Homily for Fifth
Sunday of Easter
May 19, 2019
Spiritual Works of
Mercy
In
today’s Gospel, Jesus commands us to love. But this love must be lived out
practically – it’s not enough to have warm fuzzy feelings, we must put it into
action. As Mother Teresa said, “There should be less talk. Just grab a broom
and sweep someone’s house. That speaks loud enough.”
Most of
us can think of ways to put this love into action – make a meal for someone,
give them a gift, give money to the poor. In Catholic lingo, this is considered
the corporal works of mercy –
practical ways to love your neighbor as Christ loved us.
But,
human beings are made of both body and
soul. So we can also show love to others by caring for their spiritual
well-being. We call these the seven spiritual
works of mercy – and it is these that I would like to talk about today.
First,
why do we need them? Shouldn’t we just “live and let live,” letting people take
care of their own spiritual lives? No! The Bible teaches us that we are our
brother’s keeper. It is a great act of charity to help others to grow
spiritually. If I make someone a meal, that will give them energy to live. But
if I feed someone spiritually by teaching them about the Lord, I am giving them
a reason to live – and I am feeding
their souls for eternal life, which is far better than this physical life! So
let’s look at the seven ways in which we are called to love our neighbor by
helping them encounter the Lord.
The
first spiritual work of mercy is instruct
the ignorant. This is what we see Paul and Barnabas doing in today’s first
reading. They are traveling to seven different regions of the ancient Near East
to proclaim the word of God, instructing those who had never heard about the
good news of Jesus, the Savior.
We can
do this too! When parents teach their kids about prayer and our Catholic Faith,
they are fulfilling this work of mercy! Or when a friend asks you why you wear
a crucifix and you explain about your faith, you are performing this act of
mercy! St. Peter instructs us to “always have a reason for the hope that lies
within you” – we must know our Faith so we can instruct others, as a profound
act of charity!
Once
when I had just graduated high school, I was shopping for new clothes in
Wal-Mart (where I shop for all my groovy threads). I happened to strike up a
conversation with a lady in the checkout line who asked about my college plans.
I told her I was going to Franciscan University to study philosophy. She then
asked, very reasonably, what in the world I was planning to do with a degree in
philosophy – a valid question! But I thought, “Hmm, do I really want to tell
this woman that I just met that I was going to study for the Catholic
priesthood? She might think I’m weird or something!” Finally, I decided to tell
her, so I said, “Well, I’m thinking about becoming a Catholic priest.” She got
really quiet and then said, “Oh, that’s interesting. Why do Catholics worship
Mary?” I was floored – was this conversation really happening in a Wal-Mart
checkout line? Somehow I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to respond, so I
said, “As Catholics, we don’t worship Mary. We honor her, because since she was
the closest person to Jesus on earth, we believe she is the closest person to
Jesus in Heaven, and she prays for us just like one Christian prays for
another.” The woman said, “Oh! That’s interesting! I never knew that. I thought
Catholics really worshipped Mary.” There’s an example of instructing the
ignorant!
Second
is counsel the doubtful. We all have
friends who need advice or just a listening ear. When someone is going through
a confusing time in their life, just to listen to them and offer wisdom is a
great act of charity.
Third, admonish the sinner. This can be tough –
who wants to tell someone that they are wrong? And yet it can be a tremendous
act of charity. St. Hyacintha Mariscotti became a saint because she was
admonished as a sinner. She was a worldly nun who loved comfort and pleasure
more than prayer and sacrifice. She would often have friends sneak food to her
when she was supposed to be fasting, and she would leave the convent grounds
when she should have been praying. One day she became gravely ill, and her
fellow nuns called in the priest to give her the Anointing of the Sick. The
priest took one look at her nice silk habit, her comfortable bed, and her stash
of snacks in her room, and exclaimed, “If you do not change your life, you will
go to Hell!” She was immediately shocked out of her complacency. Upon
recovering from her illness, she gave away her fancy habit and excess food, and
began to live a life of sincere prayer and penance. This priest’s admonition
saved her soul – and if we, in charity and humility and privacy, correct
others, than we can be instruments of God’s grace for people.
Fourth, bear wrongs patiently. Mother Teresa was
once begging for bread for the children in her orphanage. She approached a
baker for a handout, but the baker promptly spat upon her. She calmly wiped the
spit from her face and said, “That was for me – now how about something for my
children?” The baker, shamed by her response, gave her the food she asked for.
To patiently sit in traffic when another person wrongly cuts you off; to not
defend yourself in the staff meeting when a coworker throws you under the bus;
to put up with your annoying little brother or sister – this is a great act of
charity that will win over hearts!
Fifth, forgive offenses willingly. How well can
you forgive others? After being stabbed twenty-two times, St. Maria Goretti
forgave her attacker. When her attacker was released from prison thirty years
later, he went to St. Maria Goretti’s mother to ask for her forgiveness. How
would you respond? That saintly woman responded, “If my daughter could forgive
you, how can I do any less? I forgive you completely.” Christ forgave us from
the Cross – we must forgive others who have done far less to us.
Sixth, comfort the afflicted. So many times, we
feel helpless when a friend or family member is suffering. I remember watching
my grandfather take care of my grandmother who was dying of Alzheimer’s – he
couldn’t take away her suffering, but he could seek to comfort her and make her
life more pleasant. A beautiful act of charity!
Finally,
pray for the living and the dead. One
of the greatest acts of kindness we can do is to pray for others. St. James
says in Scripture, “The prayer of a just man (or woman) is powerful indeed.”
Lifting someone up to the Lord is an incredible act of trust in God – one that
will be rewarded, both for you and for the person prayed-for.
My friends,
I challenge you this week – to show your authentic love for your neighbor,
choose one of these spiritual works of mercy and carry it out!
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