A Prayer of Desire

My God, Thou art my life; If I leave Thee, I cannot but thirst. Lost spirits thirst in hell, because they have not God. I wish to be clad in that new nature, which so longs for Thee from loving Thee, as to overcome in me the fear of coming to Thee. I come to Thee, Lord, not only because I am unhappy without Thee, not only because I feel I need Thee, but because Thy grace draws me on to seek Thee. I come in great fear, but in greater love. As years pass away, and the heart shuts up, and all things are a burden, let me never lose this youthful, eager love of Thee. The more I refuse to open my heart to Thee, so much the fuller and stronger be Thy supernatural visitings, adn the more urgent and efficacious Thy presence within me.

Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman

[Acknowledgement: A Newman Prayer Book (Vincent F. Blehl, S.J., 1990), p. 3]