The Corporal Works of Mercy: Are we doing them or not?

A few months ago, we went to a funeral for a man we never knew. The Sunday before the funeral, our priest mentioned that the man had no family that they could find. He mentioned that going to the funeral was a good way for us to practice one of the Corporal Works of Mercy- bury the dead. 

The Corporal Works of Mercy have always made me nervous. I’d never actually heard them called this until I became Catholic. They sounded really daunting to me. I never felt like I was a good enough Catholic or Christian, because I was not working in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. I was not a good “missionary,” so to speak. 

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, they are feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting prisoners, burying the dead, and giving alms to the poor. If you look on the Bishops’ website, they even give suggestions on how we can practice them.  They came from Matthew 25, when Jesus talks about the judgement.

When Father talked about going to the funeral, it got me thinking that maybe I had been practicing them in some ways I did not recognize. I realized that there are ways we can practice these works, even if it is in a smaller way. We may have even practiced them even when we did not realize we had done so. They come from our heart, I have learned. I think that Jesus was just spelling out for us how we should treat others, and holding us accountable to that. 

I have played the piano for funeral masses for both people I knew and didn’t know. I’ve given clothing, food and goods to charities who help people who are homeless or in trouble. I’ve sung and played at nursing homes. When Covid came around and people were quarantined in their homes, I thought of some elderly friends and family members who lived alone and sent them cards on a regular basis to let them know someone was thinking of them. I’m still doing that. 

 We all know that we are given different gifts and talents. Maybe if you are like me, and not the person who can be on the “front lines” you can still practice these works in small ways. Because we are all different, we are also all unique in God’s eyes. That’s why there are hands-on saints like St. Francis Xavier and contemplative saints like St. Therese of Lisieux, who taught us to do things “the little way.”