Prayers/St. Augustine
Lord, teach me to praise Thee
"Great art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Thy power, and of Thy wisdom there is no end. And man, being a part of Thy creation, desires to praise Thee, man, who bears about with him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the witness that Thou "resistest the proud, " - yet man, this part of Thy creation, desires to praise Thee. Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee. Lord, teach me to know and understand which of these should be first, to call on Thee, or to praise Thee; and likewise to know Thee, or to call upon Thee.
Oh! how shall I find rest in Thee? Who will send Thee into my heart to inebriate it, s that I may forget my woes, and embrace Thee my only good? What art Thou to me? Have compassion on me, that I may speak. What am I to Thee that Thou demandest my love, and unless I give it Thee art angry, and threatenest me with great sorrows? Is it, then, a light sorrow not to love Thee? Alas! alas! tell me of Thy compassion, O Lord my God, what Thou art to me. "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation." So speak that I may hear. Behold, Lord, the ears of my heart are before Thee; open Thou them, and "say unto my soul, I am thy salvation." When I hear, may I run and lay hold on Thee. Hide not Thy face from me. Let me die, lest I die, if only I may see Thy face. [1]
St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, 1,1.5
A Prayer for God's Leading
Lead us, O God, from the sight of the lovely things of the world
to the thought of you, their Creator;
And grant that delighting in the beautiful things of your creation,
we may delight in you, the first author of beauty
and the Sovereign Lord of all your works, blessed for evermore. Amen.[2]
A Prayer of Blessing
"Grant, O God, of your mercy,
that we may come to everlasting life,
and there beholding your glory as it is, may equally say:
Glory to the Father who created us,
Glory to the Son who redeemed us,
Glory to the Holy Spirit who sanctified us.
Glory to the most high and undivided Trinity,
whose works are inseparable,
whose kingdom without end abides,
from age to age forever. Amen.[3]
References
- ↑ "https://www.vatican.va/spirit/documents/spirit_20020821_agostino_en.html
- ↑ Our Great Redeemer's Praise: https://ourgreatredeemerspraise.com
- ↑ Author pastorstratman, “A Blessing of St. Augustine,” A Collection of Prayers, June 21, 2016, accessed September 6, 2022, https://acollectionofprayers.com/2016/06/21/a-blessing-of-st-augustine/.