St. Augustine

"We ought to be persuaded that what God refuses to our prayer, He grants to our salvation."


"When I am completely united to You, there will be no more sorrow or trials; entirely full of You, my life will be complete."


"You have made us for Yourself and our hearts are restless til they rest in You."


"Thus I was sick and tormented, reproaching myself more bitterly than ever, rolling and writhing in my chain till it should be utterly broken. By now I was held but slightly, but still was held. And thou, O Lord, didst press upon me in my inmost heart with a severe mercy, redoubling the lashes of fear and shame; lest I should again give way and that same slender remaining tie not be broken off, but recover strength and enchain me yet more securely."


"Wake up, O man! For your sake God became man!"


"There is another inward kind of prayer without ceasing, which is the desire of the heart. Whatever activity you happen to be engaged in doing, if you only long for that Sabbath then you do not cease to pray. If you do not want to pause in prayer then never pause in your longing."



Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!

You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all.

You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed you fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.

I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.