Comforting the afflicted: the fourth Work of Mercy

The Works of Mercy through the eyes of a biblicist

With the contribution of biblicist Carlo Miglietta, we examine the fourth spiritual work, useful for the in-depth study organized by spazio + spadoni on the Works of Mercy currently taking place in Lucca.

The fourth spiritual Work of Mercy is “to comfort the afflicted”.

The biblicist points out that whoever performs this work is similar to:

God: “I, even I, am he who comforts you” (Is 51:12); “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem” (Is 66:13); “The Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted” (Is 49:13; cf. 57:18-19); “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry…; for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians” (Ex 3:7-8); “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps 34:6,17); “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise, says the Lord; I will protect them from those who malign them” (Ps 12:5); “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their supplication” (Ps 102:17); “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress” (Ps 107:13-14); “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free” (Ps 118:5); “God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us” (2 Cor 7:6).
Jesus: “The Lord… has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives…, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who grieve in Zion” (Is 61:1-3; cf. Lk 4:18); “Moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand” (Mk 1:41); “He saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them” (Mk 6:34; cf. 8:2; Mt 9:36); “He had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Mt 14:14)…
The Holy Spirit: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever” (Jn 14:16,26); “When the Advocate comes…, he will bear witness about me” (Jn 15:26); “If I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you” (Jn 16:7).
Job: “I chose their way and sat as chief…, like one who comforts mourners” (Job 29:25).
Hezekiah: “He comforted the mourners in Zion” (Sir 48:24).

The biblicist also reminds us that whoever comforts the afflicted listens to the Word of God. Below are some excerpts:

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Is 40:1).
“Do not avoid those who weep, and mourn with those who mourn” (Sir 7:34).
“Weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15).
“Blessed be the God…, Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:3-4).
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:4).

The biblicist leaves us at the conclusion of this work with a provocation, an inquiry: do we know how to be “fishers of men” (Mk 1:17), recognizing those who comfort the afflicted and proclaiming to them the beatitude of Mercy which states “Blessed are the merciful” (Mt 5:7)?

Pain is a warning light

This Work of Mercy requires us to be attentive observers to identify those around us living in sorrow and who consequently need comfort. We are called to be bearers of hope, “God will wipe away every tear” (Rev 21:4), certain that God knows our suffering and takes it upon Himself.

Pain is an inevitable condition in human life. Father Fabio Rosini defines it as a symptom, not evil in itself. It is like a warning light that contemporary society tries to silence through numbing remedies.

The one who comforts the afflicted should highlight a reversal: perceiving pain as a gift to save oneself, to prevent evil, a starting point and not an end point.

Comforting the afflicted is an arduous task; there is no instruction manual and there are no set rules to follow. The only ingredient for success is love. If guided by love, comfort will never be in vain.

Photo by Ethan Shi on Unsplash

Source: Carlo Miglietta – The Works of Mercy