The corporal works of mercy are of utmost importance to the practice of the Catholic faith. They are rooted in Scripture and in the constant practice of the church. I encourage all followers of Jesus to practice these acts of charity and compassion often. They are listed as follows:

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the imprisoned
6. Visit the sick
7. Bury the dead


The consistent message of Scripture is that we must respond to the concrete needs of the poor and the suffering. In the Gospel of Luke, the crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He answered, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do likewise” (Lk 3:10–11).

In Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16, the rich man feasted splendidly every day, while the poor beggar Lazarus lay hungry at his gate. The rich man let his wealth insulate him from the real needs of his neighbor. By his own choice, he ended up in eternal torment (Lk 16:19–31).

The First Letter of John says, “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth … whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 Jn 3:17–18, 4:20–21).

Authentic religious faith naturally expresses itself in action. The Letter of James offers a teaching that is simple and unambiguous: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (Jas 2:15–17).

The Last Judgment

The primary scriptural passage that forms the basis of the list of the corporal works of mercy is the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25:31–46 about the criteria that will be used in the Last Judgment of every human being. We will all be judged upon how we have responded, during our life here on earth, to the needs of others.

In the end, each one of us will stand before the judgment seat of God, and we will have to give an accounting for what we have done with our life, and for what we have not done. The Son of Man will sit on his throne, and he will separate out all the people who have ever lived. Those who have responded with loving action toward their neighbor will go to eternal life, and those who have responded with no loving action toward their neighbor will go to eternal punishment.

To those going to heaven, Christ will say, “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. … Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:35–36, 40). From this passage the church has derived our list of the seven corporal works of mercy.

The choices we make in our life affect what will happen to our soul after death. Our actions and our inactions have consequences. Of course, we believe that salvation is a free gift of God’s unmerited grace, but we must also remember what Jesus says in Luke 12:48: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

Consistent message


Throughout the history of the church, our constant teaching has been to emphasize very strongly the importance of sharing our resources with those in need. For example, St. John Chrysostom, the most prolific Father of the Church, said in the fourth century, “not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we have are not ours but theirs” (Hom. in Lazaro 2,5).

St. Rose of Lima took care of the poor and the sick, and her mother complained to her about it. Rose replied, “When we serve the poor and the sick, we serve Jesus. We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we serve Jesus” (P. Hansen, Vita mirabilis, 1668).

The 1993 Catechism of the Catholic Church says it very clearly: “God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor, and rebukes those who turn away from them” (no. 2443).

Works of mercy and the Eucharist

In the Eucharist we experience the love and mercy of God, and then we must bring that love and mercy to others. Just as we have received love, we must extend love. Our encounter with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is the model and the measure for our own self-giving love poured out for others. Strengthened and nourished by the holy Eucharist, we are empowered to love our neighbor in need. In addition to attending Mass, receiving the sacraments, and saying prayers, our Catholic faith necessarily includes taking action that relieves the suffering of others.

We are currently in a three-year period of Eucharistic revival in the Catholic Church here in the United States. The most important act of Christian worship is a sacred meal. Christ feeds us in the Eucharist, and we are then called to feed one another in response. The act of providing food for someone is itself a religious act. Our Catholic faith allows us to recognize the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Our faith also challenges us to recognize the presence of Christ in our neighbor in need.

Here is a list of some suggested ways that we can carry out the seven corporal works of mercy.

1. Feed the Hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Cloth the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the imprisoned
6. Visit the sick
7. Bury the dead
Those are just a few ideas for living out the corporal works of mercy. This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope it will stimulate some readers to take new steps to put our Catholic faith into action in the world.

Conclusion

One day I saw an excellent comic strip taped on the office door of a co-worker. It depicted two people talking, and one said, “Sometimes I’d like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine, and injustice, when he could do something about it.” The other asked, “What’s stopping you?” The first guy replied, “I’m afraid God might ask me the same question!”