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

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

«The works of the heart» is a booklet written by Archbishop Paolo Giulietti on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy called 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 Opere of mercy remain fully relevant.

The intention is to revisit these short meditations on the fourteen Opere to make them present in daily life: what spazio + spadoni calls the «ReEvolution of the works of mercy».

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In the encyclical Laudato si’, Pope Francis paid particular attention to the issue of water: although indispensable to human life and activity, it is not equally accessible to all human beings.

Several factors, united by the reckless use of resources, make it urgent to preserve and distribute drinking water across the globe. Furthermore, conflicts linked to the control of water sources are on the rise across all continents.

Even in Italy, despite the «pro-public water» referendum held in June 2011, water availability and its cost continue to be an issue, especially in certain regions and for the most vulnerable segments of the population.

Today, caring for the thirsty means striving for a fairer distribution of water resources, reducing losses in transportation and use, promoting recycling and smarter consumption, and adopting a lifestyle more attentive to waste.

One could also expand the scope of the Opera to another type of «liquid»: the financial resources required for investment, research, and growth. Businesses and research institutions in Italy suffer from a serious lack of liquidity: investing and circulating money, with courage and wisdom, can also represent a form of helping one’s neighbor.

Image created digitally by spazio + spadoni

Source: Giulietti, P., «The works of the heart»