Now we come to the concluding aspects of St. Augustine’s prayer in Soliloquies Bk 1 Ch 1. If we might remark on a few themes from St. Augustine’s prayers it might be outlined as follows: The desire to know God and then to adore Him with every single aspect of the heart, no matter how small, the desire to be set free from errors and follow Christ in the fullness of truth, the desire to understand one’s own heart and soul so as to steer it clear of shipwrecks and land in our intended resting place, God, and a desire to have a clean and pure heart. All these things are part of the Augustinian prayer life, we might say, especially the zeal of the heart to place all trust and love in God.
Let us then move on to reflecting on the end of St. Augustine’s prayer.
Prayer:
To Thee do I appeal, and once more I beg of Thee the very means by which appeal is made to Thee. For, if Thou shouldst abandon us, we are lost; but Thou dost not abandon us, because Thou art the Supreme Good whom no one ever rightly sought and entirely failed to find. And, indeed, every one hast rightly south Thee whom Thou has enabled to seek Thee aright. Grant that I may seek Thee, my father; save me from error. When I seek Thee, let me not find aught else but Thee, I beseech Thee, Father. But, if there is in me any vain desire, do Thou Thyself cleanse me and make me fit to look upon Thee.
With regard to the health of this my mortal body, so long as I am ignorant of its usefulness to me or to those whom I love, I entrust it to Thee, O wisest and best of Fathers, and I shall pray for it as thou shalt in good time advise me. This only I shall ask of Thine extreme kindness, that Thou convertest me wholly to Thee, and that Thou allowest nothing to prevent me when I wend my way to Thee. I beg Thee to command, while I move and bear this my body, that I may be pure, generous, just and prudent; that I may be a perfect lover and knower of Thy Wisdom; that I may be worthy of Thy dwelling place, and that I may in fact dwell in Thy most blessed kingdom. Amen. Amen.
Commentary:
To Thee do I appeal, and once more I beg of Thee the very means by which appeal is made to Thee. For, if Thou shouldst abandon us, we are lost; but Thou dost not abandon us, because Thou art the Supreme Good whom no one ever rightly sought and entirely failed to find. And, indeed, every one hast rightly south Thee whom Thou has enabled to seek Thee aright. Grant that I may seek Thee, my father; save me from error. When I seek Thee, let me not find aught else but Thee, I beseech Thee, Father. But, if there is in me any vain desire, do Thou Thyself cleanse me and make me fit to look upon Thee.
Here we see St. Augustine the great penitent who repents of all of his sins and is willing to embrace God without any boundaries. So great was his soul that he did not leave a single aspect of his heart that he could access unturned and unwilling to submit to the grace and will of God. Let us reflect so deeply and earnestly on how much more this text applies to our life. O Lord how late every single one of us has loved You! Have compassion on us O Lord, save us from all iniquity and deliver us into the bosom of Your love. Only in You do we rightly desire, Only in You do we find truth and rest. Have compassion O Lord! Cleanse our prayer of all sinful desires and all uncleanliness, that you might hear us more efficaciously.
With regard to the health of this my mortal body, so long as I am ignorant of its usefulness to me or to those whom I love, I entrust it to Thee, O wisest and best of Fathers, and I shall pray for it as thou shalt in good time advise me. This only I shall ask of Thine extreme kindness, that Thou convertest me wholly to Thee, and that Thou allowest nothing to prevent me when I wend my way to Thee. I beg Thee to command, while I move and bear this my body, that I may be pure, generous, just and prudent; that I may be a perfect lover and knower of Thy Wisdom; that I may be worthy of Thy dwelling place, and that I may in fact dwell in Thy most blessed kingdom. Amen. Amen.
Let Your Wisdom triumph over the wisdom of this world, for even Your foolishness is greater and wiser than the wisdom of all other men combined and multiplied by infinity. Then let us surrender our hearts to You O Lord who knows us more than we know ourselves, and who grants us the best in life, without any exception. Let us learn to love you above and beyond the love we have of ourselves, and choose to love you above even life itself. God command what You will, and grant always what You command.
Let us serve you always and be a perfect lover of You.
Grant us to be in Your most Sacred Heart for all eternity.
In likewise manner then, make us ignorant of all things, with the exception of knowing nothing but You, God, and the soul. Teach us ignorance then of everything, and humble us to only know You and ourselves in You, that all wisdom might proceed from these two acts. O God grant this to us. Grant it to us in Your mercy O Lord. Amen.
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