Corporal Works of Mercy

The Judgment of the Nations

31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious
throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the
goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was
naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then
the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give
thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39
And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I
say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to
those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a
stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did
not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger
or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to
you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46 And they will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Key Points:

1) There will be a last judgment at the end of time: the sinful will experience an eternal
punishment, and the just an eternal reward.
2) Christ identifies himself with everyone in need—the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick,
the imprisoned.
a. Love for Christ and love for neighbor
b. Faith with action – social responsibility
3) We are liable for both our wrongdoings and for sins of omission.

Mt 25:35-36

“for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you
welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you
came to me.’”

Commentary: The works mentioned in the passage become works of Christian charity when the person
doing them sees Christ in these “least” of his brethren. Thus, the basis for charity is experiencing Christ’s
presence in the least of our brothers and sisters. How do we see Christ in doing these works? LOVE for
neighbor [“if I give away all I have … but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:3)]. This makes genuine
Christian charity way different from mere philanthropy.

Applicable Scenarios:
Social stigma towards the poor, the sick, the prisoners, etc.: the growing suspicion and practice of
“othering” or alienation towards the poor has made it difficult for others to see Christ in them.

Pangmamatapobre (povertyism), for example, can become embedded in the way people—and even
institutions—treat the poor and marginalized. They are often seen as a “moral contamination,” a threat
(e.g., “drug war,” resettlement of informal settlers), an economic burden (demolition to pave way for
high-profile reclamation projects, underestimating the value of informal economy such as sari-sari
stores, ambulant vendors, contractual workers); or exotic species to be explored (common to case
studies in schools and universities).

Often, in the discourse of entitlements and deserts (who is entitled to what, who deserves what), the
poor is often pitted against the rest of the society. It is “skivers against strivers,” with productivity as a
measure of who deserves to benefit or not, e.g., families who have never worked against hardworking
families. Meanwhile, there is also what we call “poverty porn”—the poor being vilified as popular
entertainment or as subject of ridicule.

How do we challenge othering of the poor? Putting ourselves in their shoes, imagining Christ in them.
Consider these counternarratives:

- Recognize the agency of the poor and marginalized (they are thinking, feeling beings), to
challenge the view that they are passive objects.
- Recognize that their agency is limited by structural/institutional constraints and opportunities
- Shaming and social stigma itself stunts their agency – human rights discourse helps us see what
we have in common as human beings (“pakikipagkapwa” – in Sikolohiyang Pilipino, it puts
emphasis on human relationships and the community).

Reflection: Were there instances you felt it was difficult to see Christ in your family member, friend, co-
worker, the impoverished? Were there times your own judgments and expectations of a person
hindered your love for him/her?

Mt 25:42-45

“for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and
you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick
or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it
not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’”

Commentary: We will also be judged not only for the wrong we have done, but for things sins of
omission—things we ought, but failed, to do for our brothers and sisters. Failure to do something which
one should do means leaving Christ unattended. That we will be judged for how we treat our neighbors
implies that we are duty-bound to respect human persons from all walks of life.

Applicable Scenarios: Corporal works of mercy might seem easier said than done under circumstances
of social stigma, mistrust in the community, indifference and apathy, impersonality in government
affairs, etc.), peer pressure (“nobody is doing it”), “bystander effect.”

On a personal level, we may have experienced what social psychologists usually called the “bystander
effect,” wherein the presence of other people discourages us from helping someone. This may be due to
diffusion of responsibility—onlookers are less likely to intervene if they see others who are likely or who
seem more capable to help. Peer pressure and social influence may affect the way we help (or distance
ourselves from) people in need (they act according to what they see from other people around them).
The social paralysis created by this phenomenon usually cascades to the household, workplaces, and the
community. We need to be active bystanders and fight the urge to step aside (refer to the parable of the
Good Samaritan).

Individualism, self-reliance: “kanya-kanya” syndrome versus pakikipagkapwa. In media, stories of

individual successes amid extraordinary circumstances (e.g., rags-to-riches stories) reinforce the idea
that the poor need to “work harder” to have a better life, that is, even without enough institutional or
community support.

Distrust and suspicion: Criminals in disguise often use the guise of the poor to confuse citizens. The level
of distrust and suspicion created in response to their presence in communities often make it difficult to
decide whether or not we need to help our neighbors. The shift of priorities from war on poverty to war
on crime in recent years aggravates this climate. There is also growing distrust on government and
welfare organizations, especially how they spend funds in support of the marginalized. Then again, this
should not be an excuse for us not to do our part.

How do we challenge distrust, suspicion and individualism? Daily simple gestures serving immediate,
individual needs; but also helping create a better society where people will less likely find themselves in
distress and poverty. Thus, conscientization: what is happening in your community? How do these
events align with moral principles/how can moral principles be applied in these situations? You can
discuss with your friends, family, peers, colleagues to give you and them a better insight on this and
what to do to address problems in the community.

Reflection: Under what situations did you feel hesitant or find it difficult to help those in need? Were
there times you felt you could have done something more for your neighbors?

References:

Lister, R. (2017, July 4). Unequal recognition: Othering ‘the poor’. In Citizen’s Basic Income. Retrieved 15
February 2019 from: http://citizensincome.org/research-analysis/unequal-recognition-othering-the-
poor-by-ruth-lister/

Justice and Peace Office (undated). Corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Retrieved 15 February 2019
from: http://justiceandpeace.org.au/corporal-and-spiritual-works-of-mercy/

What is the bystander effect? In Psychology Today. Retrieved 15 February 2019 from:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/bystander-effect

Lopez, A (23 November 2014). Navarre Bible commentary: The solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King
of the Universe. In JoeCatholic.org. Retrieved 13 February 2019 from: http://thejoecatholic.org/?p=131