Heavenly Father, I offer up this prayer for perfect love in all of my life, including my communication with others. May the words I choose, the symbols I use, the nonverbal gestures I display, bear witness to your perfect love for me and the world.
Perfect Love
Grant me, even me, my dearest Lord,
to know you, and love you, and rejoice in you.
And, if I cannot do these perfectly in this life,
let me at least advance to higher degrees every day,
until I can come to do them in perfection.
Let the knowledge of you increase in me here,
that it may be full hereafter.
Let the love of you grow every day more and more here,
that it may be perfect hereafter;
that my joy may be full in you.
I know, O God, that you are a God of truth,
O make good your gracious promises to me,
that my joy may be full;
to your honor and glory,
with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: Augustine of Hippo, Fourth Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953