Light from Light

My soul,

have you found what

you are looking for?

You were looking for God,

and you have discovered

that he is the supreme being,

and that you could not possibly imagine

anything more perfect.

You have discovered

that this supreme being is

life itself,

light wisdom,

goodness,

eternal blessedness

and blessed eternity.

He is everywhere,

and he is timeless.

Lord my God,

you gave me life

and restored it when I lost it.

Tell my soul that so longs for you

what else you are

besides what it has already understood,

so that it may see you clearly.

It stands on tiptoe to see more,

but apart from what it has seen already,

it sees nothing but darkness.

Of course it does not really see darkness,

because there is no darkness in you,

but it sees that it can see no further

because of the darkness in itself.

Surely, Lord,

inaccessible light is your dwelling place,

for no one apart from yourself

can enter into it

and fully comprehend you.

~ St. Anselm

in Praying with the Benedictines

A Window on the Cloister