Gordon Lightfoot Quotes

Whenever you travel over your lands, permit not the servants, neither your own, nor a stranger's, to do any damage in the villages, or in the fields, that they may not curse you. Wheresoever you go, and wherever you stay, give the destitute to eat and to drink. Above all honor the stranger, whencesoever he may come, whether he be a commoner, a nobleman or an ambassador

When we are generous in welcoming people and sharing something with them-some food, a place in our homes, our time-not only do we no longer remain poor: we are enriched. I am well aware that when someone needing food knocks at your door, you always find a way of sharing food; as the proverb says, one can always 'add more water to the beans'! Is it possible to add more water to the beans?...Always?...And you do so with love, demonstrating that true riches consist not in materials things, but in the heart!

You never know when you might come home and find Mam sitting by the fire chatting with a woman and a child, strangers. Always a woman and child. Mam finds them wandering the streets and if they ask, Could you spare a few pennies, miss? her heart breaks. She never has money so she invites them home for tea and a bit of fried bread and if it's a bad night she'll let them sleep by the fire on a pile of rags in the corner. The bread she gives them always means less for us and if we complain she says there are always people worse off and we can surely spare a little from what we have.

And if strangers come to supper they shall be served with more according as they have need.

Our charity begins at home, And mostly ends where it begins.

Charity begins at home, but should not end there.

The meaning of love is obviously huge - but for me, it means be nice to people, and people will be nice to you back. Love is a selfless place to be. There is no safer place to be than under the canopy of love.

It is quite fitting that charity should begin at home ... but then it should not end at home; for those that help nobody will find none to help them in time of need.

I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people.

By Jove the stranger and the poor are sent, and what to those we give, to Jove is lent.

All strangers and beggars are from Zeus, and a gift, though small, is precious.

It may here be observed, that all who are offended by us are exposed to our view. But the rich man sees Lazarus not with any other righteous man, but in Abraham's bosom. For Abraham was full of love, but the man is convicted of cruelty. Abraham sitting before his door followed after those that passed by, and brought them into his house, the other turned away even them that abode within his gate.

Let us leave a spare place at our table: a place for those who lack the basics, who are alone.

In our home (for the dying at Kali Ghat) in Calcutta, there is great peace, unity and love. Many Hindu families bring food, clothing nonstop to our home for the dying. This is an act of love. I didn't ask them. They have only heard about what I am doing and they all come.

It is an excellent circumstance that hospitality grows best where it is most needed.

For it is in giving that we receive.

Make another list of things done for you that you loved. Do them for others, always.

Being Christian towards poor people means trying to improve their lives and give them back some self-respect.

When you're in a position to have gotten so much, the gift at this point is giving back.

Charity is a very personal equation, like we say charity begins at home. It starts with your immediate help in the house: the people who work for you.

The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.

A lot of times they don't want to hear it. But you know, if some good is done to you, you should pass it on.

Now that we have a bit of money, it is nice to get gifts for people. Before I was getting and not really giving.

He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.

Often what we do is open our house for various charity events. I don't seat according to protocol. I don't invite people because of who they are in the administration or their positions of power. The few who do come, are there because I like them.