As we gather to celebrate
Thanksgiving this week, we count our blessings.
When we are mindful of all that God has done for us and all that we have
received from the generosity of others, we become ever more aware of our
responsibility to show gratitude through our own service of our brothers and
sisters in need. The Church’s reminder
to us concerning how to give return for what we have received is the teaching
regarding the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
CCC #2447. The works of mercy are charitable
actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily
necessities. (Cf. Isaiah 58:6-7; Hebrews 13:3.)
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. (Cf. Matthew 25:31-46.)
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 (Cf. Tobit 4:5-11; Sirach 17:22 ; Matthew 6:2-4.):
He who has two coats, let him
share with him who has none and he who has food must do likewise. (Luke 3:11.) But give for alms
those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you. (Luke 11:41.) 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? (James 2:15-16; cf. 1 John 3:17.)
Let us give thanks to God for His
gifts, and may we share abundantly with those in need through the power of His Mercy at work in our
hearts. May we learn, too, to share the
riches of our Faith with all who long to know God through us.
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