Before Study (Creator ineffabilis)
Prayer composed by St Thomas Aquinas (13th c.) to be recited before study, intellectual work, and theological writing. The Angelic Doctor asks the ineffable Creator to dispel the darkness of the intellect and to guide with wisdom the beginning, middle, and end of the work. Patron of students and Catholic universities.
Ineffable Creator, who out of the treasures of thy wisdom hast appointed three hierarchies of Angels, and set them in admirable order high above the heavens, and hast disposed the parts of the universe in most beautiful harmony: thou who art called the true Source of light and of wisdom, and the supreme Principle above all things: vouchsafe to pour forth a ray of thy brightness upon the darkness of my understanding, and take from me the twofold darkness in which I was born: that of sin and of ignorance.
Thou who makest eloquent the tongues of infants, instruct my tongue and pour upon my lips the grace of thy blessing. Give me keenness of understanding, capacity to remember, method and ease in learning, subtlety in interpretation, and abundant grace in speaking. Grant me firmness at the beginning, direction in the progress, and fullness in the completion. Thou who art true God and true Man, who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.
In Latin
Creator ineffabilis, qui de thesauris sapientiæ tuæ tres Angelorum hierarchias designasti, et eas super cælum empyreum miro ordine collocasti, atque universi partes elegantissime distribuisti: Tu, inquam, qui verus fons luminis et sapientiæ diceris ac supereminens principium, infundere digneris super intellectus mei tenebras tuæ 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 tuæ 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 sæcula sæculorum. Amen.