Lord, I humbly ask for the virtue of desiring God. I no longer want to desire sinful pleasures, especially the sins of concupiscence or all the vices that lead from desiring the pleasures of the world – money, power, influence, prestige, honor, authority over others.
Please, Jesus help me become a saint. I want to desire the things of heaven and look forward to an eternity with you. Take from me all my desires for sinful pleasures that are an offense to your holiness. Help me reject every temptation to desire the pleasures of the world. I ask you to protect me from evil so that I do not risk my eternal soul for worldly pleasure.
Lord, you know me. You know every thought, every word I speak, every desire in my heart that offends your holiness. Please help me be chaste, and pure, and have a humble heart full of love for you. Do not let me have love of the world and vainglory. I want to lay every material gift you have allowed me to obtain at your feet for your glory.
Eternal Father, every material thing I have earned, every honor, all that the world has offered me, I lay it all down at your feet. I promise to use the gifts and talents you have given me for your glory, beginning today. I want to lay down my earthly desires for the kingdom of God and replace them with your will for my life.
I ask all this by the Holy Name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
AMEN.
Yet certain temporal consequences of sin remain in the baptized, such as suffering, illness, death, and such frailties inherent in life as weaknesses of character, and so on, as well as an inclination to sin that Tradition calls concupiscence, or metaphorically, “the tinder for sin” (fomes peccati); since concupiscence “is left for us to wrestle with, it cannot harm those who do not consent but manfully resist it by the grace of Jesus Christ.” Indeed, “an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
Desiring God over Sinful Pleasures of the World
Heavenly Desire verses Contempt for the World
by St. Hildegard von Bingen
Concerning the Various Mansions in Heaven
In the heavenly dwelling place, there are many, many mansions and delights beyond measure for man and the works he performed through divine grace. These mansions cannot be shown and understood by humans since they are beyond man’s intellect.
In that place those mansions are made manifest to no one weighed down by a body. The flesh, pressed down with sin, cannot support the secrets of heavenly things unless it has been strengthened by divine grace. No man weighed down in mortal flesh ever sees perfectly the embellishments and joys of the heavenly miracles unless God wills to show these things to certain holy ones in a vision and to certain prophets who have spoken, as Isaiah spoke concerning the embellishments of the first angel and as John shows in his Apocalypse concerning the embellishments of the heavenly Jerusalem.
Liber Vitae Meritorum, the Sixth Part, 38
Week 29 of the Virtue Meditations Series
Desiring God over Sinful Pleasures of the World
Reflection:
The virtue of desiring God replaces our selfish desires for the pleasures of the world with desire for union with God. In our fallen natures we all struggle with an intense desire to receive the things we think we should want in life. The world tells us we need to be rich in material goods, be given honor by others, and to have beautiful things. The way of the world is false and full of materialism and fakery. It’s all about the image we project, and when our goal is to be impressive and successful in the eyes of others, we lose our fear of God. We are no longer rooted in faith and oriented toward the things of God.
We falsely think that worldly wisdom makes us wise in God’s eyes, but the Bible tells us that our ways are not God’s ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).
But St. Hildegard warns us that desiring worldly goods and honor is vanity. When we put our trust in ourselves and we seek only our sinful pleasures, or pleasures of the world, we are spiritually bankrupt at the end of our lives.
Desiring the Sinful Pleasures of the World is Just Vanity
When you die and face God, what riches will you take with you? How many years will go by before you are completely forgotten by men still living on the earth? Some say it is no more than 100 years, for most people, because in that time most everyone who knew you in life will also die and there will be no one left to mourn you (Ecclesiastes 1:11).
She asks us, “What use is such vanity to them? Where are their riches and honors and lands now?”
This brings us to the story of the rich young man who walked away from Jesus sad because he could not give up all his earthly possessions and follow him (Matthew 19:16-23).
The pious young man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life and Jesus responded, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
I once heard a priest say that this rich young man was likely being called to the priesthood and he declined the Lord’s invitation to live a life of worldly pleasure. He chose not to assent to the divine will of God. Perhaps he would have been a disciple, a future priest, or bishop of the Church. We will never know because he walked away sad.
What is the Virtue of Desiring God?
The virtue of desiring God is walking in the Lord’s ways everywhere and regarding him as Father. This means participating actively with the Holy Spirit daily. When you assent to God’s will in this way, you will be guided through every temptation. Your heart places no value in your worldly possessions. You will not care whether you are honored and praised or dishonored and rebuked by others. You will only want the approval of God and unity with his Spirit.
When we have the virtue of desiring God we have the power to resist the temptations of the world. St. Hildegard encourages us to recognize the temptation and to respond to it by enkindling the burning flame of the Holy Spirit with prayer. When we invoke the Holy Spirit in prayer it will consume us with heavenly desires, and in some instances, we may receive graces and experience a small taste of heaven in this life.
Be a Saint
Strive with your whole heart to live a life of virtue in imitation of Christ. Many saints have taught about living a life of virtue over the centuries. Virtue is the only way to conquer the devil and overcome sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. It’s also the only way to truly come to love God and want to obey him in your heart. We have to pray hard and learn how to be virtuous or we will never overcome our sinful pleasures or our desires for the pleasures of the world.
St. Hildegard says, “God shows various miracles to his holy ones and prophets in every age of the world so that man’s soul does not completely stray from heavenly desires, but so that through faith man might remember eternal life” (Liber Vitae Meritorum, The Sixth Part, 42).
Keep God near your heart by having his Holy Name on your lips every morning and every night, and carry him with you throughout your day. When you are faced with a decision, offer prayer to the Holy Spirit asking for direction. Give deference to God in all your big decisions.
Going Further:
If you want to do ‘extra’ you may spend some time reading Isaiah 55 and writing some prayerful thoughts to the Lord about what touches your heart. If you do this, be sure to give the Holy Spirit time to respond to you by offering time to listen in silence.
An Invitation to Grace (Isaiah 55:1-13)
All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat; Come, buy grain without money, wine and milk without cost! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what does not satisfy? Only listen to me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Pay attention and come to me; listen, that you may have life. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the steadfast loyalty promised to David.
As I made him a witness to peoples, a leader and commander of peoples, So shall you summon a nation you knew not, and a nation that knew you not shall run to you, Because of the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their way, and sinners their thoughts; Let them turn to the LORD to find mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Yet just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it.
Yes, in joy you shall go forth, in peace you shall be brought home; Mountains and hills shall break out in song before you, all trees of the field shall clap their hands. In place of the thornbush, the cypress shall grow, instead of nettles, the myrtle. This shall be to the LORD’s renown, as an everlasting sign that shall not fail.
Let us Pray:
Now that we understand the virtue of desiring God, let’s begin with a prayer of petition for it.
Virtue of Desiring God over Sinful Pleasures of the World
Prayer of Petition
Eternal Father, I am the work of your creation, made in your image and likeness but too weak to conquer the devil by my own power. I ask you for the grace to grow in virtue, surrendering all my thoughts, words, and deeds to you. Please help me resist the devil and all his tricks. Jesus says that whoever believes in him will do the works that he does and that whatever we ask in Jesus’ name he will do so that You may be glorified. Heavenly Father, you sent us your Son to show us what it means to have perfect virtue in life. Jesus is fully human and fully divine and has perfect virtue. Father, have mercy on me and please give me the grace I need to grow in the virtue of desiring God so that I might not desire the sinful pleasures of the world. Help me grow in holiness and imitate Christ in my thoughts, words, and deeds. AMEN.
Now let’s contemplate the Lord by listening to him speak to us in the Gospels. Slowly meditate on the following passage, reflecting on his virtue of desiring God. Take your time. Pause over a word or phrase that speaks to your heart. Reread the passage again, and then ask Jesus to show you how you can imitate him in rejecting the sinful desires of the world. Choose a word or phrase from this passage to write in your journal, and add your thoughts. Go back and prayerfully re-read it throughout the week.
Virtue of Desiring God Over Sinful Pleasures of the World
The Devil Tempts Jesus With Sinful Pleasures of the World
from the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Let us Pray:
Jesus, please help me recognize the sinful pleasures of the world and help me not desire them. Let me keep the Holy Spirit enkindled in my heart and help me to reject every evil temptation that comes into my mind.
Lord, you showed me by example how to rebuke the devil and how to recognize that even he can quote scripture and come to me with temptations that seem good.
Jesus, help me have good discernment of spirits and the virtue of desiring God so that I am not deceived by the devil and tricked into making decisions that will harm my soul and lead to the loss of heaven and eternal separation from God.
Eternal Father, in Jesus’ Name I ask for the wisdom to know the difference between a sweet temptation from the evil one and an inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Please be merciful and grant me the grace to follow your divine will for my life even when it is difficult. Help me be holy and do what is right even when I am in the desert and tempted by the devil.
AMEN.
Virtue of Desiring God Over Sinful Pleasures of the World
A Prayer for an Increase in Virtue for Others
Lord Jesus Christ, you say that when two or more are gathered in your name, you are with us. Jesus, in your name I lift up every person who has joined this prayer challenge or will join it in the future. I ask you to give us all the grace we need to grow in virtue and holiness so that we may love and serve you in our lives and through the people we love and care for. Help us in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Guide us all by your Holy Spirit and give us the strength to overcome every temptation from the evil one. We ask all this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.
Together as a group we will pray for each other and strive to make good resolutions and keep them. Remember, it’s your heart that God wants to capture. Your efforts are out of love for him and a desire to imitate him as best you can in holiness.
If you fail, do not quit trying. Be merciful to yourself and learn to love the process of striving to be more like Jesus every day. Just take it one day at a time, and stay in the present moment with Jesus. Being virtuous is a process. No one is perfect, so just start anew every time you fail.
How do I Practice Virtue?
You’ve learned about the 29th Virtue, and you’ve prayed for God to give you grace. Now what? Let’s take a look at the Catechism for some guidance on how we can make Week 29 a successful effort.
The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes:
He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows" (St. Gregory of Nyssa, Hom. in Cant. 8: PG 44, 941C).
Making Resolutions
Take a moment to reflect on the virtue of desiring God over sinful pleasures of the world. What are the ways you can freely practice this virtue this week? Ask the Lord to give you opportunities, and when you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you, take action. Write down your resolutions for this coming week in your prayer journal. Remind yourself to complete these resolutions daily for this entire week, and as the Spirit prompts you, feel free to write about your experiences with this virtue throughout the week.
In My Thoughts:
Jesus, this week I promise to take time daily to conform my thoughts by… (make your intention).
In My Words:
Jesus, this week I promise to take time daily to conform my words by… (make your intention).
In My Actions:
Jesus, this week I promise to take time daily to conform my actions by… (make your intention).
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Week 30 Mental Prayer Meditation
Control My Need to Argue with Virtue of Harmony
“Control My Need to Argue with Virtue of Harmony” – join us for our 30th meditation on the 35 virtues of St. Hildegard of Bingen.