T H E W O R K S O F M E R C Y

The break down of the works of

mercy in the “corporal” (bodily) and

“spiritual” works of mercy is a useful tool. Human beings are body

and soul, one reality. When you minister and care for one aspect of

a person’s life, you also affect every

part of that life, the physical and the

spiritual. Use this bulletin insert to

get into the nitty-gritty living the Christian life.

The best way to understand this very traditional teaching is to put

your overalls on, pick up your

hammer and get to work to help

your neighbor. This is not airy stuff that sounds nice. It is the day-to-day

living out of the mercy of God. It takes place in very concrete actions.

No. 1-To feed the hungry

DURING THE NEXT SEVEN WEEKS WE WANT TO USE THIS BULLETIN INSERT TO UNDERSTAND THE WORKS OF MERCY.

SUPPORTING THE FOOD BANK WHY PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY? HELPING OTHERS BE SELF-SUFFICIENT

CORPORAL WORKS

“I was hungry and you gave me food”Mt. 25, 35

Right from the very beginning Jesus identified the concern that we have for our sisters and brothers to be directly tied to our service of God. In the final judgment (Matthew 25) he did not say, “when you feed the hungry you were doing good.” He clearly identified with the very person who was receiving the food. “When you gave food … you gave food to me!” Our action of caring for the sister or brother in need is a direct action to Jesus himself. Our action of caring for the hungry is to care for God himself.

We want to highlight this for all believers. Our daily actions have eternal consequences.

The grandmother who brings a jar of peanut butter to be shared at the food bank is clearly living out the teaching of Jesus. Feeding the hungry (as a divine action) is manifested in her hands. It may be very ordinary but this is the Gospel in action.During the Sunday Eucharist we break the bread. The first meaning is the breaking of the life of Jesus Christ for the world. Directly tied to this is the breaking of our lives to be shared with the poor of this world.

The spirit of Jesus wants to create in our hearts the hunger to share our food with the hungry. As we pray at the Sunday Mass we want to hear the concerns of our single mothers who are trying to raise a family on a minimum salary. Does she have enough resources to care for herself and her children? When Jesus asked us to feed the hungry, he also leads us to listen to their specific concerns for the poor and the struggling of this society.

OUR DAILY BREAD

HAVING ENOUGH FOOD IS BASIC TO LIFE. NO ONE WHO FOLLOWS JESUS WOULD EVER WANT TO WALK AWAY FROM THE HUNGRY FAMILY. THIS FIRST WORK OF MERCY PRODS US TO BE ALERT AND RECOGNIZE IF THERE ARE ANY HUNGRY PEOPLE IN OUR TOWN OR PROVINCE. WE LOOK TO SEE IF OUR NEIGHBOR HAS SUFFICIENT FOOD.

OUR DAILY BREAD

WE PRAY SINCERELY “LORD, GIVE BREAD TO THOSE WHOSE TABLE IS EMPTY AND GIVE SHARING TO THOSE WHOSE TABLE HAS BREAD.” PRAYING FOR THE HUNGRY MEANS PRAYING FOR A SHARING HEART ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO HAVE RESOURCES. WE ALWAYS PRAY WITH OUR EYES WIDE OPEN: WE WANT TO SEE WHO DOES NOT HAVE FOOD.

OUR DAILY BREAD

WE LIVE IN THE WORLD AND CONSIDER ALL PEOPLES TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH OURSELVES. WE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE LITTLE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD. ARE THEY ABLE TO GROW AND PURCHASE GOOD FOOD OR ARE THE LAWS OF THEIR COUNTRY WORKING AGAINST THE LITTLE PEOPLE?

No. 2-To give drink to the thirsty It is difficult in

Saskatchewan to get handles around this second corporal work of mercy. We live in a country where there is always plenty of water to drink, water to wash our bodies and our clothes. Best of all, it is safe to drink water from the tap! This is something that a European would not want to do! They do not have the built in safety structures that we have in the infrastructures of our cities.

We take for granted that we do not have to carry water from the community well. The

water is brought directly to our houses through the city water system.

We need to look at the deeper meaning of sharing water in the Scriptures.

Our Christianity arises out of the desert. It is a very serious concern to have sufficient water for each day. If anyone would run short of water, they would begin to feel that painful search for water. When we are short of water, the entire human body aches for water.

There can be no human life without water. It is only when we have run out of water that we recognize how significant it is to our life. Water has become a powerful sign of life. How we share our water is how we share our life. Water becomes a sign of compassion. Water becomes a sign of working to help our fellow human being thrive. The sharing of water becomes a sign of sharing the very life and love of God.

Where in your life have you been so thirsty that you could feel your tongue crack with pain? You were so thirsty that the only thing you could think about was a drink of water? Where did daily life teach you about the importance of water?

CORPORAL WORKSM

ay w

e be

livi

ng w

ater

for o

ther

s.

Be water for others

Have you ever forgot to water one of your houseplants? The poor plant, with its drooped leaves, looked so weak and tired. You gently give it water and about a half hour later, it has revived. Its leaves look strong once again.

Today, pray that you are life giving waters to your co-worker who is discouraged because her husband cannot find work after four months. The time is long and

this man is very frustrated. Listen to the struggles of your co-worker who is trying to be supportive to her husband.

Your sister lost her son through suicide ten years ago. The family has always skirted the issue. Call your sister up and be a supportive listener. Listen to her confusion and her struggles (even ten years later).

Be living water for others

When we consider the sharing of water as one of the corporal works of mercy we must grasp it in the broad sense. Water is essential to all aspects of human life. The Scriptures deepen our sense of the meaning of water.

In John 4 we have the story of Jesus encountering the Samaritan woman at the well. They have a long discussion about who is to drink from this special well that belonged to their ancestor, Jacob.

Jesus gives the deeper meaning to his life and mission. You will drink of this water and you will get thirsty again. This is life on a very natural plane.

But I will give you water that will become in you a spring of living water that gushes up to eternal life. (Jn. 4,14) This is a desert land. Could you imagine your good fortune if you encounter a spring where the water spontaneously flowed out? You did not need to dig a deep well and pull the water to the surface. A spring of water was a blessing beyond belief!

Jesus has come to bring us the living water that is the very love and mercy of God. As Jesus has shared his

life with the entire world (the cross), so now his disciples are to make present the very love and mercy of God.

The life of each believer must become living waters for the world.

When we say ‘give drink to the thirsty’ we mean to live a life of compassion for the fellow human being. Instead of living a life of selfish concern for ourselves only, we turn our lives inside out and share them with others.

Giving water may mean helping the single father with his little ones. He works hard all day and then comes home to care for his little ones. When we live concerned for this single father, we are sharing our concern with God himself.

When we book time to take our elderly neighbor to the doctor’s appointment we are pouring out our life like good water. We are sharing the love of God that has been gifted to our life.

May

we

be li

ving

wat

er fo

r oth

ers.

Jesus,

you are water to the dry, dry land,

Be a spring of living water within my life to share with the hurting,

the broken and the forgotten of this world. As these people live in these dry, dry lands,

make my hands and my heart the source of your

life giving waters.

I have never been a thirsty plant, but teach my heart to know what it means to have a drop of water of kindness, of compassion and respect.