Prayers to St. Anselm of Canterbury

  Posted on April 20, 2020  by admin  No comments

Prayer to St. Anselm of Canterbury

Lord Jesus Christ; Let me seek you by desiring you, and let me desire you by seeking you; let me find you by loving you, and love you in finding you.

I confess, Lord, with thanksgiving, that you have made me in your image, so that I can remember you, think of you, and love you.

But that image is so worn and blotted out by faults, and darkened by the smoke of sin, that it cannot do that for which it was made, unless you renew and refashion it.

Lord, I am not trying to make my way to your height, for my understanding is in 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 can believe, but I believe so that I may understand; and what is more, I believe that unless I do believe, I shall not understand. Amen.

Prayer of St. Anselm of Canterbury

O Lord my God. Teach my heart this day where and how to find you.

You have made me and re-made me, and you have bestowed on me all the good things I possess, and still I do not know you. I have not yet done that for which I was made.

Teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me.

Let me seek you in my desire; let me desire you in my seeking. Let me find you by loving you; let me love you when I find you.

Prayer of St. Anselm of Canterbury

My prayer is but a cold affair, Lord, because my love burns with so small a flame, but you who are rich in mercy will not mete out to [my friends] your gifts according to the dullness of my zeal, but as your kindness is above any human love so let your eagerness to hear be greater than the feeling in my prayers. Do this for them and with them, Lord, so that they may speed according to your will, and thus ruled and protected by you, always and everywhere, may they come at last to glory and eternal rest, through you who are living and reigning God, through all ages. Amen.