Works of Mercy
“Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36)
September 15, 2022
Merciful as He is, God has granted us yet another new year, “The Year of Luke” for we can rinse out our vices entirely. We have added one more year to our lifetime and getting older by the day walking towards the end of earthly life. It is today that we shall realize the mystery of salvation and acknowledge the path to heavenly kingdom. Our destiny shall be shade by God’s mercy for we are His children.
All in the name of Lord Jesus Christ shall be merciful as He taught us saying, “blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) Patristic fathers teach about the two categories of works of mercy, “Corporal works of mercy” and “Spiritual works of mercy”
Corporal Works of Mercy
It is the concern of the material and physical needs of others. It includes: –
1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give water to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To shelter the homeless.
5. To visit the sick.
6. To visit the imprisoned.
7. To bury the dead.
It is off the essence to mention the story of the rich man and Lazarus in scripted in the Gospel of Luke from Chapter 16 number 19-31. “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
Surely we can realize how a single act can change one’s life. If the rich man had fed, clothed and nurtured the poor whilst living on earth, he would have not suffered in hell. We shall all have sympathy for the poor, needy and leprosies for we shall be forgiven and receive mercy.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
It is the concern the spiritual needs of others.
1. To instruct the ignorant.
2. To counsel the doubtful.
3. To admonish sinners.
4. To bear patiently those who wrong us.
5. To forgive offenses.
6. To console the afflicted.
7. To pray for the living and the dead.
In scripted in Holy scriptures, righteous forefathers. Prophets, Apostles, Monks, righteous and Martyrs are primarily to be mentioned in supporting gentiles and heresies in becoming Christians through Gospel and Christian baptism.
In our days, Patristic Fathers, Priest and other Servile have vowed to save guard laities for they would not be lost in this hectic and satanic world. It is mainly their responsibility to aid them through the path of Christianity in praying, fasting and diligence in Christian deeds.
Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of us all, to help the lost in repenting, the weak in diligence and the strong by stirring. And as it stated “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9) we ought to reconcile if there are disputes for they would know to be merciful.
May God have mercy on us, Amen!