Is almsgiving valuable?

"God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). ... Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish." Easter Urbi et Orbi message on March 31, 2013

As many people question the value of almsgiving and wonder whether to give, here's food for thought.

• The Beatitudes in the New Testament show us how to love our brothers and sisters as Jesus did.
  

• The 7 Corporal and 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy are actions we can perform that extend God’s compassion and mercy to those in need, in body or soul.
  

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2447 reads: "The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbour in his spiritual and bodily necessities. (242) Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. (243) Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God: (244) "