PRO MILITIA

ORATIO S. THOMAE AQVINATIS PRO CASTITATE

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas for Chastity

This prayer attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, petitions God for the ordering of life according to divine will and specifically asks for 'contempt of the flesh and love of purity of heart.' According to tradition, angels girded Thomas with a cord of chastity after he resisted violent temptation. The prayer appears in collections of prayers before study and is notable for its balance of intellectual and moral virtues.

LATINE
Concede mihi, misericors Deus,
quae tibi placita sunt ardenter concupiscere,
prudenter investigare, veraciter agnoscere,
et perfecte adimplere ad laudem et gloriam nominis tui.
Ordina, Deus meus, statum meum,
et quod a me requiris ut faciam, tribue ut noverim,
et da exsequi sicut oportet et expedit animae meae.
Da mihi, Domine Deus meus, inter prospera et adversa non deficere,
ut in illis non extollar, in istis non deprimar.
De nullo gaudeam vel doleam, nisi quod ducat ad te vel abducat a te.
Da mihi contemnere carnem et diligere puritatem cordis,
quia caro concupiscit adversus spiritum.
Da mihi verecundiam in gestu, castitatem corporis, et puritatem mentis.
Custodi me ab his quae me contaminare possent. Amen.
ENGLISH
Grant me, O merciful God,
to desire ardently all that is pleasing to Thee,
to examine it prudently, to acknowledge it truthfully,
and to accomplish it perfectly, for the praise and glory of Thy name.
Put my life in order, O my God.
Grant that I may know what Thou requirest me to do.
Grant me to fulfill it as I ought, in a manner profitable to my soul.
Grant me, O Lord my God, that I may not falter in prosperity or adversity,
neither puffed up by the one nor cast down by the other.
May I rejoice in nothing but what leads to Thee, nor grieve for anything but what turns from Thee.
Grant me to despise the flesh and to love purity of heart,
for the flesh lusteth against the spirit.
Grant me modesty of demeanor, chastity of body, and purity of mind.
Guard me against what might defile me. Amen.
NOTA
FONS
S. Thomas Aquinas (attrib.), Orationes ante studium
USUS
Daily prayer for purity, especially for students and those in intellectual work
CONTEXT
St. Thomas was called the Angelic Doctor partly for his angelic purity. According to tradition, angels girded him with a cord of chastity after he resisted temptation.