Happy in You

I beg of You, my God, 
let me know You and love You 
so that I may be happy in You. 
And though I cannot do this fully in this life, 
yet let me improve from day to day 
till I may do so to the full.
Let me know You more and more in this life, 
that I may know You perfectly in heaven.
Let me know You more and more here, 
so that I may love you perfectly there,
so that my joy may be great in itself here, 
and complete in heaven with You.
O Truthful God, let me receive the happiness of heaven 
which You promise so that my joy may be full.
In the meantime,
let my mind think of it,
let my tongue talk of it,
let my heart long for it,
let my mouth speak of it,
let my soul hunger after it,
let my flesh thirst after it,
let my whole being desire it,
until such time as I may enter through death into the joy of my Lord,
there to continue forever, world without end.
Amen.

(a prayer of St. Augustine; photo via pixabay.com)