The demands of the season of Lent go beyond fast and abstinence, which are only means to grow more spiritual. Equally, if not more important, are prayers and works of mercy. According to Christian spirituality, works of mercy are of two types: Corporal and spiritual. The corporal works of mercy are: To feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and the imprisoned and bury the dead.
The spiritual ones are to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, bear wrongs patiently and pray for the living as well as the dead.
On February 1, I took charge of St. Joseph’s Church, located on the suburbs of Vienna, Austria. As a rule, the priest is provided a residence adjacent to the church. To my surprise, I found that “my” house was already occupied — it wasn’t my predecessor or someone else inhabiting the place forcefully, but an Afghan Muslim family, who had arrived in Austria a few months ago, seeking refuge.
After the previous priest had retired, the house lay vacant for some time. The deacon who manages the place politely told me that I would have to wait till July or August, by which time the family would hopefully have acquired documents to settle down here. It is amazing to note that most priests’ homes, even when the priest is in residence, are housing refugees.
The works of mercy and faith are inseparable. St. James in the Bible says, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” Elsewhere Jesus says, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers that you do unto me”.
Having spent many years performing works of mercy during Lent, people spontaneously reach out to strangers and the needy, regardless of which land or religion they belong to, and not just during Lent. With so much suffering around us, can there be a limit to acts of corporal and spiritual mercy?
