The 14—and even 15!—spiritual and corporal works of mercy
Perhaps you've already seen this painting by Caravaggio called The Seven Works of Mercy. But do you know where this concept of the works of mercy comes from, and what these works consist of? From the Bible and the tradition of the Church Fathers, a list of actions has been drawn up to put into practice the charity and mercy to which every Christian is called—a reflection of God’s love for humanity and His divine mercy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the works of mercy as follows: “charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.” (CCC 2447). Caring for others—especially the poorest and most destitute—is a concrete way to serve God. In the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, Jesus tells us: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40).
There are thus 14 works of mercy: 7 corporal works of mercy and 7 spiritual works of mercy. Discover the complete list of these works!
The 7 corporal works of mercy
These are actions taken to meet the material needs of the most destitute. They respond to a request from Christ himself through his parable of the Last Judgment.
List of corporal works of mercy
1 - Feed the hungry,
2 - Give drink to the thirsty,
3 - Clothe the naked,
4 - Welcome the stranger,
5 - Care for the sick,
6 - Visit those in prison,
7 - Bury the dead.
Source: Parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31–46)
“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.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
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.’
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
These are actions taken to meet the spiritual needs of those around us. This tradition, which originated with the Church Fathers and was enumerated by St. Thomas Aquinas, is based in particular on the teachings of the Bible.
1 - Give counsel to those in doubt,
2 - Instruct the ignorant,
3 - Admonish sinners,
4 - Comfort the afflicted,
5 - Forgiving offenses,
6 - Patiently enduring annoying people,
7 - Praying to God for the living and the dead
A 15th work of mercy: the care of Creation
Pope Francis has proposed a new work of mercy: caring for Creation. In the face of ecological crises that cause so much misery and suffering, the Pope has stated that working to ensure respect for our common home is also an act of mercy toward the poorest and most vulnerable.
Message from Pope Francis on the Works of Mercy
“I deeply hope that the Christian people will reflect [...] on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. This will be a way to reawaken our conscience, which is often dormant in the face of the tragedy of poverty, and to penetrate ever more deeply into the heart of the Gospel, where the poor are the privileged recipients of divine mercy. Jesus’ teaching presents us with a picture of these works of mercy, so that we may understand whether or not we are living as his disciples.
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It is in each of these “least of these” that Christ is present. His flesh becomes visible once more as a tortured, wounded, scourged, starving, and lost body… so that we may recognize him, be moved by him, and assist him with care. Let us not forget the words of Saint John of the Cross: “At the end of our lives, we will be judged on love.”
With Hozana, pray for those in need
On Hozana, discover communities and novenas to cultivate a spirit of mercy and, together, bear the suffering of those who are in pain and destitution.
- Pray every Saturday for
- Pray together for the sick with
- Pray for people trapped in addiction for
- Pray for God's Creation with this .
