March 29, 2026 - Pastor Message
March 28, 2026THE WORKS OF MERCY THE CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY
THE WORKS OF MERCY
THE CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY
“‘For I was hungry, and you gave me food, 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…Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine you did for me’” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40).
Last week we reflected on the spiritual works of mercy. This week we will reflect on the corporal, or bodily, works of mercy. As bodily human beings, we have not only spiritual needs, but physical ones as well. To care for each other then, means to care for both body and soul. The corporal works of mercy are: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, burying the dead, giving alms to the poor.
Most of these are self-explanatory, such as feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty. But actually doing them can be complicated. So, for example, we can feed the hungry by helping at our parish food pantry or organizing a food drive. But how do we help feed people in countries that are torn by war, like we have recently seen in Israel and the Gaza strip, where the food is available but cannot be delivered safely to those who need it? Or how can we give drink to the thirsty in rural villages in South America or Africa that do not have modern plumbing and where the nearest water source is miles away? There are groups who help with this, like Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which is sponsored by Project Rice Bowl during Lent, but it remains a difficult problem, not due to lack of resources or effort, but because of the politics involved.
Sheltering the homeless is another work of mercy that seems easy, but the question of why people become and remain homeless is far more complex. Simply giving someone a room for the night, which many parishes do by providing vouchers, is fine, but what about tomorrow and the next day? What is the reason this person is homeless, and how can we help address that cause?
Visiting the sick is again self-explanatory, but it can also be a challenge for many people who have a fear of the sick, especially in the post-COVID world. One of the great sources of healing for the sick is the support of their friends and family, or even a visit from a stranger who expresses compassion and offers prayer. We even have a sacrament specifically for this work of mercy in the anointing of the sick. We also have a great crew of volunteers who carry out this work of mercy each week in our Eucharistic Ministers who bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound of our parish, assuring them of Christ’s presence in the midst of their illness.
We will conclude our reflection on the works of mercy in a future column, but, in this last week of Lent, take some time to seriously reflect on how you can share God’s mercy for you by carrying out the works of mercy for others, not only now, but moving forward through Lent, Easter, and beyond.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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