Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Taste in Love...

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), is said to have been the greatest theologians and thinkers of his time. "He was one of the most learned figures of his age," writes Holt in Thirsty for God: A Brief History of Christian Spirituality. "Yet, he had a keen sense of the limitations of learning." I came across this prayer of his this morning that I found imperative to us in our day of high-speed, broadband lives filled with information and data.

It's entitled, "Meditation on Human Redemption" and comes from The Prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm.

"I pray you, Lord,
make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge;
let me know by love what I know by understanding.
I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more,
and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you.
Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of love.
I am wholly yours by creation;
make me all yours, too, in love."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Curious to know at what age Anselm wrote this prayer? It seems like deepth of thought and contemplation like this in today's world come from seasoned believers now living in the winter of their lives.

Jerrell Jobe said...

Good question...

...It's believed that Anselm wrote most of his "prayers" and "meditations" between 1070-1080, which would make him 37-47ish...

Anonymous said...

Talk about "praying in the Spirit!" I believe Anselm's prayer comes from the Holy Spirit thru his own, to bless and challenge the church to total surrender to the Lord. I've added his sentiments to my own prayer life and will continue to pray along these lines.