The Catholic Church teaches that in addition to faith, good works are necessary for salvation. Good works are actions done out of love for God and neighbor. The Bible affirms the necessity of both faith and works:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“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 is poorly clothed and lacking in 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 good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)
Good works done out of love and faith in God have merit before Him. The Council of Trent declared, “If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit an increase of grace, eternal life, and in case he dies in grace, the attainment of eternal life itself and also an increase of glory, let him be anathema.”
The Catholic Church recognizes merit from good works but always sees such merit as coming entirely from God’s grace. The Church teaches that God alone can give grace, and all good actions are ultimately derived from Him. Any reward we receive because of our good works is a reward from God, not something we have earned apart from Him. As Jesus said, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:10)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: “The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness. Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . Our merits are God’s gifts.” (CCC 2006, 2008). Meritorious works come from God’s grace at work within us, not from any righteousness we possess in and of ourselves.
The Church identifies three main types of meritorious works:
1. Works of Satisfaction
These are works done to make amends for the debt of temporal punishment due to sin. Even though sins are forgiven through repentance and confession, some punishment remains. Works of satisfaction such as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving reduce this debt. The practice of granting indulgences is related to works of satisfaction.
The Bible encourages works of repentance and sacrifice:
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, 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 him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:6-8)
2. Works of Devotion
These works cultivate a deeper love for God through prayer, Scripture reading, attending Mass, observing feast days, pilgrimages, etc. They dispose the heart to receive more grace. Jesus encouraged devotional works like fasting, almsgiving, and praying privately.
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6)
3. Works of Mercy
Corporal and spiritual works of mercy benefit others materially and spiritually. Feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and prisoners, instructing the ignorant, and praying for the living and dead are all examples.
Jesus described works of mercy as evidence of belonging to Him:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘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 drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’” (Matthew 25:31-36)
While good works merit an increase of grace and eternal rewards, the Church cautions against relying on our own merit. Salvation is ultimately an unmerited gift. Our works are meritorious only because of God’s grace operating within us and the infinite merit of Christ applied to us. Trusting in our own merit over God’s grace would be the sin of pride.
St. Augustine sums it up well: “When God crowns our merits, He crowns His own gifts.” Any reward we receive because of our good works brings all glory to God.