The Works of Mercy and the Virtues

The works of mercy

“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities” (CCC 2447). Jesus taught that we will be judged by them: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). The Church traditionally counts seven corporal works, for the body, and seven spiritual works, for the soul.

The corporal works of mercy

Feed the hungry. Give to a food pantry or soup kitchen; bring a meal to a new parent or a grieving family; waste less.
Give drink to the thirsty. Support clean-water projects; offer water to workers, the homeless, or anyone who comes to your door.
Clothe the naked. Donate good clothing, coats, and shoes; help a family that has lost everything in a fire or disaster.
Shelter the homeless. Volunteer at or support a shelter; welcome refugees; help someone keep their home in a crisis.
Visit the sick. Call, write, or visit someone who is ill or homebound; sit with the dying; help a caregiver.
Visit the imprisoned. Support prison ministry; write to an inmate; help the families of prisoners and those returning home.
Bury the dead. Attend funerals and pray for the deceased; comfort the bereaved; support a Catholic cemetery.

The spiritual works of mercy

Instruct the ignorant. Teach the faith to your children; help with OCIA or religious education; share what you have learned, kindly.
Counsel the doubtful. Listen patiently to someone struggling with faith or a hard decision, and point them toward the truth.
Admonish the sinner. Gently correct someone who is going astray, with love and humility, as you would want to be corrected (Galatians 6:1).
Bear wrongs patiently. Endure slights and annoyances without resentment or retaliation; offer them up.
Forgive offenses willingly. Let go of grudges; forgive as you have been forgiven (Matthew 6:12–15).
Comfort the afflicted. Be present to those who are grieving, lonely, or anxious; a card, a call, or a visit matters.
Pray for the living and the dead. Pray for family, friends, enemies, and the souls in Purgatory; have Masses offered for them.

Six of the corporal works come from Jesus’ description of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31–46). The seventh, burying the dead, comes from the example of Tobit (Tobit 1:17–19). The ideas after each work are only suggestions; the point is to begin with the people God has already put in front of you.

The works of mercy are the everyday shape of Catholic social teaching. They belong together: we owe the poor both justice and charity (CCC 2446).

What is a virtue?

“A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good” (CCC 1803). It lets a person not only do good acts but give the best of themselves, freely and with joy. Good habits grow with practice, like any skill, and God’s grace strengthens, heals, and raises them.

The theological virtues

Faith, hope, and charity are called “theological” because they come from God, are directed to God, and unite us with him. They are not achieved by effort; God pours them into the soul at Baptism (CCC 1812–1813).

Faith: we believe in God and all that he has revealed, because he is truth itself (CCC 1814).
Hope: we desire heaven and eternal life as our happiness, trusting in Christ’s promises and the help of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1817).
Charity: we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God (CCC 1822). “The greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

The cardinal virtues

Four human virtues play a pivotal role, so they are called “cardinal,” from the Latin cardo, “hinge.” All the other moral virtues are grouped around them (CCC 1805; Wisdom 8:7). We acquire them by education, deliberate acts, and perseverance, helped by grace (CCC 1810).

Prudence discerns our true good in every circumstance and chooses the right means to achieve it. It is “right reason in action” (CCC 1806).
Justice is the constant and firm will to give God and neighbor their due (CCC 1807).
Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in pursuing the good, even in the face of fear and death (CCC 1808).
Temperance moderates the attraction of pleasures and keeps our desires within the limits of what is honorable (CCC 1809).

The gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, first named in Isaiah 11:1–2, make us docile to the Spirit’s promptings. They are strengthened in Confirmation (CCC 1830–1831, 1303):

Wisdom · Understanding · Counsel · Fortitude · Knowledge · Piety · Fear of the Lord

The twelve fruits of the Spirit are perfections the Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The Church’s tradition lists twelve (CCC 1832, following the Vulgate of Galatians 5:22–23):

Charity · Joy · Peace · Patience · Kindness · Goodness · Generosity · Gentleness · Faithfulness · Modesty · Self-control · Chastity

The capital sins and their opposing virtues

The Catechism names seven capital sins, called “capital” because they give rise to other sins and vices (CCC 1866). Christian tradition pairs each with a virtue that counters it. This pairing is a traditional teaching aid rather than a list in the Catechism itself, but it is a practical guide to growth.

Capital sin	Opposing virtue
Pride	Humility
Greed (avarice)	Generosity
Envy	Kindness
Wrath	Patience
Lust	Chastity
Gluttony	Temperance
Sloth (acedia)	Diligence

A good examination of conscience looks at these patterns, not only individual acts. Our guide to Confession includes one.

Growing in virtue

Pick one. Choose one work of mercy and one virtue to focus on this month.
Start small and repeat. Virtues grow by repeated acts: one patient answer, one honest day’s work, one visit.
Pray for it. Ask the Holy Spirit for the virtue you lack, and receive the sacraments often, especially Confession and the Eucharist.
Learn from the saints. Each one shows a virtue lived heroically; see our Saints and Saint of the Day.

A word of Scripture

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

The Works of Mercy & the Virtues