The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice, pleasing to God.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2447

There they are: the corporal works of mercy upon which our mission as members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is founded. We who ‘serve Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice and joy’ serve with those works in mind. We provide groceries and operate soup kitchens. We have housing initiatives and give clothing free from our thrift stores to those who don’t have any money to buy. Our members make home visits and have jail ministries. We do wake services and comfort those who mourn.  We are happy with what our Society has accomplished. But is it enough?

The title of this piece isn’t a typo. It isn’t, ‘What would Jesus do?’ but rather ‘What is Jesus doing?’

A third time Jesus asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because he had asked a third time, “Do you love me?”
So he said to him, “Lord you know everything. You know well that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
John 21: 17

Jesus asked Simon Peter the same question three times: Do you love me? Three times, Peter said ‘Yes’. Peter was hurt, perhaps a little insulted, that Jesus kept asking. Jesus keeps asking us too. Our vocation as Vincentian calls us to carry on feeding His sheep, to continue caring for His people.  Jesus is here, in our Society, in each Vincentian. We are ministers of His love in the world in every practical, corporal work we perform.

St. Teresa of Avila said it so well:

“Christ has no body now but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet through which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

St. Vincent de Paul made it personal:

Let us serve God, my brothers and sisters,

but let it be with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brows.