Five Fruits of Practicing the Works of Mercy
As Mercy Missionaries, we get to see the fruits of practicing the works of mercy in our daily lives. Isaiah 58 says that one receives five fruits from practicing these works of mercy.
First, it brings healing. Isaiah 58:8 says “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily.” Doing things not for yourself but for the benefit of others helps you heal from selfishness. Our culture encourages us to be self-centered, but doing things for others takes you outside of yourself. It also helps interior healing from sin and past experiences by allowing light to penetrate those dark areas that need healing.
The second fruit is that God will answer your prayers. In Isaiah 58:9 it says, “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.” When you call upon the Lord in your prayers He will say “Here I am.” That is an amazing promise!
The third fruit is that doing the works of mercy is a testament to others. Isaiah 58:10 says, “Then shall your light rise in the darkness.” Just by others being a witness to the work you are doing is a form of evangelization and it serves as an example to others. When we do our lunches by the Hawthorne bridge, we get people who work in surrounding buildings coming to ask us what we are doing. They are amazed that we don’t just hand the homeless the sacked lunch and send them on their way, but that we engage in conversation with them, start friendships, and encourage community. On Thursday nights, when we do our Mercy Nights, we are known as the soup cart people and will get noticed throughout the city showing compassion to others on the street.
The fourth fruit is it changes you. In Isaiah 58:11 it says, “And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things ... and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Charity makes you a better person by softening your heart. It helps you grow in virtues to become more sheep-like and less goat-like. It helps you realize that worldly things don’t satisfy your desires and that only God can satisfy your desires. It also helps you see the value of other people’s lives and your own life. You will become like the spring of water that keeps giving because once you start practicing the works of mercy, you will want to keep on giving.
The last fruit is that it builds the dignity of the other person. Isaiah 58:12 says, “You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” Doing works of mercy for other people helps them see their worth, and God can use you as a vessel of His love for them. A simple step we do to help restore the dignity of others on our soup night is to give them a napkin with their soup. This small gesture helps show that they deserve to be clean too. A warm smile also goes a long way!
~by Chelsea Lua Hernandez