Desire
‹ 10 · Outline
11.Longing for God and the highest good
11a.Desire as a longing for God misplaced on creatures
See also: Love 9d · Happiness 7b · God 9d
Saint Augustine, The Confessions of St. AugustineVol. 7
- p. 31Inner emptiness and craving for objects of sense, longing for love rather than God.read · scan
Chapters from the KoranVol. 45
- p. 950–951Life of lusts for women, children, gold, horses and cattle is only the provision of this world; God is the better resort.read · scan
- p. 961Some among you love this world, some the next; God tries them.read · scan
- p. 986–987Choice between desire for the life of this world and its adornments and desire for the hereafter.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, PurgatoryVol. 20
- p. 203Men's eyes turn fondly to earth rather than everlasting heavenly beauties.read · scan
- p. 212–215Lax or excessive love of good is the disorder of desire punished here.read · scan
- p. 222Virgil urges Dante to spurn the earth and fix his gaze on the heavenly lure that God turns in the spheres.read · scan
- p. 271She asks what obstacle or bait led him from loving the good that sets a bound to aspiration.read · scan
- p. 272Dante's love of transient things, a slight girl, is contrasted with the higher hope he should have followed after her death.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, ParadiseVol. 20
- p. 319–321Souls are called misguided and infatuate for turning their hearts from the good to vanity.read · scan
- p. 329–330Men pursue empty things: priesthood, rule, robbery, wealth, sensual delight, indolence; Dante escapes them to Heaven.read · scan
- p. 347Whoever despoils himself of love for the sake of what does not last has cause for endless griefread · scan
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of ChristVol. 7
- p. 228–229The saints' desire was borne upward to everlasting things, lest love of visible things drag them down.read · scan
- p. 259–260Many prefer the world and desires of the flesh to God's eternal promises.read · scan
- p. 277–278Do not long inordinately for present things or lose the eternal.read · scan
- p. 282–283Evil desire holds the worldly mind; the heart cannot be content unless it rests in God.read · scan
- p. 287–288No created thing can satisfy desire; the soul asks to be joined to God alone by love.read · scan
Blaise Pascal, ThoughtsVol. 48
- p. 158–159Attachment to creatures is bad, since it prevents seeking or serving God; we are full of lust and evil.read · scan
- p. 187The Jews loved carnal goods and were deceived by the poor advent of the Messiah.read · scan
- p. 188Covetousness and charity divide the wills of men; covetousness uses God and enjoys the world, charity the opposite.read · scan
- p. 197Carnal Jews wanted a temporal prince; heathens and Jews love the same worldly good.read · scan
- p. 215Ordinary men and saints alike seek satisfaction, differing only in the object where they place it.read · scan
- p. 219Lust made second nature; carnal Jews sought only carnal greatness.read · scan
- p. 220Covetousness is most like and most opposed to charity; God used the Jews' lust to serve Christ.read · scan
- p. 224Each finds in the promises what he has most at heart, temporal or spiritual; creatures found with contradictions.read · scan
- p. 231Lust turns man from God; those who seek the good in the flesh die in sensual pleasures.read · scan
- p. 244Hearts made fat by flattering lust with hope of satisfying it.read · scan
- p. 265The heart's love determines what it takes to be good and hence how it reads the promises.read · scan
- p. 271–272Men's passions and lust keep them apart from God and oppose Christ.read · scan
Blaise Pascal, LettersVol. 48
- p. 325Men make created things the final end of their desires.read · scan
Blaise Pascal, Minor WorksVol. 48
- p. 366Worldly pleasures are vain idols and fatal objects of passion, destroyed by weakness for his benefit.read · scan
- p. 382Be the true king of desire by relieving needs, yet ultimately despise desire's kingdom for the kingdom of love.read · scan
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's ProgressVol. 15
- p. 202–203Man with muck-rake ignores heavenly crown for straws and dust; earthly things carry hearts from God.read · scan
11b.The desire of heaven and its purification
See also: Religion 7b
The Book of PsalmsVol. 44
- p. 249The soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord.read · scan
Buddhist WritingsVol. 45
- p. 778–779The Teacher explains her song as the delight of a heart's desire fulfilled after a long-held prayer.read · scan
- p. 780She prays not for rule among the gods but for a devotional station, showing a desire directed to a spiritual aim.read · scan
Luke, The Gospel According to LukeVol. 44
- p. 383Ask, seek, knock: persistent petition is answered.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, PurgatoryVol. 20
- p. 157Ascent needs the wings of high desire.read · scan
- p. 161–162Souls desire to see God.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, ParadiseVol. 20
- p. 293–296Desire in heaven is fully satisfied and cannot wish to be exalted higher.read · scan
- p. 344Looking on Beatrice's eyes fulfills all desireread · scan
- p. 347–350Sacred thirst of sweet desire; Dante's will given wings by Beatrice's assentread · scan
- p. 379In the last sphere every desire finds completion; Dante restrains presumption.read · scan
- p. 391Through desire of seeing he loses power of sight.read · scan
- p. 404All angelic orders tend to God with mutual impulse; Dionysius's desire led him to range them.read · scan
- p. 423Dante nears the limit where all wishes end and the ardour of his wish is fulfilled.read · scan
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of ChristVol. 7
- p. 251–252Those always seeking consolations are mercenary lovers of self.read · scan
- p. 297Fix the single eye of desire steadfastly on God amid manifold changes.read · scan
- p. 313–314Longing for God and heavenly things while flesh and unmortified passions press down.read · scan
- p. 315–316Even fervent desire for heaven is tainted by self-seeking; one should follow God's appointment rather than one's own desire.read · scan
- p. 317Trifling desires forsaken on earth are exchanged for the will made one with God's, desiring nothing for itself.read · scan
- p. 333–334'Thou art all my desire'; the soul longs and prays after God rather than worldly things.read · scan
- p. 341The soul's earnest longing to be united with Christ; no consolation avails without him.read · scan
- p. 343–344Longs to quench spiritual thirst with even a small drop of divine grace.read · scan
- p. 353Nothing in the world comforts him save God, whom he longs to contemplate everlastingly.read · scan
- p. 357The soul longs to enjoy God as much as it desires and to forget itself.read · scan
- p. 358–359The disciple desires to have the desire of the fervent saints.read · scan
- p. 361Vehement longing to receive God, with earthly things turned to bitterness.read · scan
- p. 362He offers the whole affection of his heart and pious desires though unworthy of such feelings.read · scan
Sir Thomas Malory, The Holy GrailVol. 35
- p. 199–200Launcelot longs to be shown something of what he seeks, the Grail.read · scan
- p. 211Galahad, having seen what he long desired, wishes no longer to live.read · scan
Blaise Pascal, ThoughtsVol. 48
- p. 96Spiritual hunger, like bodily hunger, must recur to sustain interest.read · scan
Blaise Pascal, Minor WorksVol. 48
- p. 385To possess God is only to desire him, and to refuse him is to lose him.read · scan
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's ProgressVol. 15
- p. 52–53Christian is ashamed of his old country and desires a better, heavenly one.read · scan
- p. 145–147Merely desiring heaven avails nothing, like the sluggard who desires and has nothing.read · scan
- p. 154–155Their desire for heaven lasts only as long as fear of hell.read · scan
- p. 188Light-mind's revelry and love of the flesh versus longing for the King's city.read · scan
- p. 266–267Matthew's greater appetite at the sight of the cloth is likened to longing for the King's feast.read · scan
Alessandro Manzoni, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed)Vol. 21
- p. 348He longs for words that could impart peace and resolves to go and speak with the Cardinal.read · scan
Hans Christian Andersen, TalesVol. 17
- p. 247–248She would give her hundreds of years to be human one day and hope for heaven.read · scan
‹ 10 · Outline