Bearing Witness: Cornerstone of the New Evangelization
The New Evangelization is all about testimony. Each is called to be a witness i...
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The New Evangelization is all about testimony. Each is called to be a witness in both deed and word says Pope John Paul II and Vatican II....
17 February, 2016Isn’t Advent great? Welcome to the season where the only song we sing for four weeks is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! It’s the best! Advent is...
28 November, 2016Most Americans tend to think of religion as something rather fluid. It’s very common for us to say things like “all religions are basicall...
12 February, 2016The seven corporal and spiritual works of mercy, where they come from, and why they must always be kept together.
W orks of Mercy of various kinds are widely found both in the Old Testament and in the New. Over the centuries, the principal ones came to be enumerated as fourteen, seven pertaining to the relieving of bodily suffering and seven dealing with the alleviating of an even deeper spiritual suffering. These lists have a symbolic character since seven is the number of early perfection or fullness in the Bible while fourteen is the number of the generations from David to the Messiah, and is therefore the number of Jesus Christ, the perfect model of merciful love. In truth, the works of mercy are innumerable, as the Fathers of the Church point out.
The important thing to note is that the spiritual and corporal works must be embraced together, following the example of Jesus who ministered to the entire human person, body and soul. To care for the soul while ignoring people’s bodily needs would be hypocrisy. But to care for the body and neglect the soul would be short-sighted and superficial, running the risk of a well-meaning but misguided sentimentalism.
To Feed the Hungry
To Give Drink to the Thirsty
To Cloth the Naked
To Shelter the Homeless
To Visit the Sick
To Ransom Captives
To Bury the Dead
To Instruct the Ignorant
To Counsel the Doubtful
To Admonish Sinners
To Bear Wrongs Patiently
To Forgive Others Willingly
To Comfort the Afflicted
To Pray for the Living & the Dead
For some creative ideas on how to integrate these works into your life, see the more articles www.crossroadsinitiative.com, especially the Meaning of Mercy and Truly Catholic Mercy by Dr. Italy (Marcellino D’Ambrosio).
For more great ideas for the Lenten Season, see the 40 DAYS OF LENT section of the Crossroads Initiative Library.
From a colorful and varied background as a professor of theology, a father of five, business owner, and professional performer Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka “Dr. Italy”) crafts talks, blog posts, books, and videos that are always fascinating, practical, and easy to understand. He is a popular speaker, TV and radio personality, New York Times best-selling author, and pilgrimage host who has been leading people on a journey of discovery for over thirty years. For a fuller bio and video, visit the Dr. Italy page. For a full Curriculum Vitae (CV) of Dr. Italy, click here.