Before he opened a theology book or prepared a lecture, St. Thomas Aquinas prayed this prayer. He asked God to sharpen his mind, deepen his understanding, and guide him from beginning to end. You can pray it today before opening your laptop, starting a meeting, or sitting down with a difficult decision.
Ineffable Creator, who, out of the treasures of thy wisdom, hast ordained three hierarchies of angels, hast set them in marvelous order above the heavens, and hast assigned the parts of the universe so wondrously to each, who art truly called the source of light and wisdom and the most exalted principle, vouchsafe to pour forth a ray of thy brightness upon the dark places of my understanding; take from me the twofold darkness in which I was born, namely, sin and ignorance. Grant me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory, ease and exactness in learning, depth in interpreting, and abundant grace of expression. Order the beginning, direct the progress, and perfect the completion. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th century
How this prayer works
Thomas wrote this prayer as a student and continued to pray it throughout his life as a teacher. He names two darknesses: sin and ignorance. Both block the light of truth. He asks for five intellectual gifts: sharp understanding, retentive memory, ease in learning, depth in interpretation, and grace of expression. These are the tools of any serious work, whether you are writing a sermon, preparing a case, teaching a class, or reading Scripture.
The prayer ends with a request for God to order the beginning, direct the progress, and perfect the completion. This is not a vague ask for blessing. It is a concrete petition: start me well, keep me on track, and bring me to finish what I begin. Thomas knew that intellectual work is spiritual work, that every act of learning is an act of receiving light from the source of all light.
Pray it slowly before you open the book. Return to it when your mind wanders or the work feels impossible.
