Corporal Works of Mercy

The Matthew 25 Series

The Corporal Works of Mercy are acts of love that address the physical and material needs of others.

The Corporal Works of Mercy are:

Feed the hungry.

Give drink to the thirsty.

Clothe the naked.

Visit the imprisoned.

Shelter the homeless.

Visit the sick.

Bury the dead.

Many of Tim’s works are inspired by the call to these Corporal Works of Mercy that are so in need in today’s world. These works include the world renowned sculpture Homeless Jesus, the sculpture Sheltering which received a Papal Blessing in 2022 and the Matthew 25 Series, consisting of 5 works depicting the words of the parable The Judgement of the Nations.

The first cast of Homeless Jesus was installed outside the main entrance of Regis College, a Jesuit school of theology federated with the University of Toronto. 

As of today, over 50 bronze casts of Homeless Jesus are installed in religiously significant and historical locations around the world from Vatican City to Capernaum, Israel to Johannesburg, Africa to Singapore. 

Sheltering

Isaiah 58:6-9

Is not this the fast that I choose:

    to loose the bonds of injustice,

    to undo the straps of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

    and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

    and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them

    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you;

    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

    you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”

MATTHEW 25 Series

The “Matthew 25 Series” by Timothy Schmalz is a series of five sculptures that bring to life the scripture passage Matthew 25:31-46 in which Jesus uses the parable of “The Judgment of the Nations” to asks us to see him in every person we meet, especially in those who are suffering in need. These sculptures include “When I was Naked, You Clothed Me”, “When I was a Stranger you Visited Me“, “When I was Hungry and Thirsty“, “When I was Sick” and “When I was in Prison“.

MATTHEW 25 The Judgment of the Nations

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,  and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.  Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,

for I was hungry

and you gave me food,

I was thirsty

and you gave me something to drink,

 I was a stranger

and

you welcomed me,

I was naked

and

you gave me clothing,

 I was sick

and

you took care of me,

 I was in prison

and

you visited me.’

 ^{Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink?  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing?  And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’  And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’}

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