Mercy is the greatest tool that God gives us to counter evil. One evil that afflicts all people at some time in their lives is illness. In visiting the sick, we follow Christ’s example in the Gospels who spent a large part of his ministry attending to the sick. Compassionate care to someone who is sick is one of the easiest and most frequent opportunities we have for showing mercy. So often we feel helpless in the face of illness. There is only so much that medicine can do. This corporal work of mercy reminds us that ministry isn’t always about fixing something. At its heart, a work of mercy is an act of solidarity. Simply being with someone who suffers is a tremendous grace. As our parish forms a new Social Concerns Commission, visiting the sick will be a critical ministry we engage in. Already the Ministry of Visitation brings Communion to those in care facilities and who are homebound. So many in our parish already assist family, friends and neighbors in attending to their health care needs.
We are blessed to have many who are health care professionals in our parish. With a medical school and a university that has many departments related to the field of medicine, our community has tremendous resources and expertise to address sickness and health. A social concerns commission will help all of us make this work of mercy a priority in our community, identifying and facilitating opportunities simply to be with those who suffer. Illness has its own physical stresses and pains. This work of mercy attends to the social stresses and discomfort that attends an illness. We may not have the knowledge to treat the illness, but all of us can attend to the basic human needs that are compromised due to an illness, disability or simply the changes that age brings upon us all.
Corporal Works of Mercy: Mercy for the captive
This work of mercy is taught in two forms. Simply visiting those held captive finds its Scriptural formulation in Matthew 23: “When I was in prison, you visited me.” Visiting those in prison reminds us that no matter what crime a person commits, we are called to safeguard their basic human dignity. Prisoners may be stripped of many of their civil and social rights, yet they still deserve our compassion and kindness. It is their right and it is our duty. In the United States, there is more of a need than ever for visiting the imprisoned. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world. The Diocese of Jefferson City engages in this work of mercy in many ways as there are several major correctional centers. Weekly Mass is celebrated in many of these locations. There is a spiritual renewal program, Residents Encounter Christ, that ministers to many prisoners. And we need not go too far to practice this ministry: local city jails and county jails have numerous prisoners in various stages of the judicial process who need attention to their spiritual and personal well-being.
In addition to mercy for the captive, we must also attend to the families of those who are incarcerated, especially to their children. For every news story we read about a person who becomes part of the criminal justice system, we can assume there is a family to which that person belongs. There are inevitably children who are affected by the incarceration of their parents. There exist social services that reach out especially to the children affected by crime and violence, but the need far outstrips the available resources. For our parish to fulfill this work of mercy and give a just answer to the Lord on the Day of Judgment, we must open our eyes and hearts to the sorrow of the imprisoned.
A second wording of this work of mercy urges us to set captives free. In Christ’s initial public preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth, quoting Isaiah, Jesus says, “I have come to set prisoners free.” Our faith has a long history of recognizing that those imprisoned deserve our mercy. In ancient Israel, the practice was during times of jubilee and celebration, many prisoners were set free. This is why Barabbas was set free at Christ’s trial during the Passover holiday. Even in our own time, there is a parole system in place that addresses the degree of rehabilitation that takes place in a prisoner, allowing for a chance of mercy. Our country and our state both have pardon processes which recognize that there are individuals in the criminal justice system who deserve to be freed outside of normal statute.
But setting the captive free is way beyond time served, the parole system or a presidential pardon. One significant task is to accompany the prisoner who has been set free to gainful employment, adequate housing, and support in the process of resocialization. Simple awareness could be the first step to fulfilling this work of mercy. Are we educated in the parole process? Do we understand the role that mercy can play in the lives of those reintegrated in society? Since our community is the county seat, we are given a greater responsibility to be aware of the dynamics of incarceration and the suffering that it causes for many. Additionally the support we give to those who are in public service in the criminal justice system can also figure into this work.
Finally, imprisonment must not refer only to those in the criminal justice system. There are many modes of captivity. We only need to look at the rates of addiction to understand that there are many in our midst who while socially free, yet are imprisoned by their addictions. One of the blessings of our community is a commitment to the recovery of those suffering with substance abuse and there is housing support specifically intended to assist in recovery. Our parishioners are willing to provide financial and volunteer support to people in need. Often it is simply a matter of identifying the needs and bringing the available resources to bear. A social concerns commission will be the ongoing forum where we shine the light of the Gospel to those in the darkness of captivity.