Acts of Mercy

I found this on the web today:
How we treat others, however, is not simply about proper etiquette and good manners – it’s an important part of our faith as well. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus invites into heaven those who fed and cared for him, adding “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” As Christians, we are called to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, to visit the sick and bury the dead. These corporal works of mercy, given to us by Christ, are a critical part of being Jesus to others. Of course there are many practical opportunities to perform these works of mercy. We can work at the local soup kitchen, or serve as a volunteer at a summer camp. We can donate clothes to Goodwill and Catholic Social Services, or sponsor a child through a relief ministry. Those are all wonderful and important ways to practice the works of mercy. But even on a daily basis, we can show mercy and love in the simple way we treat everyone we come in contact with. This is the most basic and important place to start. As Paul says in I Corinthians 13, even if we give away everything we own, if we don’t have love then we gain nothing from what we have done. Showing kindness to those around us is a work of mercy. It is a form of feeding the hungry, not actual food of course, but of providing Christ’s nourishing love to a starving nation.