Tag: Acts of Mercy
Angels among us: how helping leads to healing
Spend a day in a surgery waiting room and you’ll witness a hundred quiet acts of mercy.
Admonish the sinner
To admonish the sinner is one of the seven spiritual works of mercy, and like the other six, it is concerned with the spiritual well-being of another.
Delano deacon devotes decades to digging graves as he prays for those laid to rest
Deacon Joe Kittok digs holes for a living. He spends an hour and a half several times a week removing about 4 cubic yards of dirt, which he takes to his 35-acre property in Delano and spills onto the ground. He gets $400 per hole, which adds up to a decent living.
Campus missionary says love can help young people overcome doubt
Part ten in a 14-part series highlighting local Catholics who live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Care for the sick
The fifth corporal work of mercy was given by Jesus in his discourse on the judgment of the nations: “For I was … ill and you cared for me” (Mt 25:35, 36). Other interchangeable terms include to visit or to comfort the sick. The original Greek verb could also be translated “you looked after me” or “you nursed me.”
To bear wrongs patiently
To bear wrongs patiently is one of the seven spiritual works of mercy. Most of the spiritual works of mercy are directed outward for the spiritual benefit of another person, such as to instruct, comfort, counsel or admonish. This spiritual work is directed inward for one’s own spiritual benefit. It is much like a virtue. Christians should have this quality and increase in it.
Visit the imprisoned
To visit the imprisoned is a corporal work of mercy. Jesus mentioned it specifically when he said, “For I was . . . in prison and you visited me” (Mt 25:35, 36).
To shelter the homeless
The corporal works of mercy are charitable deeds that provide for the bodily needs of others, and standing at the top of the list of critical bodily needs are food and shelter. The fourth corporal work of mercy is to shelter the homeless, also known as to harbor the harborless. In the Gospel, it corresponds to, “I was . . . a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35). A roof over one’s head provides protection from the elements as well as safety and security.
Cathedral, Basilica to welcome Holy Year by opening Holy Doors Dec. 13
In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Holy Year of Mercy will mean more intensive prayer and performing acts of mercy. Johan van Parys, director of liturgy and sacred arts at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, described the jubilee year as an extension of Lent.
‘Acts of Mercy’ series features art of Ade Bethune
The logo of The Catholic Spirit’s Year of Mercy series depicts two people: One is reaching down to cloak the other’s shoulders, who is gazing back at the giver. It was chosen because of the way it shows “encounter,” a dominant theme of Pope Francis’ papacy, and a focal point for the Year of Mercy. When the pope speaks of building a “culture of encounter,” he is urging people to love God and others, and to engage and accompany other people, especially those on society’s edges.
Acts of Mercy
Fourteen-part series highlighting local Catholics who live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy
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