You Over Me by St. Augustine

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know You, and desire nothing save only You.
Let me hate myself and love You.
Let me do everything for the sake of You.
Let me humble myself and exalt You.
Let me think of nothing except You.
Let me die to myself and live in You.
Let me accept whatever happens as from You.
Let me banish self and follow You, and ever desire to follow You.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in You,
That I may deserve to be defended by You.
Let me fear for myself.
Let me fear You, and let me be among those who are chosen by You.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in You.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of You.
Let me cling to nothing save only to You,
And let me be poor because of You.
Look upon me, that I may love You.
Call me that I may see You, and for ever enjoy You. Amen.

Have you ever struggled with putting God first in your life? Have you ever felt like you were too attached to your own desires, plans, or opinions? If so, you are not alone. Many of us face the challenge of living a truly Christian life in a world that constantly pulls us away from God.

That’s why I want to share with you an article that has inspired me and helped me grow in my faith. It’s called “About You Over Me” by St. Augustine, one of the greatest saints and thinkers of the Church. In this article, he explains how we can overcome our selfishness and love God above all things.

St. Augustine writes: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” He reminds us that we are created by God and for God, and that nothing else can satisfy our deepest longing. He also warns us that when we love ourselves more than God, we become unhappy and restless. He says: “The more one loves oneself, the more one hates oneself.”

How can we avoid this trap of self-love?

How can we love God more than ourselves?

St. Augustine gives us the answer: “Love is the weight of the soul. By its impulse, the soul tends to move towards the things it loves.” He means that whatever we love most will determine the direction of our life. If we love God more than ourselves, we will move towards him and his will. If we love ourselves more than God, we will move away from him and his plan.

The key, then, is to make God our highest love, our greatest treasure, our ultimate goal. To do this, we need to surrender our will to his will, our preferences to his preferences, our opinions to his opinions. We need to say with St. Augustine: “Lord, let me know myself; let me know you.” We need to pray for the grace to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

This is not easy, of course. It requires humility, trust, and sacrifice. It requires dying to ourselves and living for him. It requires choosing him over us in every situation. But it is worth it. Because when we love God more than ourselves, we find true happiness and peace. We find our true identity and purpose. We find our true home.

I hope this article has encouraged you and challenged you to grow in your love for God. May God bless you and guide you on your journey of faith.

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