Volunteers' Corner

Adorning Oneself With Good Works

"Let the wise display his wisdom not in words but in good works." (Pope St. Clement I, circa 95 A.D.)

"Cease not to adorn yourself with good works - the true bracelets of a Christian woman." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)

"[F]or we hold burning lamps in our hands (Lk. 12:35), when by good works we show forth bright examples to our neighbors." (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church)

"Let us be known by our works" (St. Marguerite Bourgeoys)

"Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 5:16)

Also See: Deeds / Works (Scripture)

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Against Interfaith Gatherings

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Both Faith and Works are Required

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,' but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called 'the friend of God.' See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (Jms. 2:14-26)

"You do right when you offer faith to God; you do right when you offer works. But if you separate the two, then you do wrong. For faith without works is dead; and lack of charity in action murders faith, just as Cain murdered Abel, so that God cannot respect your offering." (St. Bernard)

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,' but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called 'the friend of God.' See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (St. James, Jms. 2:14-26)

"...though faith is the first essential of a Christian, yet without works it is a dead faith, and will not save us (Jms. 2:26)." (Gueranger)

Also See: Deeds / Works (Scripture) | Tough Love in the New Testament | Non-Catholics Section (apologetics)

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Charity and Good Works

"[C]harity, if it does not issue effectively in good works, is something altogether empty and unprofitable" (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943)

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Good Works of Others

"For indeed we sin greatly if we love not the good deeds of others." (Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of the Church)

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Good Works / Secrecy

"God is more pleased by one work, however small, done secretly, without desire that it be known, than a thousand done with desire that men know of them." (St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church)

"A good work talked about is a good work spoiled." (St. Vincent de Paul)

"Remember, the sinner who is sorry for his sins is closer to God than the just man who boasts of his good works." (St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)

"He who sounds a trumpet before himself when he does alms is a hypocrite." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)

"Certainly, God does not forbid us to perform our works before men, but He desires that they should be done for His sake alone, and not for the sake of the glory of the world." (St. John Vianney)

"If therefore you desire spectators of your good deeds, behold you have not merely Angels and Archangels, but the God of the universe." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)

"But there is nothing intervening between God's work and His command, that we may see in the inclination of the healer the power of the work. Hence it follows, 'And immediately the leprosy departed from him'. But lest leprosy should become rife among us, let each avoid boasting after the example of our Lord's humility. For it follows, 'And he commanded him that he should tell it to no one', that in truth he might teach us that our good deeds are not to be made public, but to be rather concealed, that we should abstain not only from gaining money, but even favor." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)

"The intent with which He said all this is shown in that He adds, 'that your alms may be in secret' (Mt. 6:4); that is, in that your good conscience only, which human eye cannot see, nor words discover, though many things are said falsely of many. But your good conscience itself is enough for you towards deserving your reward, if you look for your reward from Him who alone can see your conscience. This is that He adds, 'And your Father who sees shall reward you.'" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"The trumpet ['do not sound a trumpet before yourself ...' (Mt. 6:2)] stands for every act or word that tends to a display of our works; for instance, to do alms if we know that some other person is looking on, or at the request of another, or to a person of such condition that he may make us return; and unless in such cases not to do them. Yea, even if in some secret place they are done with intent to be thought praiseworthy, then is the trumpet sounded." (Pseudo-Chrys, as quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church)

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Great Deeds / Proper Intentions

"The Lord measures our perfection neither by the multitude nor the magnitude of our deeds, but by the manner in which we perform them." (St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church)

"God bestows more consideration on the purity of intention with which our actions are performed than on the actions themselves." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"It is true that we shall never have the happiness of going to heaven unless we do good works, but let us not be afraid of that, my dear children. What Jesus Christ demands of us are not extraordinary things or those beyond our powers." (St. John Vianney)

"Jesus does not demand great deeds. All he wants is self-sacrifice and gratitude." (St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church)

"...it is not the size and greatness of deeds which give them merit, but the pure intention with which they are undertaken" (St. John Vianney)

"God has not placed perfection in the multiplicity of acts we perform to please him, but only in the way we perform them, which is simply to do the little we do according to our vocation, in love, by love, and for love." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)

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Necessity of Good Works

"Therefore every tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire, because he who here neglects to bring forth the fruit of good works finds a fire in hell prepared for him." (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church)

"Those who do not labor in good works in this world will labor in evil ones in hell." (St. Vincent Ferrer)

"It is true that we shall never have the happiness of going to heaven unless we do good works, but let us not be afraid of that, my dear children. What Jesus Christ demands of us are not extraordinary things or those beyond our powers." (St. John Vianney)

Also See: Both Faith and Works are Required | Tough Love in the New Testament | Deeds / Works (Scripture)  

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The Poor / Good Works

"When the poor are helped there ought to be these two conditions: generosity and joy." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)

"Love the poor tenderly, regarding them as your masters and yourselves as their servants." (St. John of God)

"Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor. Honor them as you would Christ Himself." (St. Louise de Marillac)

"Justice will never be fully attained unless people see in the poor person, who is asking for help in order to survive, not an annoyance or a burden, but an opportunity for showing kindness and a chance for greater enrichment." (Pope John Paul II)

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Pride / Good Works

"[P]ride lies in wait for good works that it may destroy them." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

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Reward for Good Works

"Every good deed is rewarded" (St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church)

"What joy will there be at the judgment for those who will learn from Jesus Christ that the kindness they showed to the poor was kindness shown to him. 'Yes,' he will say to them, 'it was I myself that you came to see in that poor person; it was to me that you rendered that service; it was to me that you gave alms at your door.'" (St. John Vianney)

"If it were given a man to see virtue's reward in the next world, he would occupy his intellect, memory and will in nothing but good works, careless of danger or fatigue." (St. Catherine of Genoa)

"A reward is due to good works, if they are performed; but grace, which is not due, precedes, that they may be done." (St. Prosper/Council of Orange II, 529 A.D.)

"Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a Master who pays well; who rewards even a cup of cold water given for love of Him." (St. Dominic Savio)

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Volunteer Work and the Priesthood

Also See: Priests (Topic Page)

"Indeed, a priest is called to live out, as radically as possible, the pastoral charity of Jesus, the love of the good shepherd who 'lays down his life for the sheep' (Jn. 10:11). Consequently, an authentic pastoral work on behalf of vocations will never tire of training boys, adolescents and young men to appreciate commitment, the meaning of free service, the value of sacrifice and unconditional self-giving. In this context it is easy to see the great value of forms of volunteer work, which so many young people are growing to appreciate. If volunteer work is inspired by the Gospel values, capable of training people to discern true needs, lived with dedication and faithfulness each day, open to the possibility of a total commitment in consecrated life and nourished in prayer, then it will be more readily able to sustain a life of disinterested and free commitment and will make the one involved in it more sensitive to the voice of God who may be calling him to the priesthood. Unlike the rich young man, the person involved in volunteer work would be able to accept the invitation lovingly addressed to him by Jesus (cf. Mk. 10:21); and he would be able to accept it because his only wealth now consists in giving himself to others and in 'losing' his life." (Pope John Paul II)

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Who to Shun / Papal Warnings

Reminder:  Warnings provided herein are not comprehensive.

"Do not be led astray: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 15:33)

"[People] should not join philanthropic societies whose nature and purpose are not well-known without first seeking advice from wise and experienced people. That talkative philanthropy which is opposed to Christian charity with such pomp is often the passport for Masonic business." (Pope Leo XIII, "Custodi Di Quella Fede", 1892)

"As Our predecessors have many times repeated, let no man think that he may for any reason whatsoever join the Masonic sect, if he values his Catholic name and his eternal salvation as he ought to value them. Let no one be deceived by a pretense of honesty. It may seem to some that Freemasons demand nothing that is openly contrary to religion and morality; but, as the whole principle and object of the sect lies in what is vicious and criminal, to join with these men or in any way to help them cannot be lawful." (Pope Leo XIII, "Humanum Genus", 1884)

"Now, with regard to entering societies, extreme care should be taken not to be ensnared by error. And We wish to be understood as referring in a special manner to the working classes, who assuredly have the right to unite in associations for the promotion of their interests; a right acknowledged by the Church and unopposed by nature. But it is very important to take heed with whom they are to associate, lest whilst seeking aid for the improvement of their condition they may be imperiling far weightier interests. The most effectual precaution against this peril is to determine with themselves at no time or in any matter to be parties to the violation of justice. Any society, therefore, which is ruled by and servilely obeys persons who are not steadfast for the right and friendly to religion is capable of being extremely prejudicial to the interests as well of individuals as of the community; beneficial it cannot be. Let this conclusion, therefore, remain firm - to shun not only those associations which have been openly condemned by the judgment of the Church, but those also which, in the opinion of intelligent men, and especially of the bishops, are regarded as suspicious and dangerous." (Pope Leo XIII, "Longinqua", 1895)

"In a matter of such importance and where the seduction is so easy in these times, it is urgent that the Christian watch himself from the beginning. He should fear the least danger, avoid every occasion, and take the greatest precautions. Use all the prudence of the serpent, while keeping in your heart the simplicity of the dove, according to the evangelical counsel. Fathers and mothers should be wary of inviting strangers into their homes or admitting them to domestic intimacy, at least insofar as their faith is not sufficiently known. They should try to first ascertain that an astute recruiter of the sect does not hide himself in the guise of a friend, teacher, doctor or other benefactor. Oh, in how many families has the wolf penetrated in sheep's clothing!" (Pope Leo XIII, "Custodi Di Quella Fede", 1892)

Also See: Against Interfaith Gatherings (Reflections) | Coming Home (Reflections)

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Who We Should Help

"It is to those who have the most need of us that we ought to show our love more especially." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)

"For to be sure a characteristic of Christian charity is that it extends equally to all" (Pope Leo XIII, "Reputantiubus", 1901)

"So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith." (St. Paul, Gal. 6:10)

"Absolutely speaking it is impossible to do good to every single one: yet it is true of each individual that one may be bound to do good to him in some particular case. Hence charity binds us, though not actually doing good to someone, to be prepared in mind to do good to anyone if we have time to spare. There is however a good that we can do to all, if not to each individual, at least to all in general, as when we pray for all, for unbelievers as well as for the faithful." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"We are sorry to note that not infrequently nowadays it happens that through a certain inversion of the true order of things, ready and bountiful assistance is provided for the unmarried mother and her illegitimate offspring (who, of course must be helped in order to avoid a greater evil) which is denied to legitimate mothers or given sparingly or almost grudgingly." (Pope Pius XI, "Casti Connubii", 1930)

"That by the command, You shall love your neighbor, all mankind were intended, the Lord showed in the parable of the man who was left half dead, which teaches us that our neighbor is every one who may happen at any time to stand in need of our offices of mercy; and this who does not see must be denied to none, when the Lord says, Do good to them that hate you." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"Since one cannot do good to all, we ought to consider those chiefly who by reason of place, time or any other circumstance, by a kind of chance are more closely united to us." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"Therefore, since the love of charity extends to all, beneficence also should extend to all, but according as time and place require: because all acts of virtue must be modified with a view to their due circumstances." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

Also See: Charity Begins At Home (Reflections)

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Misc. / Good Works

"Labor without stopping; do all the good works you can while you still have the time." (St. John of God)

"One must do all one can for everybody, expecting no return save from God only." (St. John Vianney)

"Whilst we have time, let us work good to all men." (St. Paul, Gal. 6:10)

"The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow. It doesn't matter - do good." (Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

"My child, we must not be afraid of doing good, even if it costs us something." (St. John Vianney)  

"[T]hat which really tends to the extension of our Lord's glory is not the amount of time given to the works, but the holiness of the worker." (Liturgical Year) 

"As a matter of fact, however, merely naturally good acts are only a counterfeit of virtue since they are neither permanent nor sufficient for salvation." (Pope St. Pius X, "Editae Saepe", 1910 A.D.)

"May we love our fellow-creatures as ourselves; bear with them, excuse their weaknesses, and serve them. May our good example encourage them, and our words edify them; may be comfort them and win them to the service of God by our kindness and our charities." (Gueranger) 

"But whoever in time of tranquility will not give up his time to God, how in persecution will he give up his soul? Let the virtue of love then, that it may be victorious in tribulation, be nourished in tranquility by deeds of mercy." (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church)

"Our Lady has especially...a claim to be invoked as the model of those who devote themselves to works of mercy; and although it is not given to all equally to keep their spirits immersed in God, yet ought they constantly to strive to approach, by practice of recollection and divine praise, to those luminous heights whereon their Queen shows herself...in all the plentitude of her ineffable perfections." (Liturgical Year)

[I]t is a small thing not to do evil, unless also men strive to labor in good works" (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church)

"[O]ur love of God is false if our hearts are not disposed to show mercy to our neighbor, and help him in his necessities and troubles." (Gueranger) 

"Many men propose to begin a good work, but as soon as they have become annoyed by adversity or temptation, they abandon what they had begun." (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church)

"If any one saith, that the just ought not, for their good works done in God, to expect and hope for an eternal recompense from God, through His mercy and the merit of Jesus Christ, if so be that they persevere to the end in well doing and in keeping the divine commandments; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)

"If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)

"If any one saith, that the justified sins when he performs good works with a view to an eternal recompense; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)

"God has made it a law, to which He has graciously bound Himself, that charity shown towards our fellow-creatures, with the intention of appeasing our Creator, shall be rewarded as though it were done to Himself. How vividly this brings before us the reality and sacredness of the tie which He would have to exist between all men! Such, indeed, is the necessity, that our heavenly Father will not accept the love of any heart that refuses to show mercy: but, on the other hand, He accepts as genuine and as done to Himself the charity of every Christian, who, by a work of mercy shown to a fellow man, is really acknowledging and honoring that sublime union which makes all men to be one family with God as its Father. Hence it is that almsdeeds, done with this intention, are not merely acts of human kindness, but are raised to the dignity of acts of religion, which have God for their direct object, and have the power of appeasing His divine justice." (Gueranger)

"[H]e who neglects the cause of the distressed masses is disregarding his own interest as well as that of the community." (Pope Leo XIII, "Graves De Communi Re", 1901)

"We are warned to do good works while we still have time (Gal. 6:10) because 'the night is coming, when no one can work' (Jn. 9:4)" (First Vatican Council, Schema)

"No one is free of sin; but where good works prevail, sins are lightened, overshadowed, and covered up. On the day of judgment either our works will assist us or they will plunge us into the abyss, as if dragged down by a millstone." (St. Ambrose of Milan, Doctor of the Church)

"Think not that pleasing God lies so much in performing good works as in performing them with good will, and without attachment and respect to persons." (St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church)

"For a good life consists in good deeds. Now in order to do good deeds, it matters not only what a man does, but also how he does it; to wit, that he do it from right choice and not merely from impulse or passion." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"For it is the will of God that by doing good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people." (St. Peter, 1 Pt. 2:15)

"[W]e are forbidden to propose as the end of any good work the pleasing of any kind of men." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"The charity which the world has set up, which it calls philanthropy, and which it exercises not in the name of God, but solely for the sake of man, is a mere delusion; it is incapable of producing love between those who give and those who receive, and its results must necessarily be unsatisfactory. There is but one tie which can make men love one another: that tie is God, who created them all, and commands them all to be one in Him. To serve mankind for its own sake, is to make a god of it; and even viewing the workings of the two systems in this single point of view - the relief they afford to temporal suffering - what comparison is there between mere philanthropy, and that supernatural charity of the humble disciples of Christ, who make Him the very motive and end of all thy do for their afflicted brethren?... Philanthropy may be generous, and its workings may be admirable for ingenuity and order; but it never can look upon the poor man as a sacred object, because it refuses to see God in him. Pray for the men of this generation, that they may at length desist from perverting charity into a mere mechanism of relief. The poor are the representatives of Christ, for He Himself has willed that they be such; and if the world refuse to accept them in this their exalted character, if it deny their resemblance to our redeemer, it may succeed in degrading the poor, but by this very degradation, it will make them its enemies." (Gueranger) 

"We ought to imitate the liberality of the soil, which repays, with usurious interest, the smallest seed that is sown therein. Holy Scripture compares an ungrateful person to a field or vine, which remains barren if not carefully cultivated; on the other hand, a grateful man is like a fruitful field, and which increases in value a hundredfold. It is thus that we must act towards those from whom we have received benefits, and be not like the ungrateful and avaricious land, which retains the seed. It is not every one who has the power of doing good, but we can always show our gratitude, for ingratitude is an unpardonable vice." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)

"For it is the genuine effect of charity that the just soul, in whom God dwells by grace, burns in a wondrous way to call others to share in the knowledge and love of that Infinite Good, which she has attained and possesses." (Pope Pius XI, "Mens Nostra", 1929)

"No one is so rich that he does not need another's help; no one so poor as not to be useful in some way to his fellow man; and the disposition to ask assistance from others with confidence and to grant it with kindness is part of our very nature." (Pope Leo XIII, "Graves De Communi Re", 1901)

"Volunteer workers have a specific role to play: they make a valuable contribution to the service of life when they combine professional ability and generous, selfless love. The Gospel of life inspires them to lift their feelings of good will towards others to the heights of Christ's charity; to renew every day, amid hard work and weariness, their awareness of the dignity of every person; to search out people's needs and, when necessary, to set out on new paths where needs are greater but care and support weaker." (Pope John Paul II, 1995)

"When a man does a good deed, not of his own counsel, but moved by that of another, his deed is not yet quite perfect, as regards his reason in directing him and his appetite in moving him." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"Which means that every one who thinks highly of his own deserts, shall be humbled before God; and every one who humbles himself concerning his good deeds, shall be exalted with God." (Remigius)

"No human devices can ever be found to supplant Christian charity, which gives itself entirely for the benefit of others." (Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum)

"The love of God is fostered by good works." (Pope St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church)

"[P]ity for the needy and the sick and works of charity and mutual aid intended to relieve human needs of every kind are held in highest honor by the Church." (Second Vatican Council)

"Still more important as a remedy for the evil we are considering, or certainly more directly calculated to cure it, is the precept of charity. We have in mind that Christian charity, 'patient and kind,' which avoids all semblance of demeaning paternalism, and all ostentation; that charity which from the very beginning of Christianity won to Christ the poorest of the poor, the slaves." (Pope Pius XI, "Divini Redemptoris", 1937)

"This zeal in coming to the rescue of our fellow men should, of course, be solicitous, first for the eternal good of souls, but it must not neglect what is good and helpful for this life. We should remember what Christ said to the disciple of the Baptist who asked him: 'Art thou he that art to come or look we for another?' He invoked, as proof of the mission given to Him among men, His exercise of charity, quoting for them the text of Isaias: 'The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.' And speaking also of the last judgment and of the rewards and punishments He will assign, He declared that He would take special account of the charity men exercised toward each other. And in that discourse there is one thing that especially excites our surprise, viz., that Christ omits those works of mercy which comfort the soul and referring only to those which comfort the body, He regards them as being done to Himself: 'For I was hungry and you gave Me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; naked and you covered Me; sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me'. To the teachings which enjoin the twofold charity of spiritual and corporal works Christ adds His own example, so that no one may fail to recognize the importance which He attaches to it. In the present instance we recall the sweet words that came from His paternal heart: 'I have pity on the multitude,' as well as the desire He had to assist them even if it were necessary to invoke His miraculous power. Of His tender compassion we have the proclamation made in holy Writ, viz., that 'He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil.'" (Pope Leo XIII, "Graves De Communi Re", 1901)

"By virtue of our sharing in Christ's royal mission, our support and promotion of human life must be accomplished through the service of charity, which finds expression in personal witness, various forms of volunteer work, social activity and political commitment. This is a particularly pressing need at the present time, when the 'culture of death' so forcefully opposes the 'culture of life' and often seems to have the upper hand. But even before that it is a need which springs from 'faith working through love' (Gal 5:6). As the Letter of James admonishes us: 'What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled', without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead' (2: 14-17). In our service of charity, we must be inspired and distinguished by a specific attitude: we must care for the other as a person for whom God has made us responsible. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to become neighbors to everyone (cf. Lk 10:29-37), and to show special favor to those who are poorest, most alone and most in need. In helping the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigner, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned - as well as the child in the womb and the old person who is suffering or near death - we have the opportunity to serve Jesus. He himself said: 'As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me' (Mt 25:40)." (Pope John Paul II, 1995)

"[D]aily living...should be filled with self-giving love for others." (Pope John Paul II, 1995)

"The laity fulfill this mission of the Church in the world especially by conforming their lives to their faith so that they become the light of the world as well as by practicing honesty in all their dealings so that they attract all to the love of the true and the good and finally to the Church and to Christ. They fulfill their mission also by fraternal charity which presses them to share in the living conditions, labors, sorrows, and aspirations of their brethren with the result that the hearts of all about them are quietly prepared for the workings of saving grace. Another requisite for the accomplishment of their task is a full consciousness of their role in building up society whereby they strive to perform their domestic, social, and professional duties with such Christian generosity that their manner of acting should gradually penetrate the whole world of life and labor. This apostolate should reach out to all wherever they may be encountered; it should not exclude any spiritual or temporal benefit which they have the ability to confer. True apostles, however, are not content with this activity alone but endeavor to announce Christ to their neighbors by means of the spoken word as well. For there are many persons who can hear the Gospel and recognize Christ only through the laity who live near them." (Second Vatican Council)

"Evil is not the only thing that is contagious; goodness is as well. It is necessary that, at this favorable hours, goodness increasingly abound in us!" (Pope John Paul II)

Also See: Deeds / Works (Scripture)  

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