The Forgotten Works of Mercy

In the first blog, we saw how the corporal works of mercy have become part of the very fabric of Western society. Food banks, hospitals, charities, and even government programs echo Christ’s command to feed, clothe, and shelter those in need. That is a powerful legacy of Christianity.

But mercy is not only about the body. It is also about the soul.

The Church has always taught about the spiritual works of mercy:

• Instruct the ignorant
• Counsel the doubtful
• Admonish the sinner
• Bear wrongs patiently
• Forgive offenses willingly
• Comfort the afflicted
• Pray for the living and the dead

Unlike their corporal counterparts, these spiritual works are not easily institutionalized. A government cannot legislate forgiveness. A nonprofit cannot substitute for patient endurance. No program can replace prayer.

And yet, it may be precisely these works that our world needs most today.

In many places, hunger for truth is deeper than hunger for bread. Loneliness wounds more people than sickness. A culture of anger and resentment cries out for forgiveness and patience. In a world full of noise, people are starving for real counsel, comfort, and prayer.

The danger is that Christians become content with mercy limited to the material. We may feed bodies but leave souls untouched. We may shelter people but never welcome them into communion with Christ. True mercy must be both corporal and spiritual — not either/or but both/and.

Jesus Himself reminds us: “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). To give bread without the Word is to give half a meal.

So here is the challenge: if society is already carrying forward the physical dimension of mercy (often thanks to its Christian roots), then perhaps the unique responsibility of Christians today is to restore the spiritual works of mercy to their rightful place.

This is not about abandoning corporal works — far from it. It is about remembering that real love, Christian love, reaches deeper than the body. It touches the heart, the soul, the eternal destiny of the person in front of us.

In the next blog, we will look at practical ways to integrate both: how Christians can care for bodies and souls, ensuring that mercy is whole and holy.

Developed with assistance from ChatGPT-5