Most Christians want to live an active faith yet feel perplexed about how to do so. The seven interconnected ‘spiritual works of mercy’ come to our aid: counselling the doubtful; instructing the ignorant; admonishing sinners; comforting the afflicted; forgiving offences; bearing wrongs patiently; and praying for the living and the dead .Through such acts of mercy we can respond fully to God’s goodness towards us, involving conversion of our interior life: such acts are truly God’s acts of mercy; we become the human agents through whom God alleviates people’s unhappiness.