Before Thomas Aquinas sat down to write the Summa Theologica, he prayed this prayer. Before every lecture he attended in Paris, he prayed it. If you have an exam tomorrow, a thesis chapter to draft, or a difficult text to parse tonight, you can pray it too.
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
Aquinas asks God for five specific gifts: sharp understanding, retentive memory, ease in learning, depth in interpretation, and grace of expression. He is not asking to ace an exam. He is asking to think clearly, remember accurately, and communicate truthfully. The prayer acknowledges two kinds of darkness: sin (the will turned away from God) and ignorance (the intellect not yet enlightened). Both need God’s light.
Thomas prayed this before every academic task because he believed all knowledge comes from God, the “source of light and wisdom.” He taught that study is a form of prayer when the student seeks truth for God’s sake, not for pride or career alone. That is why the prayer ends with ordering the beginning, directing the progress, and perfecting the completion: it asks God to govern the entire arc of learning, from first question to final insight.
Pray it before you open your laptop tonight. Pray it slowly, pausing after “twofold darkness” to name one specific confusion or temptation. Then ask for the five gifts by name: understanding, memory, ease, depth, expression. Then begin your work.