You are tasked to “be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36), which is a very great calling indeed. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me…Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:35-40)Īs enumerated in the 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal (Angelus Press), the Works of Mercy are: As pilgrims on earth, we all have spiritual and corporal needs, and whenever we take care of a brother or sister in need, we also take care of Christ. There are two types of works of mercy: Spiritual Works and Corporal Works. 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. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Now that we know what mercy is, How Do We Perform Works of Mercy?Īccording to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Thomas Aquinas, and through our works of mercy, we draw closer to God. We must always treat others with mercy.Įach day presents us with opportunities to perform works of mercy, and “we should strive to keep our hearts open to the sufferings and wretchedness of other people, and pray continually that God may grant us that spirit of compassion which is truly the spirit of God” (St. Similarly, Merriam-Webster defines mercy as, “compassionate treatment of those in distress.” Our aim must be to always treat others with tenderness and kindness, especially those who are suffering or who are in need. For mercy takes its name ‘misericordia’ from denoting a man’s compassionate heart for another’s unhappiness.” (II.II, q. Dei ix, 5), mercy is heartfelt sympathy for another’s distress, impelling us to succor him if we can. Thomas Aquinas expands upon the work of another church father to define mercy:Īs Augustine says (De Civ. We are all called to perform works of mercy, but What Exactly is Mercy? “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Mt 5:7).
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