Works of mercy are acts done out of love to meet the needs of others. It’s very easy to see Jesus as the source of this kind of giving behavior and every time we practice one of them, it’s an opportunity to grow in virtue.
The traditional list of the Spiritual Works of Mercy are these:
- Admonish the sinner
- Instruct the ignorant
- Counsel the doubtful
- Comfort the sorrowful
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Forgive all injuries
- Pray for the living and the dead
It’s fairly likely your kids are not familiar with some of this vocabulary, so (of course) we have a game to help make it all come alive from a K-6th grader’s point of view! You’ll need a die and a game piece for each player to move around the board; I recommend you scrounge them from your Monopoly game. Cut the game cards apart and the winner is the first one to collect a full set – all 7 of the cards. (And if you get stuck, we have all the answers for you on page 7.)
The other activity is better for older kids because it involves some very basic map skills and the ability to look up verses in the Bible. Saint Paul was a master at practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy, describing examples all over the Epistles that he wrote. As you look up each of the Scriptures on the Paul Cards, decide which work of mercy is being practiced and attach it to the map. Very simple, and again, the answers are there for you on page 6.
Family Formation 