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Lauri B
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I feel so silly asking this question. I think most of you know I am not Catholic, but we are attending the local Roman Catholic church and love it. I'd like to teach my youngest about the Spiritual & Corporal Works of Mercy during the Advent season this year. (I'm planning ahead.) I was hoping to find detailed explanations of each of them all somewhere, but can't find what I'm looking for. I have googled, but probably am not googling the right terms.
Here's what I found so far:
The corporal works of mercy are:
* To feed the hungry;
* To give drink to the thirsty;
* To clothe the naked;
* To harbour the harbourless;
* To visit the sick;
* To ransom the captive;
* To bury the dead.
The spiritual works of mercy are:
* To instruct the ignorant ;
* To counsel the doubtful ;
* To admonish sinners ;
* To bear wrongs patiently;
* To forgive offences willingly;
* To comfort the afflicted;
* To pray for the living and the dead.
Now that I've got the *what*, I'm hoping to find out the *why* and *how*. LOL. The Corporal Works of Mercy have New Testament references, I believe? Do the Spiritual Works have them also? I guess those would be WHY to do them. I'd also like to find some child-friendly suggestions for HOW to do these works.
I hope I'm making sense, and I apologize if this is a silly and simple question. I've been trying to google to find all these answers, and just came up short.
Thank you in advance!
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MicheleQ
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Lauri,
I think the Catechism can help here:
2447 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?
2448 "In its various forms - material deprivation, unjust oppression, physical and psychological illness and death - human misery is the obvious sign of the inherited condition of frailty and need for salvation in which man finds himself as a consequence of original sin. This misery elicited the compassion of Christ the Savior, who willingly took it upon himself and identified himself with the least of his brethren. Hence, those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation through numerous works of charity which remain indispensable always and everywhere."
2449 Beginning with the Old Testament, all kinds of juridical measures (the jubilee year of forgiveness of debts, prohibition of loans at interest and the keeping of collateral, the obligation to tithe, the daily payment of the day-laborer, the right to glean vines and fields) answer the exhortation of Deuteronomy: "For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, 'You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in the land.'" Jesus makes these words his own: "The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." In so doing he does not soften the vehemence of former oracles against "buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals . . .," but invites us to recognize his own presence in the poor who are his brethren:
When her mother reproached her for caring for the poor and the sick at home, St. Rose of Lima said to her: "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.
Peace,
__________________
Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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ekbell
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This site gives some sources in scripture for the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy
http://www.catholicworker.org/aimsandmeanstext.cfm?Number=28
I can recommend two resources for you
First the St. Joseph Picture Book
Works of Mercy which will give a simple and straightforward explanation with age appropriate examples.
and the Faith Folders for Catholics The Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy Double Faith Folder which states that it has Spiritual & Corporal Works of Mercy in Scripture layered books.
I don't own that particular Faith Folder but the ones I recently purchased were very through.
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MaryM
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The corporal works of mercy are the seven practices of charity, based on Christ's prediction of the last judgement (Matthew 25:36-45).
The spiritual works of mercy are the traditional seven forms of Christian charity in favor of the soul or spirit of one's neighbor. Their basis is the teaching and the practice of the Church since apostolic times.
Catholic Encyclopedia article on Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
Jody's Hands on Learning has a set of cards for each set of works of mercy.
Spiritual & Corporal Works of Mercy Coloring Book has some pictures of children engaging in actual activities which are examples of works of mercy.
Some Possible Child-friendly Examples:
Corporal Works of Mercy
* To feed the hungry - donate canned goods to a food bank, help sort at a food bank, for older children/teens serve at a soup kitchen
* To give drink to the thirsty - ditto above
* To clothe the naked - donate clothes to a clothing bank, collect coats for donation during the winter, have kids select hand-me-down for friends who could use them
* Shelter the homeless - donate to a shelter, collect personal care items for care packets they often put together at shelters, help at Habitat for Humanity (older children/teens)
* To visit the sick - make cards for a children's hosptial, visit or entertain at a nursing home, send letter or visit a sick freind or relative
* To ransom the captive - tougher one for a family and kids 
* To bury the dead - help serve at a funeral dinner, vist &/or clean up a gravesite
Spiritual Works of Mercy:
* To instruct the ignorant - read/tell Bible stories to a younger sibling
* To counsel the doubtful -
* To admonish sinners - practice ideas to offer charitable correction of friends or siblings
* To bear wrongs patiently - offering up through prayer hurts or injustices
* To forgive offences willingly - saying sorry and forgiving friends siblings, parents
* To comfort the afflicted - spend time with or send cards to those who are suffering
* To pray for the living and the dead - remembering this intention in daily prayers
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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Lauri B
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| Posted: July 28 2009 at 7:25am | IP Logged
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Thank you very much. These are just what I was looking for. I'm so glad I asked!
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MaryM
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Today at a neighboring parish, I picked up their bulletin and found a request from the local Catholic Services to collect religious items (Bibles, rosaries, holy cards, devotionals, etc.) for distribution to young people in prison. Maybe an agency in your area has a similar program. This seemed like a good fit for a family to practice this particular corporal work of mercy.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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mariB
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Dear Lauri B, thanks for asking that question and so glad you asked! (This is my favorite part of the forum outside of WE Pray to the Lord!)
These lovely ladies have posted links and suggestions that are wonderful for families to study together. I have been pondering and praying about this myself and wanting to incorporate this into our lives more. We did a little during Lent but it would be lovely to weave within our daily living!
How wonderful that I "happened" upon this this morning!
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marib-Mother to 22ds,21ds,18ds,15dd,11dd and wife to an amazing man for 23 years
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JennGM
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A few years ago I wrote this article, Living the Gospel through the Example of St. Nicholas, which I wanted to bring out the Works of Mercy.
Instead of "Ransom the Captive" I always learned it was "Visit the imprisoned" which for a child can include those who are imprisoned in various ways; we don't have to just think of criminals. Think of those elderly imprisoned in their bodies. They can't run or do things like they would like to, and many times can't even drive. And those with some other handicaps that are prisoners of a non-functioning body. And then those in nursing homes, who have had to give up their freedom. It's a little similar to "visit the sick" but different, also.
There is also those afflicted with mental illness, depression, or even SADD that could use a visit to help them spiritually and emotionally boost their spirits.
There is also prison ministry, but for children it can be a different approach than visiting the prisoners. How about collecting spiritual books and other items to be distributed to the prisoners?
Ransoming the captive doesn't necessarily mean freeing the body from prison, but it can mean helping the person find spiritual freedom, accepting God's will, learning more about God and our Faith, loving Him in his/her state of life.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Spiritual & Corporal Works of Mercy
