Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in
Christian ethics.
The practice is popular in the
Catholic Church as an act of both
penance
Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...
and
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* C ...
. In addition, the
Methodist church
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...
teaches that the works of mercy are a
means of grace
The means of grace in Christian theology are those things (the ''means'') through which God gives grace. Just what this grace entails is interpreted in various ways: generally speaking, some see it as God blessing humankind so as to sustain and emp ...
which lead to holiness
and aid in
sanctification
Sanctification (or in its verb form, sanctify) literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred (compare la, sanctus). Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. " ...
.
The works of mercy have been traditionally divided into two categories, each with seven elements:
# "Corporal works of mercy" which concern the material and physical needs of others.
# "Spiritual works of mercy" which concern the spiritual needs of others.
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
issued a papal encyclical "''
Dives in misericordia
''Dives in misericordia'' (Latin: ''Rich in Mercy'') is the name of the second encyclical written by Pope John Paul II. It is a modern examination of the role of mercy—both God's mercy, and also the need for human mercy—introducing th ...
''" on 30 November 1980 declaring that "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."
[Pope John Paul II, ''Dives in misericordia'', §14, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 30 November 1980]
/ref> Another notable devotion associated with the works of mercy is the Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy is a form of God's compassion, an act of grace based on trust or forgiveness. In Catholicism, it refers specifically to a devotion which had its origin in the apparitions of Jesus Christ reported by Faustina Kowalska.
Etymolog ...
, which derives from apparitions of Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
to Saint Faustina Kowalska.
In the Catholic Church
Based on Jesus' doctrine of the sheep and the goats
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are a means of grace
The means of grace in Christian theology are those things (the ''means'') through which God gives grace. Just what this grace entails is interpreted in various ways: generally speaking, some see it as God blessing humankind so as to sustain and emp ...
as good deeds; it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.
The precept is an affirmative one, that is, it is of the sort which is always binding but not always operative, for lack of matter or occasion or fitting circumstances. In general it may be said that the determination of its actual obligatory force in a given case depends largely on one's capacity. There are easily recognizable limitations which the precept undergoes in practice so far as the performance of the corporal works of mercy are concerned. Likewise the law imposing spiritual works of mercy is subject in individual instances to important reservations. For example, some may require particular tact, prudence, or knowledge. Similarly to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, and console the sorrowing is not always within the competency of every one. However, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive offences willingly, and to pray for the living and the dead, do not require some special array of gifts or talent for their observance.
[Delany, Joseph. "Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy"]
The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 11 July 2019
In an address on the 2016 World Day of Prayer for Creation, Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
suggested "care for creation" as a new work of mercy, describing it as a "complement" to the existing works. Francis characterized this new work as having both corporal and spiritual components. Corporally, it involves "daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness". Spiritually, it involves contemplating each part of creation to find what God is teaching us through them.[Pope Francis: Message on 2016 World Day of Prayer for Creation](_blank)
As a spiritual work of mercy, care for our common home calls for a "grateful contemplation of God’s world" (Laudato si', 214) which "allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us" (ibid., 85). As a corporal work of mercy, care for our common home requires "simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness" and "makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world" This pronouncement extensively quoted the encyclical ''Laudato si'
''Laudato si (''Praise Be to You'') is the second encyclical of Pope Francis. The encyclical has the subtitle "on care for our common home". In it, the pope critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradati ...
'', and Cardinal Peter Turkson
Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson is a Ghanaian prelate and cardinal of the Catholic Church who has served as chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences since 2022. He was president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 2009 t ...
, who helped write the encyclical, clarified that the addition of this work of mercy was part of Francis' intention for ''Laudato si.
Corporal works of mercy
Corporal works of mercy are those that tend to the bodily needs of other creatures. The standard list is given by Jesus in Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, in the famous sermon on the Last Judgment. They are also mentioned in the Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah ( he, ספר ישעיהו, ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BCE ...
. The seventh work of mercy comes from the Book of Tobit
The Book of Tobit () ''Tōbith'' or ''Tōbit'' ( and spellings are also attested) itself from he, טובי ''Tovi'' "my good"; Book of Tobias in the Vulgate from the Greek ''Tōbias'', itself from the Hebrew ''Tovyah'' " Yah is good", also k ...
and from the ''mitzvah
In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...
'' of burial, although it was not added to the list until the Middle Ages.
The works include:
# To feed the hungry.
# To give water to the thirsty.
# To clothe the naked.
# To shelter the homeless.
# To visit the sick.
# To visit the imprisoned, or ransom the captive.[
# To bury the dead.]
Spiritual works of mercy
Just as the corporal works of mercy are directed towards relieving corporeal suffering, the aim of the spiritual works of mercy is to relieve spiritual suffering.
The works include:
#To instruct the ignorant.
#To counsel the doubtful.
#To admonish the sinners.
#To bear patiently those who wrong us.
#To forgive offenses.
#To comfort the afflicted.
#To pray for the living and the dead.
Representation in art
The Corporal works of mercy are an important subject of Christian iconography. In some representations of the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, the seven works were allegorically juxtaposed with the seven deadly sins (avarice, anger, envy, laziness, unchastity, intemperance, pride). The pictorial representation of the works of mercy began in the 12th century.
The Master of Alkmaar
The Master of Alkmaar was a Dutch painter active around Alkmaar at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Their name is derived from a series of panel paintings from the church of Saint Lawrence in that city, dated to 1504 and showing the Seven ...
painted the polyptych of the ''Seven works of mercy'' (ca. 1504) for the Church of Saint Lawrence in Alkmaar, Netherlands
Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...
. His series of wooden panel paintings show the works of mercy, with Jesus in the background viewing each, in this order: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, bury the dead, shelter the traveler, comfort the sick, and ransom the captive.
The painting of the ''Seven Works of Mercy'' by Frans II Francken (1605) represents the acts not as a picture cycle, but in one single composition.
A major work of the iconography of mercy is the altarpiece of Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...
(1606/07) in Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's admini ...
, which was commissioned by the Confraternità del Pio Monte della Misericordia
The Pio Monte della Misericordia is a church in the historic center of Naples, southern Italy. It is famous for its art works, including Caravaggio's '' The Seven Works of Mercy''.
A charity brotherhood (''Pio Monte della Misericordia'' meanin ...
for their church. This charity brotherhood was founded in 1601 in Naples. The artist painted the ''Seven Works of Mercy'' in one single composition. Regarding the sharp contrasts of the painting's chiaroscuro, the art historian Ralf van Bühren explains the bright light as a metaphor for mercy
Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, reli ...
, which "helps the audience to explore mercy in their own lives".[ Ralf van Bühren, ]
Caravaggio’s ‘Seven Works of Mercy’ in Naples. The relevance of art history to cultural journalism
', in ''Church, Communication and Culture'' 2 (2017), pp. 63-87, quotation from pp. 79-80.
In Methodism
In Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
teaching, doing merciful acts is a prudential means of grace.[
] Along with works of piety
"Works of piety", in Methodism, are certain spiritual disciplines that along with the "works of mercy", serve as a means of grace, and are necessary for Christian perfection. All Methodist Christians, laity and ordained, are expected to employ t ...
, they are necessary for the believer to move on to Christian perfection
Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized b ...
.[
] In this sense, the Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
concern for people at the margins is closely related to its worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...
. As such, these beliefs have helped create the emphasis of the social gospel
The Social Gospel is a social movement within Protestantism that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, unclean envir ...
in the Methodist Church
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...
.
::Works of Mercy
#Doing Good
#Visiting the Sick and Prisoners
#Feeding and Clothing People
#Earning, Saving, Giving All One Can
#Opposition to Slavery
See also
Further reading
*
References
External links
"The Means of Grace" by John Wesley
in English painted churches (online catalog of medieval depictions, Anne Marschall, The Open University)
{{Catholicism
Methodism
Christian ethics
Catholic theology and doctrine
Christian terminology