We have been reflecting lately on the Corporal Works of Mercy. Those are the actions that show God’s mercy especially to the worldly and bodily needs of our brothers and sisters.

So far we have considered feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty and clothing the naked. The next Corporal Work of Mercy is to shelter the homeless.

The homeless are perhaps the most visible of the needy in our society. Because they have no place to go, their need for food, clothing and shelter are in clear view, unlike the hungry or thirsty who might have a home where they can shield their need from the public eye.

Just this past week I drove into Chicago. Passing underneath a bridge in the heart of the city there was a whole community of people living as best they could, covered at least slightly from the elements of nature.

We might say, “Oh well, that’s the sadness of a big city,” when in fact, the phenomenon of homelessness is sadly present in our communities big and small.

For that reason, homeless shelters are often established both by civic and private institutions such as the Church. Much of the clientele for soup kitchens and clothing banks come from the ranks of those who live on the street.

One way of sharing God’s mercy by sheltering the homeless is to contribute to such shelters. Of course our own local Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockford, with outreach at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Community Center in Rockford, the PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) ministry in McHenry County and Aurora, and the Freeport Area Church Cooperative, offer primary sources of support for the homeless.

Both by contributing financially and by volunteering your time and personal interaction, you can serve the homeless and experience a personal connection with those in need.

Such personal interaction allows for the sharing of mercy in a particular way for the homeless. In fact, we do not speak of such people as “houseless” but as “homeless.” That nuance reminds us that a home is more than just a place to sleep at night under a roof and warm.

A home is that place to which we can go with a sense of security. A home gives us a comfort to feel that we have some small place on earth that receives us with warmth and with familiarity.

In addition, the notion of home is linked to a connection of family and friends. It speaks to the deep spiritual and emotional connection that we all seek with others. This is one of the great needs among some of the homeless.

That is why volunteers contribute to more than the physical needs of those without shelter. They can also help provide a very human and emotional connection to a “home” as well as a physical extension of mercy.

Of course there are many reasons for homelessness. Financial problems, family breakups, addictions and even emotional and mental issues can leave people not only without shelter, but even uncomfortable in the confines of living within four walls and a structured life. But another factor is the unavailability of safe and affordable housing.

Like many of our modern social policy questions, the solutions to the lack of housing are not simple. Housing projects, for example, have had both plusses and minuses as they have sought to respond to the growing homelessness in society.

Still, this issue is one that we need to engage continually through our elected representatives and through the Church. We should expect that solutions will continue to evolve as society and social conditions are always changing.

Still, whether it be helping those who are on the street or whether we need to make room and take in a family member who finds him or herself in need, this is a work of mercy. We need only recall that Jesus was born in a stable because at that time, He had no shelter.

“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40).