrysostom.  It was a very in-depth reading.  Full of Scripture, mostly that based on the Old Testament, but wise and enlightening nonetheless.
Here are some excerpts from the book:


"However, be mindful of this; if you become lazy and indifferent, sin will seize you at one time or another. Therefore, show concern, if not for your brother, then at least for yourself."


"For God simply seeks from us one small please and then grants us the remission of our many sins."


"Therefore, why do we not take pleasure in these words, and why do we not go to Church every day in order to embrace repentance?  If you are a sinner, come to Church in order to tell your sins; and if you are righteous, come to Church so you may not fall from righteousness, because the Church is a harbor for both the sinner and the righteous."


"Holy Scripture states, 'Be the first one to tell of your transgressions, so you may be justified.' (Is. 43:26).  Admit the sin to annul it."


"This indeed is humility, to humble yourself in all things and to consider yourself the least."


"Almsgiving is the salvation of the soul."


"Have you sinned?  Enter into the Church and wipe away your sin...Likewise, as many times as you sin, repent for your sin; do not become discouraged."


"Let us weep for our sin.  Let us lament for our lawlessness so that we will appear to have offered some small thing, too."


"For the one who sins does not come to hopelessness and despair once he realizes that someone else has also fallen and was able to rise again."


"Let us now come to the sins of the soul.  Sin has the shame, sin has the contempt and the infamy as its lot. Repentance has courage, repentance has fasting.  Repentance procures righteousness."


"However, I entrust you to the hand of repentance, so you may learn its power, so you may learn its might, so you may learn that sin cannot overcome it, that there is no unlawfulness that can prevail over its power."