Author Topic: On Hopes and Desires (Read 3554 times)

Jimbo9889 · « **on:** November 06, 2012, 10:30:45 AM »

Okay so after a long time sitting down a trying to filter through the things I long for and what I thought I longed for I finally came to the conclusion that there are 6 Hopes that I truly long for, they are broken up and organized in the following manner:

1) Spiritual Hopes

- Growing in Deeper Awareness and Love of God: In - With - Through Christ
- Integration of Catholic Teaching into all aspects of Life

2) Psychosocial Hopes

- Consummate Love/Marriage
- Uplifting Social Network Around Me with Catholic Teaching in Mind

3) Physical Hopes

- Prosperous under God's Providence
- God Would Safeguard My Health Throughout my Life

Now I am not really here to ask for a confirmation of whether or not these Hopes/Desires/Longings are of Good Report, I have spent a long time discerning this however, if you wish to confirm or rebut I will take it into account.

The reason I came to post was simply to ask, [if you confirm the right-ness of these Hopes/Desires/Longings] in what manner do you think these things ought to be worked on and attained? I would feel that The Spiritual Hopes would come first before the others because it seems to be something that gives credence to what Christ said to the devil during his 3 Temptations: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on the Bread of God's Word."

I kind of pictured in my mind that this would look like an inverted pyramid where the tip of the pyramid points down but is what comes first (Applied Spiritual Hopes) and then widens as it gets to the top (Applied Psychosocial Hopes up to Applied Physical Hopes). To me it kind of represents like the core things I do and then as we get closer to the top of the inverted pyramid I would find that these outer hopes come about Spontaneously as well.

The Tip of the Pyramid typically points up which is to represent the higher and more sublime things, but first the lower and more base things need to be met before these higher things are met, but with Christ in Christianity it seems that this arrangement is flipped on its head, especially testified in the life of the Christian Mystics, specifically the Desert Fathers.

What do you think? I believe we need to know God since we part of our fallen situation means we know creation better than the Creator, so by knowing and loving the Creator and following Him I believe then all other Hopes/Desires/Longings would come more spontaneously.

Marlelar · « **Reply #1 on:** November 07, 2012, 04:17:49 PM »

Or perhaps the spiritual aspects should be on the wide base at the bottom since it is the foundation of our lives? The other aspects would be smaller. For me I would put the social layer next and the physical layer at the top, but that is a purely personal choice.

Marsha

Capt McQuigg · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2012, 12:01:22 AM »

What do I think, Jimbo?

You should pray the rosary daily. If you don't, then buy a rosary online somewhere (there are lots of websites), then take it to a traditional priest and have it blessed.

Buy a couple books on the Rosary. Read them one chapter at a time and pace yourself.

Pray the Holy Rosary.

You can start small and just pray one decade per day and build up to a five decade Rosary.

Your list of wants, you will find, are simply you expressing your desires. Your desires will change, transform, mutate as your mind, body and soul prays obediently to God. This is why I recommend the Holy Rosary. It's Our Lady's Psalter and by praying the Rosary, you will be guided and you will be instructed and you will be purified and tamed.

Or you will put it down and run away. I'm not trying to be sensationalist, but praying the Holy Rosary will cause a lot of awkward emotions to people who, I know this sounds uncharitably, don't really love God. Pick up the Rosary slowly and pray at least one decade per day. It's true that there are some Saints in Catholic history who struggled with the Holy Rosary, and there are Saints pre-St Dominic in 1214 who never had the blessings of being in a world that possessed such a great treasure as the Holy Rosary.

After you've spent several weeks praying one decade of the Holy Rosary, then see a traditional priest about a General Confession.

Spend a week or so preparing yourself for the General Confession. Praying a small portion of the Rosary daily will prepare your soul for confession.

After the General Confession, start praying at least two decades of the Holy Rosary. Over a period of several weeks or months, you can grow to a daily Rosary. I think you could try jumpstarting the Rosary in it's completeness now but that may be precocious and detrimental to growth.

Spiritual growth is a progression. You may be an extremely bright guy, but that's just mental acuity, a gift to be enjoyed and used in this world. Your spiritual growth will be something much richer for you.

Buy St. Francis de Sales' book "The Introduction to the Devout Life" from Tan Book Co. and read it, a couple chapters at a time. Ponder the advice he gives in this book.

Good luck and God Bless!

Devonshire · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2012, 07:56:51 PM »

Quote from: Capt McQuigg

What do I think, Jimbo?

You should pray the rosary daily. If you don't, then buy a rosary online somewhere (there are lots of websites), then take it to a traditional priest and have it blessed.

Buy a couple books on the Rosary. Read them one chapter at a time and pace yourself.

Pray the Holy Rosary.

You can start small and just pray one decade per day and build up to a five decade Rosary.

Your list of wants, you will find, are simply you expressing your desires. Your desires will change, transform, mutate as your mind, body and soul prays obediently to God. This is why I recommend the Holy Rosary. It's Our Lady's Psalter and by praying the Rosary, you will be guided and you will be instructed and you will be purified and tamed.

Or you will put it down and run away. I'm not trying to be sensationalist, but praying the Holy Rosary will cause a lot of awkward emotions to people who, I know this sounds uncharitably, don't really love God. Pick up the Rosary slowly and pray at least one decade per day. It's true that there are some Saints in Catholic history who struggled with the Holy Rosary, and there are Saints pre-St Dominic in 1214 who never had the blessings of being in a world that possessed such a great treasure as the Holy Rosary.

After you've spent several weeks praying one decade of the Holy Rosary, then see a traditional priest about a General Confession.

Spend a week or so preparing yourself for the General Confession. Praying a small portion of the Rosary daily will prepare your soul for confession.

After the General Confession, start praying at least two decades of the Holy Rosary. Over a period of several weeks or months, you can grow to a daily Rosary. I think you could try jumpstarting the Rosary in it's completeness now but that may be precocious and detrimental to growth.

Spiritual growth is a progression. You may be an extremely bright guy, but that's just mental acuity, a gift to be enjoyed and used in this world. Your spiritual growth will be something much richer for you.

Buy St. Francis de Sales' book "The Introduction to the Devout Life" from Tan Book Co. and read it, a couple chapters at a time. Ponder the advice he gives in this book.

Good luck and God Bless!

Thank you for this, Capt McQuigg. This is an excellent reminder for anyone who is just starting out. It can be very overwhelming when one sees how much spiritual progress remains ahead. I have struggled with the rosary myself, trying to "jumpstart" it as you said. It HAS been detrimental to my growth. I think I'll try what you suggest and work gragually towards a full daily rosary.

Nadir · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2012, 11:03:07 PM »

Jimbo, I was wondering about your omitting mention of God's Will for you? Your Spiritual Hopes would accomodate this but what about your Psychosocial and Physical Hopes?