During this sacred time, the Church introduces us to the Lenten observances. Almsgiving is one of them. What is the meaning of Almsgiving? Almsgiving is simply “the act of charity to another.” It is to help in the necessities of other people. These necessities could be physical or spiritual ones. The Lord, in the gospel of Matthew (Mt. 25: 31-46), is telling us the parable of the Judgment of the nations. In this parable, we see how a king came to judge people according to their actions. Those who helped other people were taken to the Kingdom of heaven, and those who didn’t help their neighbors were sent to eternal punishment. From this parable, the Catholic Church teaches us the works of mercy. They are 14 works of mercy, and they are divided into two groups: corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Physical works of mercy
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Shelter the homeless
- Visit the sick
- Visit the prisoners
- Bury the dead
- Give alms to the poor
Corporal works of mercy
- Counseling the doubtful
- Instructing the ignorant
- Admonishing the sinner
- Comforting the sorrowful
- Forgiving injuries
- Bearing wrongs patiently
- Praying for the living and the dead
The works of mercy are good works that we can do to give alms to other people, especially to the poor. Other ways we can help people who are most in need is through our Webster Hope (donating items that will help others) or helping economically to any organization, such as hospitals, churches, organizations or our Diocese of Rochester. For instance, at Holy Trinity Church, we have our weekly collections, Operation Rice Bowl, and the Catholic Ministry Appeal (CMA) that our diocese is working on throughout the year. So far, our parish has reached 84.79% (based on February 26, 2024) of our goal for 2024. Hopefully, we can reach this goal, and in that way, we can help people in the different ministries of our Diocese.
Let us pray so all of us have a spirit of giving to all people in their physical and spiritual necessities.
God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!
Fr. Jorge Ramirez
