Practical examples of compassion

John Moschus (6th/7th cent.)

'Antioch had another Patriarch who was compassionate and merciful: his name was Alexander. One of his secretaries once stole some gold from him, fled in fear and came to the Thebaid in Egypt. He was found wandering around by the bloodthirsty barbarians of Egypt and of the Thebaid; they took him to the remotest corner of their land. When the godly Alexander heard about this, he ransomed him from captivity at the cost of eighty-five pieces of gold. When the captive returned, the bishop was so loving and gentle with him that one of the inhabitants of the city once said: "There is nothing more profitable or advantageous for me than to sin against Alexander."' (The Spiritual Meadow, ^{<citation needed>})