On prayer & almsgiving

Prayer together with almsgiving can furnish us with countless good things from above.  They can quench the fire of sin in our souls and can give us great freedom.  Cornelius had recourse to these two virtues and sent his prayers up to heaven.  Because of these two virtues he heard the angel say, “Thy prayers and thy alms have gone up and been remembered in the sight of God,” Acts 10:4.