Works of Mercy

1/18/2007
Walking the walk and talking the talk

A talk recently given by David Rodriguez to the St. John the Baptist CUF Chapter in Colorado Springs.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Please allow me to take this opportunity and share with you a recent realization I had concerning works of mercy. It has been my experience that we often hear a great deal about corporal works of mercy but with limited, if any, mention of spiritual works of mercy. For instance, we are often reminded of the passage in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. In Matthew 25:35–36, the distinction between the sheep and the goats is made through corporal works of mercy when the Son of Man says:

"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."

Based upon this clear teaching from Matthew and from various other passages in Scripture, we are constantly reminded of our obligation to engage in corporal works of mercy. But when was the last time you had a serious discussion about engaging in spiritual works of mercy? This brings me to my recent realization that the corporal and spiritual works of mercy cannot be divided. If all we hear about focuses solely on the corporal works of mercy, we are only hearing part of the story. Just like our current bodies are comprised of both corporal and spiritual components, so should our works be united in Christ.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church illustrates this unity in describing "works of mercy." The Catechism states:

The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. 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. (no. 2447, bold and underline added)

The emphasis is mine, but the Catechism clearly illustrates that a person has both spiritual and bodily needs. Just as body and soul are considered together as a unity in the human person, we can anticipate a person having both spiritual and bodily needs. We see this unity in Scripture when we recall that in Genesis 2:7, after God forms man from the earth, God breathes into man the "breath of life" to make him a living being. As living beings, we are comprised of both physical and spiritual components. St. James articulates the significance of this unity in James 2:26 where he states: "The body apart from the spirit is dead." Earlier in the same passage, James 2:15–16, James makes the claim:

If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?

Conversely, a question that is seldom asked is, "What does it profit their eternal soul, if only something is given to satisfy their physical needs?" St. James illustrates the futility of separating faith and works by making a comparison to the futility of separating body and soul. The same can be said if one tries to separate corporal and spiritual works of mercy. What we are faced with is not an "either/or" dichotomy. On the contrary, we are faced with a both/and unity where our life in Christ should be comprised of both a corporal and spiritual component. As a summary, I have included a list of the common works of mercy divided into corporal and spiritual groupings.

Corporal Works of Mercy	Spiritual Works of Mercy
To feed the hungry	To instruct the ignorant
To give drink to the thirsty	To counsel the doubtful
To clothe the naked	To admonish sinners
To give shelter to the homeless	To bear wrongs patiently
To visit the sick	To forgive offenses willingly
To visit the imprisoned	To comfort the afflicted
To bury the dead	To pray for the living and the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

So what can we say specifically about spiritual works of mercy? St. Thomas Aquinas in his masterpiece, the Summa Theologica, discusses the topic of corporal and spiritual works of mercy quite well and provides us with a wonderful insight into their unity and relation to the dual components of every human being. In the Summa Theologica, (II.II, Question 32, Article 2), St. Thomas groups the works of mercy under the term "almsdeeds" and says the "distinction of almsdeeds is suitably taken from the various needs of our neighbor: some of which affect the soul, and are relieved by spiritual almsdeeds, while others affect the body, and are relieved by corporal almsdeeds." St. Thomas groups a person’s needs into physical and spiritual categories under the same heading—almsdeeds.

In regards to spiritual needs, St. Thomas says they are relieved by two primary methods: first, by prayer to God, and secondly, by "giving human assistance." We can immediately see the wisdom in starting with prayer. We know that as Catholics, "our" works are only meritorious insofar as they are united in Christ. Recall John 15:5, where Christ reminds us that "He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Prayer and the sacraments will ground us in and help us unite ourselves with Christ. But what do we do about "human assistance?"

St. Thomas divides the means of giving human assistance further when he states:

First, in order to relieve a deficiency on the part of the intellect, and if this deficiency be in the speculative intellect, the remedy is applied by "instructing," and if in the practical intellect, the remedy is applied by "counseling."

This is often the part that causes the most discomfort in Catholics. To "instruct" someone in the faith necessarily requires that we know our own faith and requires a great deal of prayer and study on our part. In our current busy culture, it is often easier to "write a check" than it is to give up any of our precious time. This reluctance to part with our time is even manifested in the performance of corporal works of mercy such as having to actually go and serve at the soup kitchen or nursing home. It seems to manifest itself more acutely with spiritual works of mercy because to instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, or give counsel to the doubtful requires a steady prayer life and adequate knowledge base, which takes time.

St. Thomas continues his discussion on human assistance:

Secondly, there may be a deficiency on the part of the appetitive power, especially by way of sorrow, which is remedied by "comforting." Thirdly, the deficiency may be due to an inordinate act; and this may be the subject of a threefold consideration. First, in respect of the sinner, inasmuch as the sin proceeds from his inordinate will, and thus the remedy takes the form of "reproof." Secondly, in respect of the person sinned against; and if the sin be committed against ourselves, we apply the remedy by "pardoning the injury," while, if it be committed against God or our neighbor, it is not in our power to pardon, as Jerome observes (Super Matth. xviii, 15).

Thirdly, in respect of the result of the inordinate act, on account of which the sinner is an annoyance to those who live with him, even beside his intention; in which case the remedy is applied by "bearing with him," especially with regard to those who sin out of weakness, according to Rm. 15:1: "We that are stronger, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not only as regards their being infirm and consequently troublesome on account of their unruly actions, but also by bearing any other burdens of theirs with them, according to Gal. 6:2: "Bear ye one another’s burdens."

Have you ever had to comfort a grieving stranger? Is it easy or difficult? Have you ever had to provide "reproof" to a sinner? This may be one occasion where we find it easier to give than it is to receive! How do you "reprove" the sinner? Recall in 2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Again, to offer teaching, reproof, correction, and training requires not only prayer, but also knowledge of Scripture. This is where I think many of us feel inadequate to participate properly in various spiritual works of mercy. I am not recommending that you hide in the shadows waiting to sprinkle holy water on some unsuspecting sinner while shouting, "Repent thou sinner!"

I think a more practical manner is to be prepared to speak the truth in our everyday discussions. This is especially applicable in discussions pertaining to abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, adultery, and especially moral relativism. Our current culture is attempting to nullify any belief based upon a "religious foundation" and treats it as null and void without discussion. Our current culture would have us abandon our moral principles at work, at school, and in politics if they are "religiously" based. Are we willing to offer up our beliefs and place them in the "public square" and withstand the scrutiny of others? We don’t only need to be ready to discuss these issues with a Catholic worldview, but we also need to be ready to engage in them with the utmost charity. Remember, we don’t have to be theologians or scriptural scholars to engage in spiritual works of mercy. All of us as a minimum can . . .

• bear wrongs patiently
• forgive offenses willingly
• pray for the living and the dead

Works of mercy are rooted in genuine love for our neighbor. This is particularly true for spiritual works of mercy. In our growing secular culture, a genuine love for our neighbor will compel us to offer a word about our values based upon "the fullness of truth" and can often times leave a thought-provoking impression on others.

But have we grounded our worldview upon the "fullness of truth?" We are often told that advice is cheap, but Christian counsel implies something more loving—it means providing a Christ-centered approach to solving problems. Doubts about the faith, about abortion, about marriage, or about other important moral issues do not need justification and rationalization. Rather these doubts need the Light of an authentic Catholic worldview. Sorrow and suffering take many forms in our society: death, divorce, serious illnesses, unemployment, or family problems. How many of these sorrows afflict the people around us and yet go unnoticed without so much as a kind word or a whispered prayer?

Whatever happened to patience in a world that hurries along with a "drive- thru" mentality? Do we strive for patience with the rush-hour traffic or the drudgery of a job? Do we have patience with those who never say a kind word or with those whose constant nagging causes us great distress? Do we have patience with our own personal pain and suffering? Do we offer it up with prayer? Often times, physical wounds heal faster than spiritual wounds. This is because we tend to dwell on a wrong committed against us only to allow it to increase in size and breed animosity. But are we quickly able to unite our own perceived injustices to Christ’s supreme injustice at the cross? 

As we begin the New Year, my sincere hope is that as part of the Catholic faithful, we will work everywhere to unify our spiritual and corporal works of mercy and make them seamless. Let us keep this unity of the corporal and spiritual at the forefront of our minds well as our actions. I will close with some reflections on relevant scriptural passages. First, I am reminded of the passage from Acts 3 where Peter and John come across the lame man:

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

What profit is it to the lame man if he received all the gold and silver in the world but did not hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Recall that in Acts 3:16, Peter states Jesus Christ as the reason for this miracle:

"And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all."

As we engage in corporal works of mercy, let us remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:26: "For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?" This is clearly an allusion to a person’s external well being. Let us always be on the lookout for a person’s spiritual needs as well. We can feed them and cloth them, but still not really "help" them.

On a final note, it is also often said that St. Francis of Assisi would say, "Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words." Many people seem to use this to "escape" having to use words! However, I think the intent of this great saint is to highlight the unity between the corporal and the spiritual. In other words, the unity between how "the Gospel" is lived and how "the Gospel" preached. This same theme can be found espoused by Pope Paul VI in his 1975 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi. In paragraph 21, he discusses how, through our wordless witness, Christians can

stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one. . . . All Christians are called to this witness, and in this way they can be real evangelizers.

We have to be a "wordless witness" to be a real evangelizer? Now we’re talking! But not so fast. Pope Paul VI goes on to state in paragraph 22,

Nevertheless this always remains insufficient, because even the finest witness will prove ineffective in the long run if it is not explained, justified—what Peter called always having "your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have"—and made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus. The Good News proclaimed by the witness of life sooner or later has to be proclaimed by the word of life. There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed.

Again, we are faced with a "both/and" unity. As we go forth this New Year, let us continue to strive to keep in mind the unity of corporal and spiritual works of mercy, just like the corporal and spiritual components of true evangelization.