Here I remark again in commentary on the prayer of St. Augustine at the outset of his Soliloquies, the famous work in which St. Augustine works out in his own mind what he must do with his life and how he must seek God. We could learn a thing or two from the holy Doctor.
Let us then proceed to see his prayer:
Prayer
Thee alone do I love; Thee alone do I follow; Thee alone do I seek; Thee alone am I ready to serve. For Thou alone has dominion; under Thy sway do I long to be.
Thee alone do I love; Thee alone do I follow; Thee alone do I seek; Thee alone am I ready to serve. For Thou alone has dominion; under Thy sway do I long to be.
Order, I beg Thee, and command what Thou wilt, but heal and open my ears, so that with them I may hear Thy words.
Heal and open my eyes so that with them I may perceive Thy wishes.
Banish from me my senselessness, so that I may know Thee.
Tell me where I should turn that I may behold Thee; and I hope I shall do all thou hast commanded me.
Look I beseech Thee, upon They prodigal, O Lord, kindest have I served Thine enemies whom Thou hast beneath They feet; long enough have I been the plaything of deceits. Receive me Thy servant as I flee from them, for they took me in a stranger when I was fleeing from Thee.
I realize I must return to thee. Let Thy door be open to my knocking. Teach me how to come to Thee. Nothing else do I have but willingness. Naught else do I know save that fleeting and perishable things are to be spurned, certain and eternal things to be sought after. This I do, O Father, because this is all I know, but how I am to reach Thee I know not. Do Thou inspire me, show me, give me what I need for my journey.
If it is by faith that they find Thee who have recourse to Thee, give me faith; if it is through virtue, give me virtue; if it is by knowledge, give knowledge to me. Grant me increase of faith, of hope, and of charity.
O how marvelous and extraordinary is Thy goodness.
Commentary:
Thee alone do I love; Thee alone do I follow; Thee alone do I seek; Thee alone am I ready to serve. For Thou alone has dominion; under Thy sway do I long to be.
This is the joyous yoke of our Lord, the joyous Cross and hope of our salvation, the solution to our own ignorance and incapability to explain ourselves or understand ourselves. We cannot know ourselves absent of the revelation of God to the core of our heart. Grace is necessary to make us whole again, and thus it is in the true faith and the true philosophy that we are to love God principally above all things. St. Augustine says he loves God alone and that he follows God alone, but so too does St. Augustine later in his life command, “love and do as you will.” Is this not quite libertarian and dangerous to expound? No, for in the Augustinian piety and understanding love can only be rightly done and ordered once it has God as its principal object. One cannot love truly if one does not love God, this is St. Augustine’s paradoxical teaching in many of his other commentaries that even to love ourselves properly we must first love God, and then love ourselves in God, so as to be willing to despise ourselves and our sinfulness out of love of God. This is the theological virtue of charity, to love all things in relation to God, and so then we can fully comprehend Christ’s commandment, to love Him with all our heart and with all of our soul. Thus when we love or use other things or other people, it is only truly full love if we love these things in loving God! Thus let us glorify Him.
Understand fully O soul of mine, that I cannot be, exist, or love fully if I am not under Your sway and grace O Lord. My soul shall never be complete if it does not have You, my heart shall forever be truly restless, even if I think it not to be, if it does not rest in You, O God, O glorious Trinity. Let my heart sing that it is You alone that I may serve, that it is only under Your dominion that I am truly free, that it is only under Your sway that I belong and ought to long to be.
Heal and open my eyes so that with them I may perceive Thy wishes.
Banish from me my senselessness, so that I may know Thee.
Tell me where I should turn that I may behold Thee; and I hope I shall do all thou hast commanded me.
These here require little commentary, so then let our eyes read these holy prayers and apply them to our own life and station.
Look I beseech Thee, upon Thy prodigal, O Lord, kindest have I served Thine enemies whom Thou hast beneath They feet; long enough have I been the plaything of deceits. Receive me Thy servant as I flee from them, for they took me in a stranger when I was fleeing from Thee.
Long in my own life have I been a prodigal son to the Lord, but He yet beckoned me back and continues to beckon me to turn and embrace the fullness of His grace and mercy. The Lord has the entire world at His feet and so let us not be overtaken by the conquered, but be overtaken in spirit and love by the most Divine and Loving Conqueror. Let us flee from all that is not holy and just and good for us, but rather let us stop fleeing from You. Lord many of us run from You because we fear Your easy yoke of discipline but instead let us learn the sweetness of Your grace which renders every commandment and work a delight of love. Enrich our hearts and let us no longer call You stranger but let us exalt You as Abba, Father.
I realize I must return to thee. Let Thy door be open to my knocking. Teach me how to come to Thee. Nothing else do I have but willingness. Naught else do I know save that fleeting and perishable things are to be spurned, certain and eternal things to be sought after. This I do, O Father, because this is all I know, but how I am to reach Thee I know not. Do Thou inspire me, show me, give me what I need for my journey.
O Lord grant us each who knock at Your each day in our soul-stricken poverty to open the doors of Your Kingdom and mercy. We beg each day because each one of us is poor and empty without You. Teach us how to knock at Thine gates, teach us how to beg at Your door, teach us how to pray O Lord and grant us support for our journey into our Fatherland, eternity in Heaven with you.
If it is by faith that they find Thee who have recourse to Thee, give me faith; if it is through virtue, give me virtue; if it is by knowledge, give knowledge to me. Grant me increase of faith, of hope, and of charity.
O how marvelous and extraordinary is Thy goodness.
Let us find all of our faith in You, all of our hope in You, and all of our charity, desire, and love in You too O Lord. Grant us the knowledge and will to dwell with you in eternity and let us one day marvel O Lord at how marvelous and extraordinary Thy goodness truly is.
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