Dear Friends,
As the new school year begins and cooler evenings are upon us, I am having flashbacks to the daily opening of my philosophy and theology classes in college. I attended the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. The philosophy and theology classes always began with all the students standing and praying together St. Thomas Aquinas’ student prayer:
Grant, O merciful God, that I may ardently desire,
prudently examine, truthfully acknowledge,
and perfectly accomplish what is pleasing to You
for the praise and glory of Your name. Amen.
We said the prayer so often that it became second nature to us. I could even say it in my sleep. I am not sure it helped me get better college grades, but I do think this memorized prayer helped me improve my relationship with God. Memorized prayers help us learn how to pray and they provide us with guidance through life’s toughest chapters.
Here is a longer prayer for students from St. Thomas:
O Lord my God, help me to be obedient without reserve, poor without servility, chaste without compromise, humble without pretense, joyful without depravity, serious without affectation, active without frivolty, submissive without bitterness, truthful without duplicity, fruitful in good works without presumption, quick to revive my neighbor without haughtiness, and quick to edify others by word and example without simulation.
Grant me, O Lord, an ever-watchful heart that no alien thought can lure away from You; a noble heart that no base love can sully; an upright heart that no perverse intention can lead astray; an invincible heart that no distress can overcome; an unfettered heart that no impetuous desires can enchain.
O Lord my God, also bestow upon me understanding to know You, zeal to seek You, wisdom to find You, a life that is pleasing to You, unshakable perseverance, and a hope that will one day take hold of You.
May I do penance here below and patiently bear your chastisements. May I also receive the benefits of your grace, in order to taste your heavenly joys and contemplate your glory. Amen.
I never did get that one memorized, but I think it is a very good prayer that students could learn to help guide them on to a richer prayer life.
Similar to memorized prayers recited before class, St. Thomas recommended that we pray before we pray. In the daily breviary you can find a small prayer that begins, “Lord, open my lips – And my mouth will proclaim your praise.” Some find this slightly amusing—there are prescribed prayers before prescribed prayers! Although it might seem paradoxical, it teaches a lesson. Prayer is utterly of God, and so it is far beyond our reach. St. Thomas teaches that God “wishes to bestow certain things on us at our asking.” The attentiveness and purity of heart needed to encounter God in prayer is itself received as a gift—and we will only receive if we ask. Let us ask.
Peace,
Fr. Damian