Spiritual Works of Mercy

Most Christians want to live an active faith yet feel perplexed about how to do so. The seven interconnected ‘spiritual works of mercy’ come to our aid: counselling the doubtful; instructing the ignorant; admonishing sinners; comforting the afflicted; forgiving offences; bearing wrongs patiently; and praying for the living and the dead .Through such acts of mercy we can respond fully to God’s goodness towards us, involving conversion of our interior life: such acts are truly God’s acts of mercy; we, mere human agents for God to alleviate people’s unhappiness.