Mercy Monday: we are called to care for the sick

Mercy Monday - Care for the Sick • Mon, Oct 17 2016

#MercyMonday - Care for the Sick

The Corporal Works of Mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.  The Works of Mercy are not optional but are absolutely essential to living the Christian life of holiness and goodness. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2447)
The third corporal work of mercy is care for the sick:

Those who are sick are often forgotten or avoided. In spite of their illness, these individuals still have much to offer to those who take the time to visit and comfort them. 

• Give blood
• Spend time volunteering at a nursing home – Get creative and make use of your talents (e.g. sing, read, paint, call Bingo, etc.)!
• Take time on a Saturday to stop and visit with an elderly neighbor.
• Offer to assist caregivers of chronically sick family members on a one-time or periodic basis. Give caregivers time off from their caregiving responsibilities so they can rest, complete personal chores, or enjoy a relaxing break.
• Next time you make a meal that can be easily frozen, make a double batch and give it to a family in your parish who has a sick loved one.
• spend quality time with those who are sick or homebound;
• take the time to call, send a card or an e-mail to someone who is sick;
• volunteer to drive patients to medical appointments and treatment facilities;
• volunteer at a hospital;
• assist those who are full-time caregivers for family members;
• cook and delivers meals to the sick and homebound.

Dear Jesus,
There are so many people around us who need help. Give us the perseverance and the strength to care for those who are helpless and let us be a beacon of hope and joy. Help us to understand that to care for others is to care for you.
Amen