What Are the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy?

Love Made Practical

Jesus told His followers that at the end of time, they would be judged by how they treated those in need. “I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35–36). And He added: “As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

From this passage and the wider teaching of Scripture, the Church developed two lists of works of mercy: seven corporal works, for the needs of the body, and seven spiritual works, for the needs of the soul (CCC 2447).

They are not a burden of extra duties. They are a practical answer to the question every Christian should ask: how can I love my neighbour today?

The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy

1. Feed the hungry

Donate to a food bank or parish pantry. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Cook a meal for a new mother, a grieving family or a sick neighbour. Do not waste food.

2. Give drink to the thirsty

Support charities that provide clean water in poor countries. On a hot day, offer water to a delivery driver or tradesperson. Small acts count.

3. Clothe the naked

Give good clothes, not just worn-out ones, to charity shops such as the St Vincent de Paul Society. Donate warm blankets in winter. Help a family in need with school uniforms.

4. Shelter the homeless

Support homelessness services, refuges and housing charities. Volunteer at a night shelter. Treat people sleeping rough as people: look them in the eye, greet them, learn their names. Welcome newcomers, refugees and strangers into your community.

5. Visit the sick

Visit people in hospital or at home. Ring someone who is housebound. Bring Communion to the sick if you are trained as an extraordinary minister. Remember the elderly in nursing homes, who are often lonely.

6. Visit the imprisoned

Few people can visit a prison, but you can support prison chaplaincy, write to prisoners through approved programmes, help prisoners’ families, or support those leaving prison to rebuild their lives. Pray for prisoners and for victims of crime.

7. Bury the dead

Attend funerals, even when you did not know the person well. Support grieving families with meals and visits. Pray for the dead, and visit graves. (See What Happens at a Catholic Funeral?)

The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. Instruct the ignorant

Share what you know of the faith, gently and without condescension. Teach your children their prayers. Volunteer in parish catechesis or RCIA. Help someone learn a skill.

2. Counsel the doubtful

Listen patiently to people struggling with faith or with hard decisions. Offer honest advice when asked. Point them to good resources and wise people.

3. Admonish the sinner

This is the hardest, and the most easily abused. It does not mean lecturing or condemning. It means, when appropriate and with love, helping someone see that they are harming themselves or others. Usually this is best done privately, humbly and only after examining your own faults (Matthew 7:3–5; Galatians 6:1).

4. Bear wrongs patiently

Put up with annoyances, slights and difficult people without retaliating or holding a grudge. Not every wrong needs to be answered.

5. Forgive offences willingly

Forgive those who hurt you, as God forgives you. Forgiveness does not mean pretending the hurt did not happen, or excusing serious wrong, or remaining in danger. It means letting go of revenge and asking God to bless the one who hurt you. It is often a process, not a single act.

6. Comfort the afflicted

Sit with people who are grieving, lonely, anxious or in pain. Often you do not need to say much. Your presence is the comfort. Send a card, make a phone call, remember anniversaries of loss.

7. Pray for the living and the dead

Pray for your family, friends, enemies, the Church and the world. Pray especially for the souls in purgatory. (See How Do Catholics Pray for Someone Who Has Died?)

Why Both Lists Matter

The two lists remind us that human beings are body and soul. It is not enough to care for people’s spiritual needs while ignoring their hunger; St James asks what good it does to wish someone well without giving them what they need (James 2:15–16). Nor is it enough to meet physical needs while ignoring the deeper hungers of the heart.

Where to Start

The list can feel overwhelming. Start small and start close to home:

Choose one work this week. Visit a lonely relative. Give to a food drive. Forgive someone.
Look at your daily life. Your family, neighbours and colleagues are often the first people in need of mercy.
Get involved locally. The St Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic social services and parish groups offer many ways to serve.
Give regularly. Commit a portion of your income to the poor.

Mercy Changes the Giver

Many people who begin to practise the works of mercy discover that they receive more than they give. In serving the poor, the sick and the lonely, they meet Christ, just as He promised. St Teresa of Calcutta described the poor as “Jesus in His distressing disguise.”

The works of mercy are, in the end, a way of meeting Him.