Jesus, I admire you for your steadfast love. Let me be steadfast and stable in all my ways, drawing on the example of your compassionate love in spite of all my ignorance and obstinacy. You are with me always, even in my darkest hour, taking pity on me and walking with me even when I am blind and cannot feel your presence. You call to me in my moments of weakness, convict my heart when I sin against you and against my brothers and sisters. Your tenderhearted reproach is kind and patient. You give me enough grace to pick myself up and try again. Nothing in life can compare to your love.
You suffered for me, knowing that throughout my life I would choose to do wrong and fail to do right so many times. But each time I have fallen and turned back to you with remorse and a resolution to change you have forgiven me and given me the grace I needed. You’ve accompanied me in my loneliness, in times of sickness, when I am tempted, when I am put to the test.
There is no way for me to repay you for what you have given me. There is nothing I have and nothing I can give that would equal in measure to what you have given me. I am eternally grateful for your loving presence in my life. Please, Lord, give me the virtue of steadfastness so that I might have quiet stability in all my ways for the remaining years of my life. I want to merit seeing you at the end of my life so that I might fall to the ground and worship you with all the angels and saints, giving you all the praise and glory that you deserve and to thank you for your loving sacrifice for my sake.
AMEN.
"We know that in everything God works for good for those who love him.” [Romans 8:28]
The constant witness of the saints confirms this truth:St. Catherine of Siena said to those who are scandalized and rebel against what happens to them: “Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind.”
St. Thomas More, shortly before his martyrdom, consoled his daughter: “Nothing can come but that that God wills. And I make me very sure that whatsoever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be the best.”
Dame Julian of Norwich: “Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly keep me in the faith . . . and that at the same time I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in what our Lord shewed in this time—that ‘all manner [of] thing shall be well.’”
Let Me be Steadfast and Stable in all My Ways
In the Father's wisdom the perfection of the elect is revealed
by St. Hildegard von Bingen
And to His breast, that is in the wisdom of His mystery, for love of His Son He holds that poor, weak, infirm mire that is Man: black in the blackness of sins and filthy in the filthiness of the flesh, but the size of a human heart, which is the breadth of the profound wisdom with which God created Man.
For He has looked upon those who are saving their souls through penitence, and no matter how in their persistent weakness they have sinned against Him, they will come to Him at last. They are surrounded by ornaments, those great ones who rise up among them: martyrs and holy virgins like precious stones, and innocent and penitent children of redemption like pearls; so that by them the mire is surpassingly adorned, and the virtues, which so gloriously shine in God, shine also in the human body. For He Who put breath and life in Man was scrutinizing Himself.
How?
Because He foreknew and decided in advance that His Son would be incarnate to bring redemption; therefore, every stain of sin must be washed away from His body. And so too He knows the souls which, after many and great sins while they are still in the body, will end by being justified; which, after their several errors will walk in God’s justice, will be steadfast in Him and shake off their forgetfulness, turning from the vices that wounded them in the earthly places where they fell into sin.
And He will also take note of the fact that many peoples have arisen from their erring ways and were brought back from the deadly stench of sin, though they were walking covered with wounds and most dreadful sores; but many will arise who have been wounded so severely by the bitter and harsh pains of sin that their crimes are beyond measure and their evil habits are ingrained, and they are too ill even to summon the energy to do their deadly works, murder and adultery and all the other evils.
Scivias, Book 3 Vision One Paragraph 4
Week 26 of the Virtue Meditations Series
Let Me be Steadfast and Stable in all My Ways
Reflection:
St. Hildegard of Bingen teaches us that we can’t truly know ourselves without knowing Christ. Bingen says the vice of instability leads to the loss of our intimate relationship with the Lord because, “a worker who does not do the work he is capable of doing and who forsakes his craft and does not practice it will become a rustic.” What is the “craft” of a Christian seeking holiness? It is the firm resolve to know and love God through daily effort. The constancy of devotion through thick and thin comes through the virtue of steadfastness.
Lord, Let me Be Steadfast
Bingen explains that we are all dependent on God’s gifts so that we can be steadfast and stable. We can’t just do what we want in life and think we will succeed or be blessed by God in all our ways and prosper. Why? She says, “the devil did what he wanted to do and fell into hell.” She also reminds us that so too, did Adam taste the forbidden fruit he desired and introduced original sin to mankind.
It is not enough to receive gifts from God and to be given special talents. What do you do with the gifts you have been given by God? Are you steadfast and stable, giving praise and glory to God every day for all that he has given you? Are you working hard to do all that he has asked of you in this life? Are you firm in your commitment to the Lord or do you run away in times of trouble? Where is your resilience?
Relying on My Own Knowledge is Foolish
The kind of knowledge that comes from God far surpasses human ingenuity. He is all knowing, all seeing, all powerful. While this alone is enough reason to want to obey the Almighty, he also is pure love, and seeks to do no harm to your soul. Every temptation, isolation, rebuke, loss of health, loss of financial power, loss of freedom, and loss of friendship is by the will of God. It is either by his permissive will because he loves you and desires for you to turn toward grace, or it is by his divine will and is needed for a greater purpose. Remember, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Every suffering you endure is by the grace of God. It is not indicative of a lack of love. It is because he loves you deeply that he allows it. Jesus says, “He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you” (John 15:2-3). Bingen reminds us, “God put evil knowledge in hell and the ladder of good knowledge in heaven since virtue is from God.”
Going Further:
Are you going through a trial right now? Take some extra time this week to meditate on James 1:2-4. “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Prayerfully reread the passage and reflect on what the Lord may be speaking to your heart. Take a few moments in the prayer of silence to listen. You may want to journal about your experience.
Let us Pray:
Now that we understand the virtue of steadfastness, let’s begin with a prayer of petition for it.
Virtue of Steadfastness
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 steadfastness 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 Gospels. Slowly meditate on the following passage, reflecting on his virtue of steadfastness. 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 by being steadfast and stable in all your ways. 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.
Let Me be Steadfast and Stable in all My Ways
The Vine and the Branches
from the Gospel of John Chapter 15
[Jesus said] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
Let us Pray:
Jesus, prune me. Let me be perfected by your tenderhearted reproach. Help me grow in the virtue of steadfastness so that I am stable in all my ways, unwavering in times of distress, and obediently following you throughout my difficult trials.
Let me believe in your love for me and in your loving design for my life. I assent to every pruning you deem necessary, fully trusting that it is done out of love and with the desire that I would rise to the greatest height of holiness that you have willed for me in this life. Help me walk in your justice with the virtue of steadfastness. Lord, let me be steadfast and stable in all my ways. I want to love you and follow you all the remaining days of my life and worship you for eternity in heaven.
AMEN.
Let Me be Steadfast and Stable in all My Ways
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 so that you may be steadfast and stable in all your ways.
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 26th 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 26 a successful effort.
IV. Prayer of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is. Indeed, in the work of salvation, Christ sets creation free from sin and death to consecrate it anew and make it return to the Father, for his glory. The thanksgiving of the members of the Body participates in that of their Head.
As in the prayer of petition, every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving. The letters of St. Paul often begin and end with thanksgiving, and the Lord Jesus is always present in it: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”; “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” [1 Thess 5:18; Col 4:2]
Making Resolutions
Take a moment to reflect on the virtue of steadfastness. 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 27 Mental Prayer Meditation
Let Me be Steadfast and Stable in all My Ways
“Let Me be Steadfast and Stable in all My Ways” – join us for our 26th meditation on the 35 virtues of St. Hildegard of Bingen.