A Prayer Before Study [as we begin a new semester]
“Creator of all things, true Source of light and wisdom, lofty origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your brilliance penetrate into the darkness of my understanding and take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of both sin and ignorance. Give me a sharp sense of 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 completion; through Christ our Lord.
– St. Thomas Aquinas
* Keywords: wisdom, light into darkness, understanding, memory, exactness, thoroughness, completion
* Thanks to Mark Williams for sharing this prayer.