“The Works of the Heart” – The First Spiritual Work of Mercy

A brief meditation by Msgr. Paolo Giulietti, Archbishop of Lucca, on the first spiritual 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 convoked 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 are still relevant today.

The intent is to reread these brief meditations on the fourteen Works and then bring them into everyday life: what spazio + spadoni calls the «ReEvolution of the Works of mercy».

Counsel the doubtful

In a society with so many opportunities and so many problems like ours, it is easy to remain disoriented and indecisive. The trouble is that this situation also affects the great questions regarding the origin, nature, and destiny of the human person.

And while for practical problems it is obvious that one must overcome doubt to make a decision, when dealing with those other matters it seems possible – and even preferable – to remain in uncertainty.

In other words, it is far easier to share and accept advice on trivial matters than to state and welcome a certainty regarding the meaning of life. Yet, this is all the more necessary, because it helps us make sensible decisions, especially the most important ones.

Existence demands to be founded not on the sand of doubt, but on the rock of truly reliable visions and values, which make plausible the commitment, effort, and sacrifice required to achieve and sustain important goals. Otherwise, any lasting commitment and every effort of good become irrelevant.

Whoever is fortunate enough to possess some certainty has the duty to witness to it and offer it to those bogged down in doubt, to help them make up their mind.

Image created digitally by spazio + spadoni

Source: Giulietti, P., Le opere del cuore