Preparing for Sunday's Gospel; recognizing the corporal works of mercy

1. What are the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy?
The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy are:

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Welcome the stranger
4. Clothe the naked
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit the prisoner
7. Bury the dead.

The first six of these are listed in the Biblical parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25 vv.31-46). They are the criteria by which Christ will judge people. Those who have done these good deeds will go to Heaven: those who have failed to do them will end up in the fires of Hell. As early as the third century the additional deed, Burying the Dead, was added to bring the number up to seven (Kirschbaum (1968), I, 246). The burial of the dead was chosen for inclusion because it is highly praised in the Book of Tobit (Tobit 1, vv. 17-19). The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy should not be confused with the Seven Virtues (Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Temperance, Justice and Prudence). These are abstract qualities, while the Works, as their name suggests, are active.