The Works of Mercy

Learning
to

Practice what we Preach

Works of Mercy
 Traditionally:
 Corporal
 Spiritual

 Not based on the Ten

Commandments
 Based on love
 Flowing from the Gospels
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Center
The Spiritual Works of
Mercy

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Center
Spiritual Works of Mercy
 Spiritual means “of the soul”
 These are less tangible matters
 Worry, doubt, sinfulness, and
ignorance
 Forgiveness, patience, and prayer

 We care for our own souls

 And the souls of those near us
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Center
The List
 Teach the uneducated
 Assure the doubtful
 Caution sinners
 Bear wrongs patiently
 Forgive offences willingly
 Comfort the sorrowful
 Pray for the living and the dead.
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Center
Teach the uneducated
 Starting with ourselves
 Form our consciences
 Become aware of the world
 Know our own faith
 Learn how to cook
 Parents
 The “first teachers” of their own kids

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Center
Example
 The best teacher
 People learn by watching you
 So what you do matters!
 It’s the chief way you “instruct”
others

 What are some things you can do

which “teach” others?
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Center
Education
 Key to moving out of poverty
 And it turns out
 People want to learn
 They know that being educated will
help them find jobs
 This is what leads to human dignity
 Practicing this work of mercy is
essential for the world
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Center
Assure the doubtful
 We’re all doubtful
 Start by admitting that
 We walk by faith, not by sight

 Our own assurance is the strongest

comfort
 Of what do you feel sure?
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Caution sinners
 Need I say?
 Start with yourself
 Always be conscious of your own
spiritual frailty
 Caution without judgment
 Instead, speak of your own journey
 Humbly let others see how you have
grown to see self-giving love as the
way of the Cross
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Center
Caution sinners
 Self-giving love is the key
 Call people to it
 This is the “Paschal Mystery”
 When we follow the way of love we
move away from sin
 This requires self-emptying
 Which is not easy for most people
 But it’s the only pathway to happiness

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Center
Bear wrongs patiently
 What wrongs are we talking about
here?
 That lady in the check out lane
 That driver who cut us off
 Our kids when they annoy us
 And bigger things
 People who slander us
 Hate us
 Gossip about us PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
Forgive offences willingly
 Have you ever made
a mistake?
 Hurt someone?
 Lied or
misrepresented
something?
 Been selfish instead of
generous?
 Who has forgiven
you? PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
Comfort the sorrowful
 When people are sad
 We tend to avoid being near them
 Because we don’t know what to
say

 Worry not
 The Spirit will give you the words
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Center
Compassion
 The word means
 “To suffer with…”
 Small acts done with love
 A card or note
 A flower on the table
 A word of support
 You don’t have to fix things
 Just stand together
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Center
Pray for the living & the
dead
 This is about being in the
“Communion of Saints”
 Who is in your “personal communion
of saints?”
 How do you pray for them?

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Center
The Corporal Works of
Mercy

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Center
Corporal Works of Mercy
 Corporal means “bodily”
 Material works of mercy
 Actual actions you take for the
physical well being of others

 How can you help others?

 Think: daily life needs

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Center
Jesus is incarnate
 He is “in the flesh”
 What does this mean?
 When we receive Eucharist
 We commit ourselves to care for
Christ
 Hungry, thirsty, held captive, or
homeless
 Jesus is more than “just a
theology” PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
Jesus continues a long
history
 Old Testament people were called
to action, not just words!
 Fasting had to lead to justice.
 We were called to share our bread
with the hungry.

 This is what God wants.

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Center
The Incarnation
 A key dimension of Christian
theology
 The Incarnation
 God is in the flesh
 We don’t like this
 It makes us uncomfortable
 We prefer to keep God at a safe
distance
 Up in heaven PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
 Center
The body of Christ
 But this is the core of our belief
 The Incarnation did not end at the
Resurrection
 It was not a 33 year divine
experiment

 God is still among us in the flesh

 Christ still lives within and among
us PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
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Who is the body of Christ?
 This is the core of all spirituality
 If it is true (and it is)
 that we are the Body of Christ
 Then, at Eucharist:

 We accept
 & internalize
 The Body of Christ:
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Center
It’s our Test
 Where the rubber hits the road
 Where faith becomes earthy and
real
 Matthew 25: 35-40
 I was hungry and you gave me to eat
 I needed clothes and you helped me
 Whatever you did for my brothers
or sisters, you did for me
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Center
The List
 Feed the hungry
 Give water to the thirsty
 Assist those who need clothing
 Shelter the homeless
 Visit & comfort the sick
 Visit those in prison
 Bury the dead
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Center
We forget
 We forget how rich we really are.
 We think of ourselves as being
middle class
 Having modest homes
 A couple of cars
 A closet full of clothes and shoes
 We are still among the world’s rich
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Center
How to help the poor
 Understand the issues.
 Treat the poor and
homeless with respect and
understanding.
 Stay politically aware.
 Become an advocate.
 Donate your old
belongings.
 Hold a collection drive.
PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
How to help the poor
 Raise funds or
make a
personal
financial
contribution.
 Become a
regular
volunteer.
 Get your group
involved.
 Support living
wage laws. PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
Feed the hungry
 Why are people hungry when there
is enough food in the world for all?
 Think first: in your nation?
 Then: in poor nations?

 What is our call in regard to this?

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Center
Food
 Nearly everyone we know has enough to eat
every day
 We spend about $79 million on weight loss programs
per day in the United States
 80% of people worldwide live on less than $10 per
day
 24,000 children die each day of starvation or
illness that could be prevented
 Most die in rural villages, unseen
 Many have siblings who have also died
 27% of children are underweight or stunted
Data: UN Children’s Fund
PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
Give Water to the Thirsty
 Nearly every home in the US has a
flush toilet and clean drinking
water
 You turn on the tap and clean water
comes out
 2.6 billion people live like this
 About half of the poor have water
borne illnesses
Data: UN Children’s Fund
PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
Assist those who need
clothing
 Almost no one is naked today
 But many don’t have the clothing
needed
 To interview for a job
 To succeed professionally
 And many don’t have warm clothes
for winter
 As well as blankets
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Center
Shelter the homeless
 Causes:
 Poverty
 Eroding Work Opportunities and
Housing
 Decline in Public Assistance
 Lack of Affordable Health Care
 Domestic Violence
 Mental Illness
 Addiction Disorders
PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
How about you?
 How close are you to being
homeless?
 Many are one big illness away
 Others: 2 to 3 months of no income

 Who else has lost their home?

 Older members of the community
 Kids who run away
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Center
Visit and comfort the sick
 A major part of Jesus’
ministry
 A formal and public
ministry of the Church
 Hospitals and nursing
homes
 Hospice care
 Parish pastoral care
ministry
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Center
Health care
■ When we’re sick here, we go to the hospital.
■ 10.6 million children worldwide die before age
5
■ Equal to all kids in France, Germany, Greece and
Italy, combined
■ 2.2 million children die each year because
they are not immunized

■ When combined with lack of food, this is a

real killer.
Data: UN Children’s Fund
PastoralPlanning.com │ The Vatican II
Center
 Visit those in prison
 Who is held captive
today?
 Those fighting for
justice
 Homebound folks
 People who care for
others
 Legitimate prisoners
 Death row
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Center
Bury the dead
 What can we do?
 Attend funerals
 Bring food for the family
 Remember the dead a year later
 Don’t be afraid to speak about
death
 It’s a vital part of life

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Center