“The Works of the Heart” – The Fifth Corporal Work of Mercy

A brief meditation by msgr. Paolo Giulietti, Archbishop of Lucca, on the fifth corporal work of mercy, to live it concretely in daily life.

«The works of the heart» is a booklet written by msgr. Paolo Giulietti on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy announced in 2015, when he was still auxiliary bishop of Perugia and Città della Pieve.

Ten years have passed, but the reflections of the current Archbishop of Lucca regarding the works of mercy remain deeply relevant.

The intention is to revisit these brief meditations on the fourteen works to update them in everyday life: what spazio + spadoni calls the «ReEvolution of the works of mercy».

Visiting the sick

Although episodes of «poor healthcare» are frequently discussed and our country still faces shortages of facilities and services, this work of mercy must be interpreted today in a personal and relational key.

Indeed, it is not enough to provide a patient with the best therapies if we do not also answer the questions that suffering brings with it: having someone nearby who loves us, managing to give meaning to what one is going through, and never losing hope.

In today’s cultural context, the ability to cope effectively with limitation, pain, and death seems to be waning: we possess many therapeutic tools, but we are lacking in caring for the person and managing pain.

«Visiting the sick» asks us today to offer meaningful, truly empathetic relationships, within which the suffering person can illuminate their situation with friendship, meaning, and hope.

Helping to defeat loneliness and confront evil, especially when facing lonely or abandoned people, is today’s way of practicing the fifth Work.

Source: Giulietti, P., Le opere del cuore

Image created digitally by spazio + spadoni