A Prayer To Obtain Eternal Life
by John Henry Cardinal Newman
I Believe
and know that all things live in you.
Whatever there is of being,
of life, of excellence,
of enjoyment, of happiness,
in the whole of creation,
is, in its substance,
simply and absolutely yours.
It is by dipping into the ocean
of your infinite perfections
that all beings have
whatever they have of good.
All that is wonderful
in the way of talent or genius
is but an unworthy reflection
of the faintest gleam
of the Eternal Mind.
Whatever we do well,
is not only by your help,
but is an imitation
of that sanctity
which is in fullness in you.
O My God,
shall I one day see you?
Shall I see the source
of that grace which enlightens me,
strengthens me,
and consoles me?
As I came from you,
as I am made through you,
as I live in you,
so may I at last return to you,
and be with you for ever and ever.
- John Henry Cardinal Newman, (1801-1890)