What is Mercy? And how are we, as Christians, called to it?
William Shakespeare (1564 –1616), in his Merchant of Venice, offers two complementary concepts of mercy:
1 – Something that tempers or “seasons” justice” while remaining distinct from it
2 – An undeserved gift or action of kindness and love
In one of the most famous passages of the play, Portia begs Shylock, a moneylender, for mercy on behalf of Antonio, who is unable to pay off a large debt. Her words indicate that mercy is good for both the receiver and the giver:
The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes . [1]
The Seasoning of Justice
Portia, in her effort to persuade, refers to mercy as an attribute of God allowing the temperance, or “seasoning” of Justice.
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. [2]
Justice is often misunderstood to be associated with harsh or negative judgement. However, it is rightly understood in a positive light as being concerned with giving others what is rightly due to them. For example, offering worship to God is an act of justice. [3]
So are the following:
- Honoring God’s Holy Name
- Paying for purchases at the store
- Charging fair prices
- Saying “Thank you” for gifts and courtesies
- Putting in an honest work day
Plato’s Republic begins with a definition from Simonides, a lyric poet whom Socrates calls a “wise and godlike man”: “It is just to give each what is owed to him.” [4] Socrates affirms Justice as a craft and a virtue, understood broadly in that context as a means for achieving excellence. [5]
Christianity holds justice as one of four cardinal virtues. Virtues are good habits that lead to right behavior and holy lives. Catholic philosopher Joseph Pieper quotes St. Thomas Aquinas: “Justice is a habit (habitus) whereby a man renders to each one his due with constant and perpetual will.” [6]
“Cardinal” comes from the Latin cardo, meaning hinge. As such, the four virtues of, Prudence, Justice Fortitude, and Temperance, support secondary virtues. Honesty, fortitude and perseverance rest on the hinge of justice, as do diligence and chastity.
Mercy, on the other hand, is giving more than is owed or demanding less than is required. So while it acts differently than justice, it does not negate it. Mercy can only exist because justice came first. Something was owed. Therefore, a debt may be forgiven.
The Deeds of Mercy
A second face of mercy in Portia’s plea points to “deeds of mercy.” These actions serve as vehicles for offering undeserved good to others. Motivated by love, they play a vital part in man’s journey to holiness and salvation.
In the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. [7]
The corporal works, found primarily in Christ’s teaching on the Last Judgement in Matthew 25, separate those destined from heaven from those sent to eternal punishment:
31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of 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, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? …
40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’ … [8]
In Christ’s depiction of the Last Judgement, the Good Shepherd’s division of his flock serves as a warning to the listeners: their souls will also be subject to future judgement. Those who offered food to the hungry and clothing to the naked are rewarded throughout eternity. The “goats” who failed to act in charity are punished forever.
Putting the works to work
The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the works of mercy as essential to the path to Heaven. Echoing St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, it teaches that the Christian should “strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the “new man.” [9]
So how can we work more of these works of mercy into our everyday lives? Below is a starter list. I invite you to add your own ideas or share them below in the comments.
Corporal Works of Mercy:
The corporal works of mercy are charitable actions which meet physical needs. They alleviate suffering from poverty, deprivation, and isolation. Christ taught that when we help the stranger or anyone else in need, we are helping Him. When we refuse, we overlook not only our fellow-man — we overlook our Lord.
Here are a few ways we can practice each of the corporal works of mercy.
- Feed the hungry
- Donate to your local food bank
- Provide a meal for someone who is struggling financially or emotionally
- Give an anonymous grocery gift card to a family that is struggling
- Invite a neighbor to dinner
- Support your local farm
- Feed your family nutritious meals
- Bring a meal to someone who is sick, recovering from injury, or is caring for a new baby
- Give water to the thirsty
- Offer a bottle of water to people who come to your door or provide services for you
- Hand out water at an athletic event
- Invite someone over for coffee or tea
- Volunteer to serve in a soup kitchen
- Clothe the naked
- Clean out your closet and give clothes in good repair to a charity or thrift store
- Volunteer for a clothing bank and fix donations that need mending
- Provide beautiful skirts for women who don’t have modest clothing for church
- Donate layette items to your local pregnancy center to support a new mom in need
- Shelter the homeless
- Donate to your local homeless shelter
- Volunteer at your local homeless shelter
- Provide affordable housing for a student or young family
- If you are a builder or renter, create good quality affordable housing options
- Visit the sick
- Visit a sick friend or relative
- Bring new or surplus flowers to a nursing home or hospital — for anyone who might be feeling lonely or having a difficult day
- Visit the imprisoned, or ransom the captive
- Visit a nursing home or memory care unit
- Get involved in a prison ministry
- Contribute to or volunteer with an organization that helps to rescue and transition those who have been enslaved in sex trafficking
- Bury the dead
- Attend a funeral at your church – even if you don’t know the family
- Volunteer to bring food to a funeral reception at your church
- Provide for the burial needs of a family member or friend in need
Spiritual works of mercy:
The spiritual works of mercy address spiritual needs. They allow us to help others answer Our Lord’s call to holiness by teaching, advising, praying for, and consoling others.
Here are a few examples of ways to perform each spiritual work of mercy.
- Instruct the ignorant
- Volunteer as a religious education or RCIA instructor
- Read to a child
- Teach in a school
- Volunteer to lead in a community club such as Boy Scouts or 4-H
- Counsel the doubtful
- Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center
- Get training and volunteer for a suicide or depression hotline
- Encourage a friend who is struggling with a moral choice
- Admonish the sinners
- Support a friend to make a good choice
- Teach your children what is right and wrong
- As a parent, teacher, or co-worker, set a good example of moral and ethical thought and behaviour
- Bear patiently those who wrong oneself
- Give someone who offends you the benefit of the doubt
- Listen carefully and patiently
- Make an effort to understand the full context of the words and actions of others
- Forgive offenses
- Forgive others
- Forgive yourself
- Forgive repeatedly — yet avoid letting yourself be put into danger or exploited
- Comfort the afflicted
- Send a card or letter to someone who is grieving
- Attend a wake or funeral
- Invite those who are recovering from grief over to dinner
- Pray for the living and the dead
- Attend a wake and/or funeral and pray for the person who has died
- Pray for the friends and family members of those who have died
- Offer a Mass for someone who has died
- Offer a holy hour for someone — one hour of prayer before the blessed sacrament
- Pray the rosary for a family member or friend, for the Holy Father, or “whoever needs prayer and has noone to pray for them”
A Path to Love
As we practice the works of mercy, we fulfill justice by giving Our Lord the love He is due. And in the process, we grow in holiness.
Acts of corporal mercy require the sacrifice of our time and possessions. We detach from worldly goods. We grow in magnanimity. We break free from avarice and fear. And we learn to trust Our Lord to provide.
The spiritual works of mercy demand our time, prayers, and emotions. We not only reach out and give — we give of ourselves.
In offering forgiveness and bearing wrongs patiently, we suffer personal discomfort and grow in humility.
In admonishing the sinner, we become aware of our own faults and shortcomings.
In comforting the afflicted, we develop empathy while perceiving the pain of grief and sitting together through silence that may feel awkward or uncomfortable.
Mercy teaches us to love. And with each act of mercy, we answer the call to take up our cross and follow the Great Teacher — the one who is Love Himself.
Notes
1. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, ed. Stanley Appelbaum and Candace Ward (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1995), 68–69.
2. Shakespeare, 69.
3. The Catechism of the Catholic Church distinguishes between justice to God and justice to Man: 1807 “Justice toward God is called the “virtue of religion. Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.” See “Catechism of the Catholic Church – IntraText.” (CCC) www.vatican.va, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1993, www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P65.HTM. Accessed 28 May 2025. 3.2.2.2.1807.
4. Plato, Plato: Complete Works, ed. John M Cooper and D S Hutchinson (Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Publishing Company, 1997), 976, 331e.
5. Plato , p. 980, 335c
6. Pieper, Josef. The Four Cardinal Virtues. University of Notre Dame Press, 1990, p. 44.
7. “Catechism of the Catholic Church – IntraText,” www.vatican.va (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1993), https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P65.HTM, Accessed 28 May 2025. 3.2.2.2.1807.
8. Shakespeare, p. 69.
9. The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1994).
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