Day Six - The Corporal Works of Mercy

Today's Reflection

by Alison Simpson

In today’s Gospel, which is taken from Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus stated, “And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” In this Gospel, Jesus speaks highly of the Corporal Works of Mercy. So much so that He tells us that what we do for the least for our brothers and sisters, we do for Him. How powerful is that? It’s a reminder that we are called to see Jesus in everyone that we meet. Most of us may be familiar with the Corporal Works of Mercy. In fact, we might have done a few of them in the past, but every now and then we may need a refresher or a reminder. We’re in luck because today’s Gospel does just that!

“For 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.” (Matthew 25:35-36) “When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” (Matthew 25:38-39) From these four powerful verses we see the great importance of feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, burying the dead, and giving alms to the poor. Now that we have a refresher of the Corporal Works of Mercy, you might be wondering how to live them out in your day-to-day life.

Feeding the hungry, burying the dead, visiting the sick, etc. are all things that sound like what they mean but there may be more than what meets the eye. For example, you may not ever have the opportunity to physically bury someone with your own two hands. Realistically, it is just not possible for us to do this all the time. Instead, you can attend a funeral and have masses said for someone that has died. You can pray for the repose of the souls of those that have died and make sacrifices for them. You can visit a cemetery or you can send flowers and a card to a family that has recently lost a loved one. This applies to people we don’t even know! How special is it that we can pray for someone’s soul and we don’t even have to know them personally?

What about the other works, such as visiting the sick? Well, you might not always be able to visit those that are sick or dying but you can pray for them, send them cards, bring them a meal, and much more. How about feeding the hungry? You can get involved with a parish’s food drive or volunteer at a local food pantry. You can pay for someone’s meal or make them a meal.

There are so many ways to serve and get involved in our day-to-day life. The Corporal Works of Mercy are a reminder to treat each person as if they were Jesus. If you saw Jesus homeless on the streets, you would give Him shelter. If you saw Jesus in need of a drink, you would bring Him water. If you saw Jesus without warm clothes during the winter, you would make sure He was all bundled up. Let’s encourage one another to serve others, especially this Lenten season.

The Corporal Works of Mercy can be applied to the Pro-Life movement in so many ways. Let me illustrate. Many women seeking an abortion are doing it out of a lack of proper shelter, care, and finances. This is where crisis pregnancy centers step into the spotlight. While not everyone may be able to volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, there are many ways to get involved and to help these centers to stay open across the country.

Crisis pregnancy centers are usually in need of donations and prayers. You can clothe the naked by donating baby clothes and diapers to a local center. You can feed the hungry by donating formula or money for the center to use on food. You can bury the dead by lighting candles for the babies that have been aborted or miscarried. In addition, praying outside of Planned Parenthood, sharing about the Pro-Life movement through social media, or filling up a baby bank from your parish are all ways to get involved. Most importantly, you can pray and speak the truth with love.

Prayer for Mercy to be Shown Through Us

Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father, and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him. Show us your face and we will be saved. Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things; made Peter weep after his betrayal, and assured Paradise to the repentant thief. Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us, the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the gift of God!”

Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing, so that this Lenten season may be one of grace from the Lord, and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, and restore sight to the blind.

Amen.

Adapted from the prayer for the year of mercy.