Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, and you have done it to him
Works of mercy are concrete acts of compassion toward bodily and spiritual need. They are modeled on Matthew 25, where Christ identifies himself with the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the imprisoned, and welcomes those who served them. Early Christian writers such as Lactantius commended such charity, and patristic teaching made care for the poor and suffering a central expression of faith, treating mercy shown to others as mercy shown to Christ himself.
How it traveled
- JamesJerusalem · 62explains
- 2 CorinthiansPhilippi · 67applies
- RomansCorinth · 67applies
- 1 TimothyEphesus · 67applies
- TitusEphesus · 67applies
- MarkRome · 68applies
- MatthewAntioch · 80explains
- LukeRome · 84explains
- ActsRome · 84explains
- 1 JohnEphesus · 100applies
- Dialogue with TryphoRome · 165explains
- The Instructions of Commodianus.— · 220explains
- Book II. Of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons— · 220explains
- The First Epistle of the Blessed Clement, the Disciple of Peter the Apostle.— · 220explains
- The Epistles of Cyprian.Carthage · 258applies
- The Treatises of Cyprian.Carthage · 258explains
- The Life of Constantine with Orations of Constantine and EusebiusCaesarea · 339explains
- The Church History of EusebiusCaesarea · 339applies
- The LettersCaesarea (Cappadocia) · 379applies
- The Catechetical Lectures of S. CyrilJerusalem · 386applies
- Select Orations of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · 390explains
- Select Letters of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · 390applies
- On the Duties of the ClergyMilan · 397explains
- Selections from the Letters of St. AmbroseMilan · 397applies
- Concerning WidowsMilan · 397explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
Key passages(20)
The Treatises of Cyprian. · Cyprian
A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom · John Chrysostom
The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Leo the Great
Book IV · Constitutions of the Holy Apostles
On the Duties of the Clergy · Ambrose of Milan
The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians · John Chrysostom
The First Epistle of the Blessed Clement, the Disciple of Peter the Apostle. · Two Epistles Concerning Virginity
The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans · John Chrysostom
The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon · John Chrysostom
The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon · John Chrysostom
The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John · John Chrysostom