A Prayer for Spiritual Illumination

Hear us,
never-fading Light, Lord our God,
our only Light, Fountain of light,
Light of your angels,
thrones, dominions, principalities, powers,
and of all intelligent beings.

You created the light of your saints.

May our souls be your lamps,
kindled and enlightened by you.

May they shine and burn with the truth,
and never go out in darkness and ashes.

May we be your house,
shining from you, shining in you.

May we shine without fail.
May we ever worship you.

In you may we be kindled and not be extinguished.

Being filled with the splendor
of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
may we shine forth inwardly.
May the gloom of sins be cleared away,
and the light of constant faith abide within us.

--adapted from the Mozarabic Sacramentary, 7th Century Spain/Portugal

Prayer for Light (at Evening)

The heaven, O Lord,

is bright with the clear shining of the stars,

and the earth is serene with radiant light,

since You have shone upon the world

from Your holy habitation.

Chase then, we ask You,

all darkness from our minds.

Kindle our hearts

with the splendour of Your grace.

Enlighten our eyes

with the radiance of Your brightness,

that we may attain to see You for ever. 

--Mozarabic prayer from Evelyn Underhill's Prayer Book 

Image from the Hubble telescope.

The Splendor of Eternal Light

May the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is the splendor of eternal Light,
remove from your hearts the darkness of night.
Amen.

May he drive far from you
the snares of the crafty enemy,
and always give you
his angel of light to guard you.
Amen.

That you may rise to your morning praises,
kept safe in him,
in whom is all the fullness of your salvation.
Amen.

--from the Mozarabic Psalter, 8th century, found at