Works of Mercy

• The Corporal Works of Mercy - a series of 6articles published by U.S. Catholic and available online. These include the following titles:
  • Springs of hope
  • Visitation rites
  • At the hour of our death
  • Material issue
  • Care tactics
  • A place to call home
• "Why the preferential option for the poor is not optional" by Jack Jezreel can also provide food for thought. This article was also published by U.S. Catholic.

• Everyday Works of Mercy by Raymond J. Collins is yet another insightful article written by an educator and published online by Faith Community Builders.
• The National Coalition for the Homeless has a web site which contains a number of resources including a section called "Facts About Homelessness"which contain a number of Fact Sheets on various aspects of homelessness.
• Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy - Catholic Encyclopedia
• Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Church Teaching: The Works of Mercy
• Catholic Worker Movement - The Works of Mercy
• Living Catholicism: Love of Neighbor: The Spiritual Works of Mercy
• The spiritual works of mercy - National Catholic Reporter, Dec 12, 2003 by Gary Macy
• Corporal Works of Mercy FAQ
• The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy - Commission for Charity, Justice & Peace - The Diocese of Juneau
• The Spiritual Works of Mercy and the Corporal Works of Mercy
• Works of Mercy
• The Meaning of Mercy by: Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio
• Portraits of mercy - U.S. Catholic, September 2005

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. 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:

He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none and he who has food must do likewise. But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you. 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? - CCC #2447

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