ST GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN

A Prayer

‘All beings pay you homage, those that think and those that cannot.
The universal desire, the groaning of all creation, aspires towards you.
Towards you all beings that can read your universe raise a hymn
of silence. The movement of the universe surges towards you.
Of all beings you are the goal, you who are beyond all things.’

St Gregory of Nazianzen (c.330-89)

More on St Gregory:

On June 23, 2004, at a general audience, Pope John Paul II commented on the canticle in the Book of Revelation (15:3,4). He concluded with the following words (translated):

‘We conclude, uniting our voices to the universal voice. We do so through the words of a song of St Gregory of Nazianzen, great Father of the Church of the fourth century.

“Glory to the Father and to the Son King of the universe, glory to the Most Holy Spirit, to whom be all praise. One God is the Trinity: He has created and filled everything, the heaven of the celestial beings, the earth of the earthly beings. Seas, rivers and springs he has filled with aquatic beings, vivifying all with his own Spirit, so that the whole of creation would praise the wise Creator: life and permanence in life have their cause only in Him.

May the rational creature sing his praises above all as powerful King and good Father. In spirit, with my soul, tongue and thought make me also glorify you in purity, O Father.”’

(Poems, 1, Collection of Patristic Texts 115, Rome, 1994, pp. 66-67).