Lord, please direct me from aimlessness so that I can serve you with quiet stability. You know the weakness of my mind and how I tend to get distracted, lose my inspiration, and quit things. Please give me the virtue of quiet stability so that by your Holy Spirit I can stay focused on what you are calling me to know and do. Do not let me be distracted by the temptation to stop striving or by a lack of faith.
Jesus, you have seen me struggle and “backslide” through the vice of aimlessness. You know how I have sinned through this vice, by being distracted with gossip, materialism, and vanity. You see how I am led to believe a lie and deceived by my own egotism and pride. You know all my weaknesses and how the devil lures me to neglect your holy will and to disobey the teachings of the Church.
I am truly sorry for having allowed myself to be distracted by vice. I regret the times this led me to sin against you grievously. When my heart wanders from grace I lose track of your voice and I fail to live my vocation. My conscience often warns me not to be distracted by aimless and meaningless temptations, but I am weak and lack the discipline I need.
Please forgive me for my past aimlessness. Jesus, with your grace I can strive to have the virtue of quiet stability. I can be faithful to the teachings of the Church and follow through with your holy inspirations in my day-to-day life. With your grace, I can live in humble obedience to the authority that you have placed over me in my life circumstances, and in so doing, you will be glorified through my works, however humble they are.
Please give me the grace I need to reject any desires in my heart that are contrary to your will for my life. Let me have the wisdom to recognize cunning deceptions from the evil one who wants me focused on myself. Help me ignore all distractions, have the wisdom to discern falsehoods, and the fortitude to live with quiet stability during times of adversity.
Please give me a guilty conscience when I indulge in a distraction that may lead me to sin. Let me have enough wisdom and love for you to be stable in all of my ways. Let me produce a good and holy aroma, so I can rise above my own will and live to please you with a pure heart. I promise to love those you have put in my life with charity and through practicing the virtue of quiet stability in my day-to-day life.
AMEN
"What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason: we believe “because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.”
So “that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit.”
Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church’s growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability “are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all”; they are “motives of credibility” (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is “by no means a blind impulse of the mind.”
Direct Me from Aimlessness to Quiet Stability
Concerning Aimlessness
by St. Hildegard von Bingen (abridged)
The second image stands for aimlessness. It follows scurrility by leading everything into immoderation. This image is youthful because it does not reflect upon heaven with joy or earth with care; it sees only empty vacillation in all the elements. It provides nothing correctly and divides nothing correctly, but does all of its work childishly.
Being bored, it turns away from the honor of wisdom. Nevertheless, it wants venerable men to see it as virtuous and religious men to see it as agreeable. Men who sweat with this fault and who are foolish in the unfaithful web of their own will, have been bound up. They scatter themselves around in the diverse vanities of many things and thoughtless jokes as a result of being tempted by the devil. They begin nothing correctly and end nothing correctly, because they are always changing. They rush like restless clouds, always erring everywhere, choosing things they do not know and seeking strange places to dwell in.
Such men do not wear the stability of honesty but instead stagger with instability. They sometimes want to forsake their own will and lift themselves for higher veneration, but they also hide their own will when they refuse to tell anyone else what they plan to do. Aimlessness causes them to be this way since aimlessness is never quiet or stable.
The Virtue of Quiet Stability Comes from Wisdom
“Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you shepherd, where you give rest at midday. Why should I be like one wandering after the flocks of your companions?” (Song of Songs 1:7).
Wisdom speaks to the Creator with loving love, as if she were speaking to her beloved, asking him where to bring food and where to bring the quietness of her virtue. She does not run around in error with idols who falsely claim the name of the Divinity for themselves.
Similarly, man, who is all creature, seeks a kiss from God through the goodwill of his soul when he obtains grace, and he longs to be with the sweetness of God as he runs strenuously toward him. When he restores his beauty through repentance, denying the shadow of sin, he gives out a good and holy aroma with good fame, and he rises above his own will.
Therefore, man also speaks to Christ, his redeemer, saying:
“Through the beauty of your commandments that I follow in my soul since you redeemed me and lifted me up from death, show me the human nature that you received from the virgin and through which you accomplished all your work, just like the smell of good aromas in a garden full of aromas. Your humility as a human moistened all your good works, as a rose from heaven falls upon the earth where it can be watered.”
Liber Vitae Meritorum, The Fifth Part, 30-31
Week 32 of the Virtue Meditations Series
Direct Me from Aimlessness to Quiet Stability
Reflection:
At the root of aimlessness, we find the sinful desires of the heart. The soul who goes through life aimlessly, is always seeking to fill a void inside that longs for meaning, purpose, and truth. But this soul is unable to assent to the will of God, and so he struggles with fulfilling the desires of his selfish wants and needs. He has not yet learned to assent to God and to surrender control.
How We Aimlessly Run Around in Error with Idols
The devil surely knows our weaknesses and all the ways we can be tempted to sin against God. The things that we take the most pleasure in are the things we are often most tempted with. St. Hildegard calls this “to run around in error with idols”.
What does she mean? An idol is something that we value above our love and fidelity to God and we do so without any regard to God himself. It is an unholy attachment we may have to a person or thing that we place above our obedience and fidelity to God alone.
We could even “idolize” ourselves, for that matter. If you want what you want and you do things for your own benefit knowing it is against the will of God, then you are essentially living in opposition to God and living for your desires as an end in and of itself. In this state, you are aimlessly “running around” in error. When we do not worship God in obedience and truth, then we end up worshipping ourselves through our own pride and attachments to the things of this world.
When you find yourself in error and running around aimlessly with ‘idols’ you will put idolized people and things above your own sanctification and duty to God. Remember, an idol is anything you treat as an end to itself without any reference at all to God.
Lord, Direct Me from Aimlessness and Worldly Pleasures
Aimlessness is overcome through quiet stability. We are called to do good things for God, and we must do them with purity of heart, not for selfish motivation, to indulge our senses, or for the praise we desire from men.
If you struggle with gluttony, you’ll be distracted by food and drink. If you struggle with desires of the flesh you’ll be tempted with lust. If pride is your Achilles heel then you will be angry when humiliated and desire retaliation and revenge.
When our good deeds are fueled by pride we are more easily tempted to stray from the grace God has given us. Our pride will force us to pursue a lie so that our ego isn’t wounded by the truth. Our desire for selfish pleasure will cause spiritual disorientation. We may begin to think a sinful relationship is really okay, or be convinced a vocation is true when there are signs that a more narrow difficult path is God’s will.
Aimlessness Makes Us Quitters when Adversity Comes
Aimlessness makes us change our minds when we are faced with adversity. God is constant and sure, and stable in all his ways. We are meant to complete the tasks the Holy Spirit gives us. We are meant to live out the vocation we are called to. We cannot abandon a path that God has shown us just because we become confused or disoriented and are in a state of distrust and despair. In your darkest moments of aimlessness, you may even question your faith. In your weakness, you may doubt the truth that God once revealed to you by grace when he unveiled his special purpose for your life.
The Virtue of Quiet Stability: Stick-to-it-ness
So what is the virtue of quiet stability? How can we be raised up to bloom and have a sweet aroma pleasing to God? What is St. Hildegard saying about quiet stability, and how can we live it?
Quiet stability comes to the one who has obtained wisdom. When we begin the journey of faith we are weak, ignorant, and aimless. But as we grow in knowledge and understanding, and with the gift of wisdom, we begin to mature. When we are new to Christ we want to avoid sin because we fear the consequences. We have more concern for self-preservation than we do for the love of God because we know of him and his ways but we do not yet know him intimately.
Quiet Stability will Completely Change Your Disposition
Quiet stability is a virtue that you will arrive at over time. Aimlessness falls away as the soul begins to recognize the intimate love of God and the graces that come from being in union with the Holy Spirit. We cannot possess quiet stability without having the virtue of faithfulness, because we must assent to the will of God even in difficult moments of trial and tribulation. We have to stick to our faith no matter what and obey the precepts God has given us, even when we don’t feel like it.
When your love for God grows stronger it will begin to change your heart and mind. Your heart grows purer and your mind is renewed the more you recognize God’s presence in your day-to-day life and his beautiful way of giving you grace. You will fall in love with God and completely change your disposition. Love fills the emptiness of the soul and floods it with meaning and purpose. You can have everything in God, lose all your earthly possessions, and still be at peace when you know him and love him with quiet stability. It is a grace from God.
Going Further:
If you want to do ‘extra’ you may spend some time reading Psalm 131, a prayer of trust and giving up your self-sufficiency. You can journal about what touches your heart in this very short chapter. If you do this, be sure to give the Lord time to respond to you by listening to him in silence.
“LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me. Rather, I have stilled my soul, Like a weaned child to its mother, weaned is my soul. Israel, hope in the LORD, now and forever.” [Psalm 131].
Let us Pray:
Now that we understand the virtue of quiet stability, let’s begin with a prayer of petition for it.
Direct Me from Aimlessness to Quiet Stability
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 quiet stability so that I might 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 Gospel of Matthew. Slowly meditate on the following passage, reflecting on the virtue quiet stability. 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 quiet stability and better overcome aimlessness. 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.
The Virtue of Quiet Stability
The Quiet Stability of a True Disciple
[Jesus said] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Let Us Pray:
Jesus, let me truly love you and obey your will all the remaining days of life. Let me be humble and obedient, possessing the virtue of quiet stability so that I will not be aimless and backslide. I want to see you face to face at the end of my life and to hear you say you are pleased with me. I want to truly love you from my heart and put you above all the things of this world. Let me have no idols that I put above you, Lord, no unholy attachments.
Please give me wisdom so that I can recognize all the deceptions of the devil and build my house solidly on the rock, your Church. I ask for the grace to faithfully accept all the dogma of the Church and steadfastly serve you with a pure heart. Jesus, let me have an aroma of holiness and be pleasing in your sight.
AMEN.
Virtue of Quiet Stability
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. Take it one day at a time, and stay in the present moment with Jesus. Be merciful to yourself. 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 32nd 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 32 a successful effort.
Every action of yours, every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for you if you had a quiet conscience.
Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? If you aren’t fit to face death today, it’s very unlikely you will be tomorrow.
Praised are you, my Lord, for our sister bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe on those who will die in mortal sin! Blessed are they who will be found in your most holy will, for the second death will not harm them.
Making Resolutions
Take a moment to reflect on the virtue of quiet stability. 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 33 Mental Prayer Meditation
End Corruption with True Worship of God
“End Corruption with True Worship of God” – join us for our 33rd meditation on the 35 virtues of St. Hildegard of Bingen.
One Response
Thank you for this 32nd week of meditation God Bless you-all