The Scripture passage below is one of my favorite ones in the entire Bible. If you are ever not sure about what you can to do to reach out and help others, look no further. It tells you right here exactly what you can do in order to do this. It is what Jesus said to His Apostles when they were talking to Him, and they were not sure when they saw Him in other people in their everyday lives.
In the Catholic Church, there is the Corporal Works or Mercy. “The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise. They ‘are charitable actions by which we help our neighbors in their bodily needs’ (United States Catechism for Catholic Adults). They respond to the basic needs of humanity as we journey together through this life.” (USCCB.org) Underneath the Bible passage below is the list of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy and a few examples of each. These examples were presented in a church bulletin flyer at my church (St. John the Evangelist, Yardley, PA) during the Lenten season several years ago.
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, 32 and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ 45 He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Feeding the Hungry
- Making sandwiches and handing them out to the homeless in center city Philadelphia.
- Keeping bags of granola bars and other snacks in the car to give out to people in need at stop lights.
- Bucks County Food Runners (BucksCountyFoodRunners.org).
- Volunteer at Loaves & Fishes, Shared Meals (AHTN.org), and/or TASK (TrentonSoupKitchen.org).
- Make meals for Aid for Friends (CaringforFriends.org) and deliver to home office in northeast Philly and/or to people’s homes.
- Go to Aid for Friends on a Saturday to prepare meals.
Give Drink to the Thirsty
- Pass out water bottles to the homeless in center city Philadelphia.
- Donate baby formula to a local pregnancy center and deliver it to their location.
- Support Water.org and CharityWater.org.
- Support BeHumankind (BeHumankind.com) – sell pallet of water bottles after Masses.
Clothe the Naked
- Coordinate a Vincent DePaul clothing drive in parking lot.
- Host a clothing drive and distribute clothes to homeless in center city Philadelphia.
- Sewing and Knitting team to make dresses and various clothes for children in El Salvador.
Shelter the Homeless
- Sponsor a Child (Unbound.org, Food for the Hungry (FH.org)).
- Volunteer with Code Blue (AHTN.org).
- Help Syrian refugees (HIASPA.org).
Visit the Sick
- Volunteer at Mary Medical Center.
- Visit residents at Manor Care Nursing Home to talk, play BINGO, sing sing-a-longs.
- Visit St. John’s homebound residents (talk, help with chores, provide meals).
- Sponsor an elderly person through Unbound.org.
Visit the Imprisoned
- Donate Bibles and/or spiritual reading materials to a prison.
- “Messengers of Hope” – look at resource section at DismasMinistry.org.
- Help with a communion service or Mass at a prison.
- Mentor a teen at a juvenile correction facility.
Bury the Dead
- Attend a wake and/or funeral of a person you know.
- Volunteer with a hospice program.
- Visit a cemetery and pray for the dead.