Page 19 - Catholic Extension Magazine - Spring 2016

WORKS OF
MERCY Catholic ministries that embody mercy
“APART FROM THE MERCY OF GOD there is no other source of hope for mankind,” Pope St. John Paul II preached 14 years ago.
For this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has called for a “revolution of tenderness.” He has asked Catholics to “cultivate the tenderness of God toward each one of us” and to “commit to making our own the mercy of the Good Samaritan.”
Catholic tradition has identi ed a
few particular ways of cultivating that tenderness and mercy of God: the seven corporal and the seven spiritual works of mercy. is year the Church is urging all Catholics to rediscover and practice these works in a very intentional way.
In these pages we highlight some of the many ministries of mercy that Catholic Extension helps to make possible. ese ministries embody corporal works of mercy like visiting the imprisoned and visiting the sick as well as spiritual works such as forgiving o enses willingly and comforting the sorrowful.
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Seven Corporal Works of Mercy
• FEED THE HUNGRY
• GIVE DRINK TO THE THIRSTY • CLOTHE THE NAKED
• VISIT THE IMPRISONED
• SHELTER THE HOMELESS
• VISIT THE SICK
• BURY THE DEAD
Seven Spiritual
Works of Mercy
• COUNSEL THE DOUBTFUL
• INSTRUCT THE IGNORANT
• CONVERT THE SINNER
• COMFORT THE SORROWFUL • FORGIVE OFFENSES
WILLINGLY
• BEAR WRONGS PATIENTLY • PRAY FOR THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD