How to Live Out the Works of Mercy with Your Kids
This is the fifth post of a series entitled “Teaching the Catholic Faith at Home Series.”
Find the rest of the series here.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep! In Matthew 25: 31-46, Jesus talks about separating the goats from the sheep. Matthew 25:33 states:
How do we make sure that we get to be the “sheep on his right” ??
The answer is the works of mercy, and we want our children to be following that Good Shepherd right alongside us.
The next step of teaching the Faith at home is living out the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
Be sure to subscribe to receive the rest of the articles in this series and helpful tips for teaching the Faith!
What are the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy?
Matthew 25:40 gives us some insight into how we can become sheep (and not goats!) In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about how the sheep fed, clothed, cared for Him, and visited Him in prison. The listeners to this sermon are confused, and asked Jesus when, exactly, did they do those things for Him? He clarifies by telling them:
Ahh, we get it Lord! When we care for others, we are caring for Him! Saint Mother Theresa called this her “5 Finger Gospel.” She would hold up one hand and on each finger state, “You. Did. It. To. Me.” Saint Mother Theresa is the ultimate model of caring for the poor and the weak.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states (CCC 2447):
The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy
The corporal works of mercy involve providing for the physical needs of others.
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Shelter the homeless
- Visit the sick
- Visit the imprisoned
- Bury the dead
The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
The spiritual works of merc involve caring for the spiritual needs of others. Caring for other’s souls is more important than caring for their physical bodies! The physical body will die, but the soul will live forever.
- Admonishing the sinner
- Instructing the ignorant
- Counseling the doubtful
- Comforting the sorrowful
- Bearing wrongs patiently
- Forgiving all injuries
- Praying for the living and the dead
Living the Works of Mercy with Our Children
To teach our children to live the works of mercy, is to teach them to serve. We teach them to serve like Jesus when He washed the feet of His Apostles at the Last Supper. He modeled service and sacrifice during His entire public ministry, and then when He died on the cross for us. When we serve others, we grow in humility, charity, kindness, and generosity. Christ is in every person we meet, and serving them allows us to serve Him. What a gift!
And, you want to know something really cool? In our little domestic churches – right in our own homes – we have many, many chances to live out these works of mercy! I bet you completed at least 3 today!! Did you clothe a naked person (a baby or toddler)? Did you feed a hungry person? Did you explain why your toddler can’t hit her sister (admonish a sinner!)?
In God’s endless goodness and mercy, he allows us as a family to practice the works of mercy all of the time! So, now let’s get our kids in on it.
Fun Songs for Teaching the Works of Mercy
Before we take our kids to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted, we should teach them the works of mercy. Christine in Action (a talented, fun, and holy Catholic singer and songwriter) has 2 songs to teach the works of mercy:
They’re catchy and they’re accurate! Play them in the car or during quiet time at home, and your kids will know them in no time.
A Free PDF for Living Out the Corporal Works of Mercy
Now, I am sharing a free download with ideas for living our the corporal works of mercy with your kids. Many (if not most) can be done within the home, or can be done outside the home simply (with a little planning).
I also included a page for your family to write down your own ideas for living out the corporal works of mercy.
I have also included a tracker for you to hang on your fridge or stick in your planner so you can take everyone out for ice cream when you achieve your family works of mercy goals 
Just click the photo below to instantly download the ideas and tracker pages!
