“a stranger and you welcomed me”
Jesus in the Gospel reading clearly lays out the seven corporal works of mercy and how they affect our fate.
What are the seven corporal works of mercy? “The seven practices of charity, based on Christ’s prediction of the Last Judgment (Matthew 5:3-10) that will determine each person’s final destiny. They are: 1. To feed the hungry; 2. To give drink to the thirsty; 3. To clothe the naked; 4. To shelter the homeless; 5. To visit the sick; 6. To visit those in prison; and 7. To bury the dead.” [1]
Why should we do corporal works of mercy? If we are not acting with charity then we are not showing mercy. We can have the greatest faith in Jesus Christ of anyone, but “faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26) We also know there will be times in our lives when we will be asked to do one of these seven works of mercy and whether we choose to do it or not, we are doing it to Christ.
How are we helping or hurting Jesus? As the previous lesson [mystical body of Christ] had mentioned, what is done to the least is done to Him. Jesus Christ is present in many ways to the Church; He told us “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. ” (Mt. 18:20) He is also present in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned as we hear in the gospel reading today. [2]
What are we to do? We are called as Christians to be generous and self-giving. For example, in the Our Father we pray, “give us this day our daily bread”. In the world today, there are millions who are starving and forced to go with little to no food. As Christians we are called to help those who do not have daily bread on earth, and as we read today God is there when we give food to those that are hungry.
How does the Church love the poor? “‘The Church’s love for the poor…is a part of her constant tradition.’ Love for the poor is even one of the motives for the duty of working so as to ‘be able to give to those in need’. It extends not only to material poverty but also to the many forms of cultural and religious poverty.” [3] When looking at the poorest places in the world, there is the Catholic Church. The Church understands that giving alms to the poor is “one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.” [4]
Why should I give to the poor? Because “God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn away from them…It is by what they have done for the poor that Jesus Christ will recognize his chosen ones.” [5] When we act in love and charity we obtain the fruits of Charity.
Dark Horses by Switchfoot was written and dedicated to the homeless youth in San Diego and those who help them. A “dark horse” is usually someone we know very little of and that they are potential for success is great. At the end of the song Jon Foreman is saying, “stand up for the dark horses”. We must stand for those who are in need. By doing works of mercy, we help bring the greatness of God into this world.
What are the fruits of Charity? “The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy…it fosters reciprocity and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion.” [6] A famous saying is “If you want peace, work for justice.” [7] When working for justice with charity it can bring about social justice.
What is Social Justice? “The virtue that inclines one to co-operate with others in order to help make the institutions of society better serve the common good. While the obligation of social justice falls upon the individual, that person cannot fulfill the obligation alone, but must work in concert with others, through organized bodies, as member of a group whose purpose is to identify the needs of society, and, by the use of appropriate means, to meet these needs locally, regionally, nationally, and even globally. Implicit in the virtue of social justice is an awareness that the world has entered on a new phase of social existence, with potential for great good or great harm vested in those who control the media and the structures of modern society. Christians, therefore, are expected to respond to the new obligations created by the extraordinary means of promoting the common good not only of small groups but literally of all humanity.” [8]
We must first see that social justice is at its core, the respect of the dignity of every human person. [9] This means respecting their rights of that person themselves and their property as prescribed by the seventh commandment, “Thou shall not steal”. From the beginning, the Church has always stood up for the rights to ownership, but it has also insisted on the rights of society and decried selfish greed as morally wrong. It is our duty and obligation to look after the needs of man and society as a whole. [10]
Is it not the government’s job to protect our property and others? Pope Saint John Paul II said, “For the Church does not propose economic and political systems or programs, nor does she show preference for one or the other, provided that human dignity is properly respected and promoted, and provided she herself is allowed the room she needs to exercise her ministry in the world.” [11] Yes, the government should look after the defense of their citizens and property, but it is the “Society (that) ensures social justice by providing the conditions that allow associations and individuals to obtain their due.” [12]
We must look at the motives of the Church with social justice and works of mercy as compared with the government’s motives. There are potential dangers of working for justice through the government. First, what the government might define as justice could, in actuality, be in opposition to or a perversion of true social justice. In addition, when we look to the government alone, it can become a God to us, an idol to which we look to find our truth instead of looking to God. We must never take the dignity or image of God out of each individual.
Welcome to the Catholic Church. The Church’s motives for social justice have been clear “since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation through numerous works of charity which remain indispensable always and everywhere.” [13] Wherever there has been a need in society, whether in education, science, healthcare, etc. the Church and organizations within the Church have answered the call. We are all called to live out today’s Gospel by working for Charity and peace.
[1] Modern Catholic Dictionary pg. 133
[2] Cf. CCC 1373
[3] CCC 2444
[4] CCC 2447
[5] CCC 2443
[6] CCC 1829
[7] Pope Paul VI, Day of Peace, 1 January 1972
[8] Modern Catholic Dictionary pages 509-510
[9] cf. CCC 1929
[10] The Catholic Catechism pg. 386
[11] Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 41.1
[12] CCC 1943
[13] CCC 2448