A prayer before study

St. Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth-century Dominican friar and Doctor of the Church, gave his life to study and teaching. This prayer, attributed to him, is a favorite of students before class, a paper, or an exam.

Creator of all things, true Source of light and wisdom, lofty origin of all being, graciously let a ray of Your brilliance penetrate into the darkness of my understanding and take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of both sin and ignorance. Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations, and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in completion; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Translation as published by a university campus ministry (see source).