The Spiritual Works of Mercy

Our Church also provides for us an outline of Spiritual Works of Mercy.

• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To admonish sinners;
• To bear wrongs patiently;
• To forgive offences willingly;
• To comfort the afflicted;
• To pray for the living and the dead

Prayers for the dead was evidenced by writings of the early church, ancient liturgy, as well as inscriptions on first century tombs and prove that the early church continued this practice of the Jews
St. Augustine in the 5th century speaks of prayers for the dead: "The universal Church observes this law, handed down from the Fathers, that prayers should be offered for those who have died in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, when they are commemorated in their proper place at the Sacrifice"

We are not all gifted with the ability to do the first three but the last four seem to be actions that we are all capable of through the power of the Holy Spirit.