More on the third step of the cloister stair-prayer

Here is a great quotation from St. Gregory, which is in my heart, "No sacrifice is more acceptable to God than is zeal for souls." Perfect love involves giving, teaching, reaching out to others.  "St. Thomas writes that the love of our neighbour for the sake of God is more perfect than is the love of God alone," writes Humphrey using Suarez. He adds that the love of others includes the love of God Himself. The love of God for the service of others is as the Jesuit says, "a sign of greater love for a man to serve others also for his friend's sake than for him to be willing to serve his friend alone."

Wow, this truism has been lost among Catholics. We can only love others if we love God first. We can only love others if it is for the sake of Christ Himself and not our own, or even the sake of the other.

So, if one is married, one loves one's spouse for the sake of Christ. The stage of prayer which St. Bernard speaks of includes intercessory prayer. This is a work of mercy and involves loving others in Christ enough to pray for them, even do penance for them.

Catholics are starving for the Truth, for the real Catholic teaching. Unless I and others feed the lambs, people will go to hell. I could go to hell for not feeding, sharing my two fish or five loaves, and prayer opens me up so that I can do this. The third step is prayer; and the fourth step in the stair is contemplation.

To be continued....