7 Corporal Works of Mercy

What are the Corporal & Spiritual  Works of Mercy?

The word “corporal” means “of or belonging to the body,” and so the corporal works of mercy refer to acts of mercy that relate to the physical, to bodily needs. Many of the corporal works of mercy were referenced directly by Christ in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25:31-46:

“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, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. . . Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)

The seventh corporal work of mercy, burying the dead, is referenced more than once in Tobit. 

The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy:

1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To shelter the homeless.
5. To visit the imprisoned
6. To visit the sick.
7. To bury the dead.

The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy:

1. To counsel the doubtful
2. To instruct the ignorant
3. To admonish the sinner
4. To comfort the sorrowful
5. To forgive all injuries
6. To bear wrongs patiently
7. To pray for the living and the dead