Our Call as Catholics
St. Joseph Church Works of Mercy ministry is our outreach to those in need.
This is our calling as Catholics; it is part of building God’s Kingdom.
“It is my burning desire that the Christian people may reflect on the…works of mercy.
It will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty. And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy. Jesus introduces us to these works of mercy in his preaching so that we can know whether or not we are living as his disciples.”
- Pope Francis
Yours are the hands...
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
- St. Teresa of Avila
“Jesus Christ taught that man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God,
but that he is also called 'to practice mercy' towards others…Especially through His lifestyle and through His actions, Jesus revealed that love is present in the world in which we live.... This love makes itself particularly noticed in contact with suffering."
- St. John Paul II
Be Merciful as Your Father is Merciful
On February 22, 1931, Jesus appeared to this simple nun, bringing with Him a wonderful message of Mercy for all mankind. Saint Faustina shares with us His message in her diary and other writings.
Jesus' Call to Mercy: "I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere.
You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it. I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third — by prayer.
In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me.
By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy”.
Parable of Sheep & Goats
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ …
And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
- Matthew 25:31-46
What are the Works of Mercy?
The Catholic Church has identified both Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. It is our call as Catholics and Christians to act with these Works of Mercy ingrained in our hearts and our minds. The Works of Mercy should inform every decision we make, every word we speak, every dollar we spend.
The Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the Hungry
Give Drink to the Thirsty
Clothe the Naked
Shelter the Homeless
Visit the Sick
Visit the Imprisoned
Bury the Dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
Instruct the Uninformed
Counsel the Doubtful
Admonish Sinners
Be Patient with Those in Error
Forgive Offenses
Comfort the Sorrowful
Pray for the Living and the Dead