The Work of Mercy - Book Review

The Work of Mercy - Being the Hands and Heart of Christ by Mark Shea has been on my list of books to read for a while now.

Being raised Catholic, I watched my parents model the seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy in their lives. They, to my knowledge, didn't do them all, but they did do the majority of them.

It wasn't until I was well into adulthood that I learned that there was actually a name and purpose behind them. I thought they were just doing what "good Catholics" do.

The seven Corporal Works of Mercy are:
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Harbor the harborless
- Visit the sick
- Ransom the captive
- Bury the dead

The seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are:
- Instruct the ignorant
- Counsel the doubtful
- Admonish the sinner
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Forgive offenses willingly
- Comfort the afflicted
- Pray for the living and the dead

The first two Corporal Works of Mercy - about feeding those who are hungry and providing drinks to the thirsty (or access to clean, drinkable water) are self-explanatory.

The next one - clothing the naked - can literally mean providing clothing for those who don't have adequate clothing, whether in one's community or globally. Another interpretation is that the word "naked" does not mean "lacking clothes" but as "lacking modest clothes." I thought that was an interesting way to look it.

Harboring the harborless can be as simple as being hospitable - whether it is at church, an organization, or even at home. It can mean inviting someone over for tea or a meal or helping them find the right group within an organization to join (e.g., a choir, social justice group, environmental group).

Another part of the book I found interesting was about instructing the ignorant. It said, "Knowledge in the service of love, not pride, is the goal of instructing the ignorant. This is a work that is demanded of all of us sooner or later."

The author continued, "Virtually every human activity is taught us by somebody, and we are therefore all raised as debtors to a civilization we shall never be able to repay. Each of us has had a thousand teachers, not merely at school but from myriad other backgrounds and vocations.

Continuing down the list, there is the Spiritual Works of Mercy focused on forgiveness. The author said, "Unforgiveness punishes us, not the enemy. When we refuse to forgive, we hand our happiness over - forever - to people who may not know we exist, much less care.

"Refusing to extend forgiveness is one of the most deadly manifestations of pride in the world....Refusal to forgive trains us for nothing but misery."

I was pleased that, at the end of the book, there were organizations that one could support and/or volunteer their time at if they wanted to do these Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Some of their ideas combined with ones that I have supported include:

Feed the Hungry: 

Feed the Children - Both groups and individuals can volunteer to build boxes filled with food and essentials that will be delivered to families in need across the United States. Volunteers make the food-distribution programs possible by sorting and screening products, and helping assemble boxes loaded with much needed food and essentials. This is good for people who live in Pennsylvania.

Feed My Starving Children - I have regularly volunteered at the warehouse to pack food for children throughout the world who don't know where their next meal is coming from.

Give Drink to the Thirsty:

Global Water - From the organization's website: "Water … more crucial for survival above all other resources on earth. And yet, right now over one billion men, women, and children on the planet drink unsafe water. We believe that the lack of access to safe drinking water is the primary cause of hunger, disease and poverty throughout the developing world."

Clothe the Naked:

Organizations that accept clothing were mentioned. I think any local organization that accepts clothing would be grateful to receive items in good condition.

Harbor the Harborless:

There were national organizations suggested that help those who are homeless (adults and teens) and shelters for battered women.

Visit the Sick:

The book suggested volunteering through a hospice or the Ronald McDonald House.

Ransom the Captive:

International Justice Mission - There are more than 40 million people today who are in slavery. I had no idea there were that many. It's quite sobering to read that this is still going on. The International Justice Mission has ways for people to help put an end to slavery.

Bury the Dead:

World Vision - in addition to helping the living, this organization buries people who have died in natural disasters.

The book also has suggestions for the Spiritual Works of Mercy. I'm not going to list the ideas here since many are specific to the Catholic faith. That being said, there are many valuable ideas in this section of the book that people can follow or could find an equivalent in their own belief system.