The spiritual and corporal works of mercy are ways to live out Jesus’ commmandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Mercy is showing love and having compassion for those who need it the most. The corporal works apply to the physical needs of people.
We meet material needs by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.
By practicing the corporal works of mercy we receive grace from God to grow in virtue and we are then more able to meet the intangible needs of others through the spiritual works of mercy.
Working in favor of those who are oppressed:
Healing the wounds of those who have no voice:
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. 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.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2447
Recognizing Jesus in our brothers and sisters:
In fact, one of the most beautiful pages from Matthew’s Gospel brings us the lesson which we can, in every way, hold to be true as the “testament of Jesus” by the Evangelist, who had experienced the action of Mercy directly on himself. Jesus says that every time we give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked and welcome the foreigner, visit the sick or imprisoned, we do the same to him. The Church calls these actions “corporal works of mercy”, because they assist people with their material necessities.
Pope Francis, General Audience, October 12, 2016
Showing our faith by relieving the physical suffering of our neighbors:
Meeting the physical and material needs of others:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him. And He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, a stranger and you welcomed Me, naked and you clothed Me, ill and you cared for Me, in prison and you visited Me.’Then the righteous will answer Him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You ill or in prison, and visit You?’ And the King will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for Me.’ Then He will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, a stranger and you gave Me no welcome, naked and you gave Me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for Me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for Me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25: 31-46
Works of mercy, acts of charity, and evangelization are necessary to follow Jesus:
An essential measuring stick by which we will be judged:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
Mercy in the city:
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