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the followers of Jesus; it is absolutely
essential for salvation. Service to
those who are disenfranchised, in
pain, or without the basic necessities
of life is a requirement of our faith.
In the words of Justice in the World,
from the Catholic bishops’ synod of
1971: “Because every man is truly
a visible image of the invisible God
and a brother of Christ, the Christian
finds in every man God himself and
God’s absolute demand for justice
and love” (no. 34).
The corporal works of mercy
have often been what has rooted
me and motivated me in my own
service to others. In college, when I
spent a challenging summer serving
in the pastoral care department of a
hospital, I spoke aloud these words
daily: “When I was sick you came to
visit me.” By doing so I constantly
reminded myself that Jesus is present
in those who were ill, injured, or
otherwise hurting.
After college, for the several
years I engaged in direct service to
those with developmental disabilities, I reminded myself that feeding,
bathing, and dressing my brothers
and sisters in Christ was a privilege
because by doing so I could touch
Jesus himself.
These days I find that my works
of mercy are often less physical,
and so the spiritual works of mercy
speak to me. The call to comfort the
sorrowful and counsel the doubtful
and teach those who do not know, all
the while praying for the living and
the dead, forces me to acknowledge
that the person who walks through
my door, or calls me on the phone,
or sends me an e-mail might reveal
to me the presence of Christ if only
I would welcome him or her genuinely. It also challenges me to look
far beyond the comfortable confines
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VISION 2009
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