Prayer of Saint Thomas Aquinas Before Study

Creator beyond all tellings, Who out of the treasures of Thy wisdom hast appointed three hierarchies of Angels, setting them in admirable order high above the heavens, and hast disposed the different parts of the universe in so marvelous a manner: Thou Who art called the true fountain of light and supereminent principle of wisdom, vouchsafe to project a ray of Thy light into the darkness of my understanding, and take from me the double darkness of sin and ignorance in which I have been born. Grant me quickness of understanding, capacity to retain, method and ease in learning, subtlety in interpreting, and fluent grace in speaking. Guide my beginning, direct my progress, and accomplish my completion, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Creator ineffabilis, qui de thesauris sapientiae tuae tres Angelorum hierarchias designasti, et eas super caelos miro ordine collocasti, ac universi partes elegantissime distribuisti: Tu, inquam, qui verus fons luminis et sapientiae diceris, et supereminens principium, infundere digneris super intellectus mei tenebras tuae radium claritatis, duplices, in quibus natus sum, a me removens tenebras, peccatum scilicet et ignorantiam. Tu, qui linguas infantium facis disertas, linguam meam erudias, atque in labiis meis gratiam tuae benedictionis infundas. Da mihi intelligendi acumen, retinendi capacitatem, addiscendi modum et facilitatem, interpretandi subtilitatem, loquendi gratiam copiosam. Ingressum instruas, progressum dirigas, egressum compleas. Tu, qui es verus Deus et homo, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.