Praying with Saint Augustine
A Moment of Prayer
The Feast of The Conversion of St. Augustine
April 24, 2020
- Song
- Sign of the Cross
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
R/. Amen
- Introduction
The Conversion of Saint Augustine: unconditional openness to the Lord – radical change: total trust and availability – Infinite love of God opens us up to hope – In this time of the pandemic we place ourselves in the merciful hands of the Risen Christ.
- Prayer from Saint Augustine
First reader: O God, Creator of the universe, grant me first rightly to invoke You; then to show myself worthy to be heard by You; finally, to receive redemption from You. God, through whom all things, which of themselves were not, tend to be. God, who withholds from perishing even that which seems to be mutually destructive. God, who, out of nothing, has created this world, which the eyes of all perceive to be most beautiful. God, who does not cause evil, but allows it in order to avoid greater evil.
Second reader: God, who art loved, wittingly or unwittingly, by everything that is capable of loving. God, in whom are all things, to whom nevertheless neither the vileness of any creature is vile, nor its wickedness harmful, nor its error erroneous. God, the Father of truth, the Father of wisdom, the Father of the true and crowning life, the Father of blessedness, the Father of that which is good and fair, the Father of intelligible light, the Father of our awakening and illumination, the Father of the pledge by which we are admonished to return to You.
First reader: God, from whom to be turned away, is to fall: to whom to be turned back, is to rise again: in whom to abide, is to stand firm. God, from whom to go forth, is to die: to whom to return, is to revive: in whom to have our dwelling, is to live. God, whom no one loses, unless deceived: whom no one seeks, unless stirred up: whom no one finds, unless made pure. God, whom to forsake, is one thing with perishing; towards whom to tend, is one thing with living: whom to see is one thing with having. God, towards whom faith rouses us, hope lifts us up, with whom love joins us.
Second reader: Heal and open my ears, that I may hear Your utterances. Heal and open my eyes, that I may behold Your significations of command. Drive delusion from me, that I may recognize You. Tell me whither I must tend, to behold You, and I hope that I shall do all things You may enjoin. If it is by faith that those find You, who take refuge with You then grant faith: if by virtue, grant virtue: if by knowledge, grant knowledge. Augment in me, faith, hope, and charity.
First reader: Whatever concerns the welfare of this mortal body of mine, so long as I do not know how it may serve either myself or those I love, to Thee, Father, wisest and greatest, do I commit it, and I pray that Thou wilt admonish me concerning it as shall be needful. You I entreat, O Goodness, singular and most to be admired! Amen! Amen!
(Soliloquies 1,1,2-3.5-6).
- Brief silence (after each paragraph or at the end)
One can also insert these antiphons after each paragraph:
“Late have I loved You, O eternal Beauty, late have I loved You, Beauty so ancient and so new!”
“Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est”
“Misericordias Domini, in aeternum cantabo”
- Pray together:
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory to the Father
- Prayer:
+ Almighty and merciful God, refreshment in our weariness, support in our weakness, comfort in our sadness. We come to you to invoke your mercy, since today we still experience the fragility of the human condition in the presence of this viral pandemic. Listen to the prayer we offer through the intercession of Saint Augustine, comfort your children, save us from the present distress and open our hearts to be people of hope.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
R/. Amen.
- Blessing
+ The Lord be with you.
R/. And with your spirit.
+ May almighty God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
R/. Amen.
or:
+ May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
R/. Amen.
- Final Song
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