Theology

A Prayer Before Study

/ lucas kelly / 4 Comments

“Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding.

Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance.

Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.

Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.

Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion.  I ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.”

-St. Thomas Aquinas

God is Unspeakable

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“God is unspeakable… And so God is not even to be called “unspeakable,” because to say even this is to speak of Him. Thus there arises a curious contradiction of words, because if the unspeakable is that cannot be spoken of, it is not unspeakable if it can be called unspeakable. And this opposition of word is rather to be avoided by silence than than to be explained away by speech. And yet God, although nothing worthy of his greatness can be said of Him, has condescended to accept the worship of men’s mouths, and has desired us through the medium of our own words to rejoice in his praise.” – St. Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana (On Christian Doctrine), i.vi

Glory Be to the Father…

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“Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”

 

I’m not Roman Catholic, and this is commonly considered ad Roman Catholic prayer, seeing as it is one of the prayers of the Rosary, but this is a prayer for all Christians.

Faith Seeking Understanding

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“Lord, I am not trying to make my way to your height, for my understanding is no way equal to that, but I do desire to understand a little of your truth which my heart already believes and loves. I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand; and what is more, I believe that unless I do believe I shall not understand.”

-Anselm of Canterbury

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.

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When we examine ourselves throughout the week/day/month/year, and note how often we fail and sin, it ought to amaze us to think that an all perfect and good God, that is, the One and Only Triune God, can condescend to our humanity and sinful nature to endure Hell on the Cross in all of the world’s place, chosen and un-chosen. Left to ourselves we spit in his face, disown him, and hate him; but because of his infinite mercy and love, some have been chosen into his fold and are thus guaranteed salvation, and no thought, word, or deed can thwart that endless love he has for his children and cause him to turn his back on us, his children. We are his forever, and we will be glorified in the end due to the working of his power:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him all creatures here below.

Our Heart is Restless Until it Finds its Rest in You

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“Great are you, O Lord, and exceedingly worthy of praise; your power is immense, and your wisdom beyond reckoning. And so we men, who are a due part of your creation, long to praise you – we also carry our mortality about with us, carry the evidence of our sin and with it the proof that you thwart the proud. You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy, because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you.” – St. Augustine of Hippo