Good Works-

[jenwha]

Hello Catholics,

I am a relatively new Catholic (April 2012) and have been working strenuously at removing all (repetitive) mortal sin from my life. I’m getting close. Progress!

So my mind if now turning toward doing good works, and I wondered if you could share some of the ones you do so I have some ideas. I work constantly and seem like I never have any downtime except for the weekends, so what I am doing now is mostly monetary. Instead of just giving my surplus I am starting to dabble in the area of giving a little more, as my priest said we should really give until it hurts. He has also said we are to give either of our time, treasure or talent, so I guess I am looking for some simple yet meaningful good works that won’t take up a lot of time but aren’t giving money either as that is what I am doing right now.

Also for fellow Catholics, how often do you do good works? Once a week? Once a month? I’m worried what I am doing is not enough. Thanks.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

While I won’t get in to what I do, some ideas are:

-Having Masses offered for those who are in need of prayer
-Offering up your Friday penance, and doing extra penance (ie: fasting, abstaining from various things, extra prayer, holy hours, etc) for other people
-Become a volunteer at a jail or get involved with Prison Ministry as a volunteer
-Just doing the little things in good cheer rather than grumbling about them (ie: taking the garbage out, doing the dishes when it’s not your turn, or they aren’t yours)
-Random acts of kindness rooted in charity and not self interest

They don’t have to be time consuming or anything particularly spectacular.

We should always be doing good works. It’s a lifestyle thing of living a life of virtue and charity.

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, who is in Heaven.”

 

[KLJM12]

First off, welcome home.

In regards to good works, you can do them constantly. A Catholic doesn’t just do “good works” in terms of donating their money or volunteering at food banks. Every day can be full of good works.

For example, while you work you can pray for your co-workers, for the dead, for the poor, and for widows. You can always offer up your frustrations and joys while you are at work or at home. Hold the door for everyone behind you as you walk into a building. Pick up trash that you pass by in the parking lot. If you are married you can clean the house for your spouse or make a great dinner for your family. Do not concern yourself so much with making sure to give a certain amount of money or a certain amount of time to good works. Instead, fill your life with good works.

You can do this by making sure to pray every morning and night and before each meal, reading Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and praying the Rosary.

As our Lord tells us, we have to help the poor, feed the hungry, and care for widows and orphans. This can be as simple as making sure to give money to the man or woman begging for money on the corner even if you doubt he or she is actually homeless. This can easily by done on the way to work, or home from work.

Keep in mind that we can never ever do enough good works. There is no lower limit of good works or upper limit of good works that will get us to heaven. Just try and do good works all throughout the day, no matter how small or menial they may be.

God bless.

 

[jenwha]

Aha!

Thank you for the replies, that makes sense. I kind of thought they had to be earth shattering, but the “little things but constant” make sense. . Am still learning.

 

[Swiss_Guy]

Hello Catholics,

I am a relatively new Catholic (April 2012) and have been working strenuously at removing all (repetitive) mortal sin from my life. I’m getting closer. Progress!

So my mind if now turning toward doing good works, and I wondered if you could share some of the ones you do so I have some ideas. I work constantly and seem like I never have any downtime except for the weekends, so what I am doing now is mostly monetary. Instead of just giving my surplus I am starting to dabble in the area of giving a little more, as my priest said we should really give until it hurts. He has also said we are to give either of our time, treasure or talent, so I guess I am looking for some simple yet meaningful good works that won’t take up a lot of time but aren’t giving money either as that is what I am doing right now.

Also for fellow Catholics, how often do you do good works? Once a week? Once a month? I’m worried what I am doing is not enough. Thanks.

Good works are a constant process. We continuously try to do good in all we do. Good works can be in the smallest things (Mark 9:41). And these good works are all done in charity. Charity is at the heart and soul of all good works Catholics do. By receiving God’s grace in Confession and the Eucharist you will stay in God’s grace and do charitable things. Charity drives out all worry, so don’t worry about doing good works. God will take care of that for you.

 

[JRKH]

Hello Catholics,

I am a relatively new Catholic (April 2012) and have been working strenuously at removing all (repetitive) mortal sin from my life. I’m getting close. Progress!

Welcome home and congratulations on your progress…

So my mind if now turning toward doing good works, and I wondered if you could share some of the ones you do so I have some ideas. I work constantly and seem like I never have any downtime except for the weekends, so what I am doing now is mostly monetary. Instead of just giving my surplus I am starting to dabble in the area of giving a little more, as my priest said we should really give until it hurts. He has also said we are to give either of our time, treasure or talent, so I guess I am looking for some simple yet meaningful good works that won’t take up a lot of time but aren’t giving money either as that is what I am doing right now.

Also for fellow Catholics, how often do you do good works? Once a week? Once a month? I’m worried what I am doing is not enough. Thanks.

I think you may have a skewed idea of “good works”. While certainly charitable giving and volunteering are both excellent things, the truly important “good works” are the ones we do every day. Holding the door for someone. parking further away from a store so someone else gets the closer space (especially in cold or rainy weather). Listening to a co-worker’s troubles. Doing a little bit extra for a customer.
In short, anything that is done out of Love is a “good work”. It is by our Love that the world will know that we are Christ’s disciples.
St Therese of Lisieux developed and wrote of a spirituality called the “Little Way of Love” which says, in a nutshell, “do little things with great Love”.

So I would suggest that you pray for guidance on how you can do more “good works” in your daily life. You might be surprised at how small acts of kindness can deeply effect other people for the better.

As for what I do…Besides support our parish financially…my primary work is caring for my wife who has Alzheimer’s. My “second job” is hanging out on CAF……Whether that qualifies as a “good work”…

Peace
James

 

[fbl9]

Aha!

Thank you for the replies, that makes sense. I kind of thought they had to be earth shattering, but the “little things but constant” make sense. . Am still learning.

such as holding doors open, things that “polite” people do. smiling, a friendly wave.
there are things you can do at work for others, to make their day easier/better.

 

[pollycarp]

Any elderly folks around? My elderly neighbors always need little things, even if it’s just opening a jar, or figuring out how to use a new electrical device.

 

[PJM]

=jenwha;10073213]Hello Catholics,

I am a relatively new Catholic (April 2012) and have been working strenuously at removing all (repetitive) mortal sin from my life. I’m getting close. Progress!

So my mind if now turning toward doing good works, and I wondered if you could share some of the ones you do so I have some ideas. I work constantly and seem like I never have any downtime except for the weekends, so what I am doing now is mostly monetary. Instead of just giving my surplus I am starting to dabble in the area of giving a little more, as my priest said we should really give until it hurts. He has also said we are to give either of our time, treasure or talent, so I guess I am looking for some simple yet meaningful good works that won’t take up a lot of time but aren’t giving money either as that is what I am doing right now.

Also for fellow Catholics, how often do you do good works? Once a week? Once a month? I’m worried what I am doing is not enough. Thanks.

welcome HOME!

ANY and ALL forms of charity, beging at home, and then expanding outward

It need not be huge things; start small and pray for guidence

The GREATEST Charity is of couse not sinning [a problem we all have:blush:]

THEN:
Knowing our Faith well enough to live it FULLY in accored to Gods Divine Will and Magisterium Teaching

Then living it humblly and publically NEVER deny or be embarassed to admit and SHOW that your a catholic

The If and WHEN God’s provides you the opportunity: sahre, trach and defend our faith with truth and in charity:thumbsup:

 

[jenwha]

Thank you all.

I am totally getting it now, and it makes a lot of sense.

Thank you Catholics!

I honestly was reading about good works in the context that I had to open a homeless shelter with my own funds or something, and I think God is speaking to me about this very issue because in my “day to day” life I am not so good with charity.

Ask and you shall receive. God is truly great. I’m going to have to think about this for awhile as I think I am truly discovering I have a sin of pride and that the small things can make a difference.

Thanks guys.

 

[creole54]

Hello jenwha - Welcome Home! All of the prior posts are excellent examples of how we can do good works. Not all of us are able or cut out for working in food pantrys or homeless shelters, but I have found a couple of ways to turn my own little talents and interests into good works.

For example - I knit. Now, I can’t really go out to the food pantry at midnight, but I can pick up a pair of knitting needles and knit caps and scarves to donate to the local women’s shelter or charity hospital. This is something I can do at any time in my own home. Another thing I enjoy is making rosaries. I make them by hand and ship them to various missions around the world. These are just small, insignificant things done with great love. When I make a rosary I pray it as I make it for the intentions of whoever ends up using. When I knit a hat I try to imagine the homeless person who might be wearing it and pray for their safety and health.

A lot of churches have community gardens. If you enjoy gardening perhaps you could help with the planting and weeding and raising food to be donated to food pantries. Some churches have teams of people who prepare food to be delivered to sick parishoners on a daily basis (we each take a day).

There are so many ways to perform corporal works of mercy. I’d advise you to pray for guidance and keep your heart open to all possibilities.

 

[JRKH]

Thank you all.

I am totally getting it now, and it makes a lot of sense.

Thank you Catholics!

I honestly was reading about good works in the context that I had to open a homeless shelter with my own funds or something, and I think God is speaking to me about this very issue because in my “day to day” life I am not so good with charity.

Ask and you shall receive. God is truly great. I’m going to have to think about this for awhile as I think I am truly discovering I have a sin of pride and that the small things can make a difference.

Thanks guys.

Glad the responses are of help.

Something to remember in all of this is that, even if you are eventually called to some great work, it will be built upon many small works.

The story is told (and it might be somewhat anecdotal, that Mother Teresa of Calcutta, early in her career in India saw that there was a need for a school in a certain village. But she had no funds. So she began giving lessons by using a stick to draw and write in the dirt under the shade of a tree. The children gathered. The parents noted. Soon chairs and benches began to show us and eventually a building was found or built…
All because one woman did God’s work with a stick and with Love.
I’m not saying you should go out and start a school. Rather, I hope you will recognize that small things, can lead to bigger things. That each small thing brings grace and grace builds spiritual strength…So - as i said above, great things are built upon many small works.

You say that in your day to day life you are not, “not so good with charity”. This is where to begin then.
Growing in Holiness is in many ways like body building or dieting. It requires commitment and careful daily effort and the results show up as gradual improvements…and also like dieting…with set-backs sprinkled in.

Build Love and all else will follow.

Peace
James

 

[TheDoctor]

Aha!

Thank you for the replies, that makes sense. I kind of thought they had to be earth shattering, but the “little things but constant” make sense. . Am still learning.

Those of us who have been Catholic all our lives are still learning so nothing to be embarassed about. By the way, I am struggling with something now. Would you please pray for me tonight? (That is another good works that we can do for each other)

 

[Mrs_Sally]

This is a lesson I continually need to remind myself of. It is often harder to be cheerful about small irritations and hardships every day than it is to do a big act of charity every so often. However, we often feel we are better people for working at the soup kitchen once a year than when we smile and greet people politely each morning.

 

[Edward_H]

1. 
   *]Smile when you don’t want or feel like it
   *]Work with greater generosity, offering the work to God for some intention
   *]Holding your tongue when mad or angry.
   *]Going against the grain, when you feel lazy; offer the sacrifice for someone you love or who has asked you to pray for.
   *]Minimizing complaint, even interior complaint.
   *]Making a short prayer when you hear a siren.
   *]Offering housework up for your children, parents, siblings, spouse.

 

[jenwha]

Those of us who have been Catholic all our lives are still learning so nothing to be embarassed about. By the way, I am struggling with something now. Would you please pray for me tonight? (That is another good works that we can do for each other)

I sure will.