![]() This seven-week Prayer Enrichment Series culminates with the works of mercy because they are both the fruit and nourishment of the life of prayer (see 1 John 4:7-21). “He ‘prays without ceasing’ who unites prayer to works and good works to prayer.” - Origen ![]() How the works of mercy relate to our prayer However, both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are practices well-supported by Scripture, tradition and the lives and writings of the saints. The origins of the spiritual works of mercy as a complete list are harder to trace. Most of the corporal works of mercy come to us from Matthew 25, where Jesus describes the separation of the sheep and the goats at the final judgment. The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself” ( Matthew 22:37-39). This is the greatest and the first commandment. ![]() Consider the words of Jesus: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The love of God that leads us into prayer is the same love that leads us to serve our neighbor. At first glance, it may seem odd to include them alongside other forms of prayer, but we must remember that prayer and the Christian life are inseparable. The works of mercy are loving acts of service and compassion directed towards the spiritual and material needs of our neighbors.
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