Eternal Father, I want to desire the Lord over every carnal thing. Please help me avoid putting the desires of the flesh over the virtue of longing for God. Please let me have the grace to resist temptations for every carnal thing. Help me fight against the temptations of lust, comfort, and greedy appetites. I reject all temptations of fear and ask for the grace to have hope in you.
Jesus, you know all my carnal weaknesses. I want true freedom from every carnal thing that I put above my relationship with you. If you give me the virtue of longing for God and help me overcome any inordinate love of carnal things, I can grow to have true faith in you and this will give me tremendous peace. Help me see myself as a person destined for eternal life with you so that I view my life in the right light and can fully surrender myself to you.
The deeper I understand your love for me, the more I want to love you. I want to love you over every other thing in my life. I have worldly fears and desires. You see them all, and you know my heart. You know everything I lack. Please help me grow in the virtue of longing for God so that I can overcome my carnal weaknesses. You have made me for yourself; let me love you for yourself in return for the love you have shown me.
I know that you love me and if I ask for the grace to change you will give it to me. Please give grace to my intellect and my will so that I may know and love you with all my heart. Let me long for you, Lord, and desire heavenly things over all worldly desires.
AMEN.
Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Although man can forget God or reject him, He never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness. But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will, "an upright heart", as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God.
You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without measure. And man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this man, though clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof that you withstand the proud. Despite everything, man, though but a small a part of your creation, wants to praise you. You yourself encourage him to delight in your praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.
We begin this week’s meditation with a passage from Scivias, a book of the visions of St. Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church.
To best understand the virtue of longing for God, St. Hildegard offers an example of the opposite. In this passage, we will contemplate the evil deeds of the carnal man who wants to love God, but lacks the virtue of longing for God. St. Hildegard uses the story of Balaam, as an example of a carnal prophet whose heart was not right with God. Balaam lacked the virtue of longing for God because he had a carnal desire for material wealth. He was willing to compromise moral virtue due to his greed. Balaam put every carnal thing over love of God: greed, lust, honor, and authority. He had no problem with betrayal or corruption. God sent Balaam an angel and a talking donkey to get his attention and soften his hard heart so he would be willing to do the right thing.
If you are not familiar with the story of Balaam, he was a wicked prophet in the book of Numbers (chapters 22-24) who was bribed to curse the Israelites by a pagan king named Balak. Despite his willingness to do this for greed, God would not allow it. To circumvent God’s will, Balaam advised Balak to tempt the Israelites to commit acts of sexual immorality and idolatrous behavior. In the end, God’s will was accomplished despite Balaam’s wickedness, and through an angel and a talking donkey, Balaam finally obeyed God and gave the Israelites a blessing. This story shows how God is faithful even when we are not.
Desire the Lord over Every Carnal Thing
Example of Balaam (a Wicked Prophet)
by St. Hildegard von Bingen
[God says] When a person is stirred up in his soul to begin deeds of justice… he sighs and longs for them, saying:
“I, a wretch entangled in many sins and bonds, yearn to have my soul reject carnal desires and leave behind all malice of wickedness…”
But if the person who says these things is tempted by evil spirits and conquered by carnal desire, he will return to iniquity and do what Balaam did when deceived by his wicked greed.
How? Because at first he wanted to curse My people, and I opposed him both by My angel and by his ass; by My zeal I led him to bless My people with the blessing of the words I placed in his mouth and I led him to desire to be made like to My people Israel in his death…
But afterward, touched by the spirit of dissension, he returned to his first separation and scattered that people for a deathly reward by the fornication of his counsel, as he promised (Numbers 24:14).
What does this mean?
Just this: When I turn back to the path of desires related to the pleasures of the flesh, I will begin again those lusts I had previously known.
How? Because I know what I am in my flesh and serve it fittingly; and I know well the motives that always act upon it…
Just as Balaam (Numbers 22-24) stooped to wrong desires after first looking upward with righteous longing, so do those who seek Me disingenuously. For when they see those who have truly renounced the world go forward sincerely and persevere laudably and truthfully in strict and blessed ways of life, they call them beautiful and sweet, and on sudden impulse undertake their life and want to be like them. But after they have joined themselves to them, as Balaam looked to the Israelite people, they are often recalled to carnal desires, by which they were dominated before, by the various villainies they had in their hearts while still in the world.
And when they are thus entangled, they contaminate My chosen flock with poison and hostility, shaking them with storms and scattering them with their wicked counsel.
Scivias, Book 2 Vision Five Paragraph 42
Week 7 of the Virtue Meditations Series
Desire the Lord over Every Carnal Thing
Reflection:
We began this meditation by looking at a man who loves every carnal thing rather than having a longing for God. St. Hildegard of Bingen recognizes the main obstacle to longing for God is our attachment to the things of this world. We all have them. It’s part of being human in a fallen world.
The Lord reminded me in prayer that Balaam is only one example of a wicked prophet. There are also religious and political leaders who through carnal desires for greed lead people to believe a message is from God when it is not. They seek messages by their own power for a purpose, and the Lord says they will be disgraced. In the book of Micah, the Lord chastises such false prophets and causes them to fall into darkness (Micah 3:5-7).
How do we Desire the Lord?
I asked the Lord to help me understand how this relates to the virtue of longing for God. He showed me that souls who have attachments to their carnal desires have a fear of suffering and a desire to be prepared for future events. This causes them to seek out divine messages through prophets or seers, so they can understand, be prepared, or be comforted by this knowledge. Their longing is not in God alone, but in self-preservation (James 3:13-18). They seek to gain secret knowledge from these seers that will prepare them or preserve them from earthly chastisements.
But what is the virtue of longing for God? How do I turn away from every carnal thing and desire the Lord sincerely? Am I relying on seers and prophets to guide my decisions in life? Do I know they hear from God (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)? Does the prophetic word I hear give me a sense of fear or does it appeal to my need for self-preservation? The Lord says we should not fear the wicked, that he fights for his children (Deuteronomy 3:22). How can I trust that the Holy Spirit is working and I am not being deceived by the evil one? I do this by growing in the virtue of longing for God, because if I desire the Lord he will give me peace that passes all understanding; I will be graced with the strength to persevere with filial love and trust despite every evil obstacle I encounter in this life.
While spending time with the Lord in adoration I admitted that I love him, but know I do not love him nearly enough. Then I asked Jesus a few questions, “Do I do what you command? Do I obey your Spirit when it moves me?” I wanted to know what it means to have the virtue of longing for God. I want to desire the Lord.
The Lord showed me that a longing for God makes us love him over every carnal desire, every material want, every carnal fear, and human attachment. He is our all and all. When we desire the Lord we have peace, and we can only do this when we have the gift of faith, which he freely gives to those who ask. He led me to the Psalms while I was praying in adoration:
As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?
Lift up Your Hearts to the Lord
Jesus showed me how God desires to bring us into greater union with him, and when we lift our hearts to the Lord, he fills us with a deep sense of belonging, having a true identity, and being loved. At every Mass the priest commands us to do this, to lift up our hearts to the Lord, to “seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). This kind of experience in prayer grows the virtue of longing for God because when we contemplate his loving protection of our souls – and all the angels and saints worshipping God in heaven – we will naturally grow to trust him with all our spiritual and temporal needs. We recognize we are part of a heavenly kingdom and our King is benevolent and trustworthy. We naturally desire the Lord when we offer sincere worship at Mass.
We belong entirely to the Lord. We should surrender fully to his will for our lives in filial trust, after all, we are his sons and daughters and he is our loving Father and Lord of the universe. When we desire the Lord our souls are opened to continual grace. This is what Jesus means when he says he gives us living water and we will never thirst again (John 4:13-14). Jesus is our mediator; he joins us to the Father through the Holy Spirit, our advocate.
Have you ever experienced the hand of God in your life? Take a moment right now to put yourself in the presence of God. Imagine his faithfulness, despite all your past sinfulness. Can you see how God has helped you in your own life, accompanied you in times of suffering, forgiven you, and offered you mercy? Show the Lord your loving gratitude for all he has done for you. When you recognize his constant loving presence in your life this form of prayer shows that you desire the Lord. Ask him to remove your carnal desires and material fears, and replace them with this kind of filial love. Ask for true faith in his guiding hand in your life. Tell him you want a sincere relationship with him and to trust him like a child does a good Father, with filial love and devotion.
Seeing God in the Right Way
Jesus also reminded me about the importance of having the right disposition toward God. Having a longing for God includes recognizing God’s authority in our lives (Matthew 7:28-29). This is important; we must have the proper disposition toward God if we want to be elevated toward loving him during worship. Christians can have an over-familiar disposition toward God during private prayer because we want to relate to God as our friend. In one way this is good as it opens our hearts to conversation with God, but in another way, this limits our ability to have a deep abiding relationship with him. When we pray with familiarity we tend to give God characteristics that we are comfortable with. We might make him into our image, praying to him as we believe him to be through a very limited, and sometimes improper understanding. This hinders our ability to have the virtue of longing for God.
When we desire the Lord for who he is and not for what we want to gain from him, we will praise and adore him regardless of what we are going through. The virtue of longing for God gives us the desire to pray, worship, and love. God profoundly enters our hearts and moves us closer to union with him in this type of contemplative prayer. When you are in a period of intense suffering and laden with inordinate fears, desire the Lord by contemplating the Garden of Gethsemane. Let your heart be lifted up to the Lord. Ponder the magnitude of his suffering for your soul. Understand that he desires a relationship with you and is drawing you closer to his Sacred Heart through this suffering you are experiencing. Ponder his 5 holy wounds and his death on the Cross.
The soul who can desire the Lord understands that without God he is nothing and everything he has and does depends entirely on God. He is in love with the lover of his soul and he longs to pray, to adore, to please the one who has blessed him with grace and quenched his thirst.
Going Further:
Spend some time this week reading the Psalms and contemplating prayers of longing for God. Read Psalm 42, Psalm 142, or Psalm 143 to help you desire the Lord in your life. Take time to journal a personal Psalm of longing for God from your own heart, modeling the Psalms you have meditated on this week.
Let us Pray:
Now that we understand the virtue of longing for God, and we have contemplated how we can desire the Lord more in our lives, let’s begin with a prayer of petition for it.
Virtue of Longing for God
Prayer of Petition to Desire the Lord
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 longing for God so that I might grow in holiness and imitate Christ in my thoughts, words, and deeds. AMEN.
Next, 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 longing for God. Take your time. Pause over a word or phrase that speaks to your heart and helps you desire the Lord. Reread the passage again, and then ask Jesus to show you how you can imitate him in his longing for God the Father’s will in his life. Contemplate how obedience to the Lord helps you overcome every carnal thing that hinders your ability to desire the Lord over all your carnal desires. 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 Longing for God
Agony in the Garden
from the Gospel of Mark Chapter 14:32-42
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.”
He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.”
When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him.
He returned a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
Let us Pray:
Jesus, your soul was sorrowful even unto death. The love you have for me is so deep that you obeyed the Father’s will even though it meant enduring a cruel betrayal and the tortures of death on the Cross.
I do not love you enough. I see that so clearly now. Please, Jesus, give me the virtue of longing for God so that I might have the strength to reject every carnal desire and desire the Lord instead. Help me reject fear, greed, lust, and all desires for material comfort. I want to do the Father’s will for my life no matter what. Let my heart burn with the desire to love and obey God in everything.
Lord, help me watch and pray daily; I do not want to fail the test. I recognize the weakness of my flesh and I humbly ask for the grace to have a willing spirit. Let me desire the Lord above every other desire.
Jesus, you are a gift to me. Thank you for being present to me. Give me the grace to be present to you and to grow in the virtue of longing for God. AMEN.
Virtue of Longing for God
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.
This week let us pray for each other to desire the Lord more. Let’s strive to have a true longing for God this week. Remember, it’s your heart that God wants to capture. Your effort to desire the Lord is a virtue from God, so keep asking for it daily.
If you fail, do not quit trying. Be merciful to yourself and learn to love the process of striving to desire the Lord more every day. Take it one day at a time, and stay in the present moment with Jesus, especially when you are tempted by every carnal thing the devil throws at you. 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 seventh virtue, and you’ve prayed for God to give you grace. Now what? Let’s look at the Catechism. Take a moment to contemplate the words your bishop prayed over you at your confirmation. Prayerfully call upon the Lord to strengthen you in these gifts as you work to make Week 7 a successful effort.
In the Roman Rite the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of the confirmands. Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift of the Spirit. The bishop invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words:
All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Making Resolutions
Take a moment to reflect on the virtue of longing for God. 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 8 Mental Prayer Meditation
How to Resist the Seduction of Gluttony for Abstinence
“How to Resist the Seduction of Gluttony for Abstinence” Join us for our eighth meditation on the 35 virtues of St. Hildegard of Bingen.
2 Responses
Am heavenly blessed for learning for week 7 in praying for virtues along with you our beloved sisters and brothers. We are heavenly blessed to be one soul. We as countless souls. God bless you and keep you.
Hi Imanuel, thank you very much. Your prayers are very appreciated and I am grateful for your comment today. The Lord is teaching us all so many things through the words of St. Hildegard of Bingen. May God continue to bless you. I pray for you and all the others doing the virtue meditations every day. May God bless us all and help us grow in virtue and holiness to better love him and serve him in this life!