“Let Me Know Myself . . .” Reflections on the Prayer of Augustine

 Donald X. Burt, O.S.A.

 Liturgical Press (2002)

Soon after his conversion Augustine prayed “O God, let me know myself; let me know you.” He was convinced that the eventual discovery of God began with a discovery of one’s self. In “Let Me Know Myself . . .”, Donald Burt, O.S.A., offers reflections on what Augustine said about the nature of the “self,” obstacles standing in the way of discovery, and some of what one can learn about oneself from experience and faith.  

Chapters in Part One: Setting the Scene are:
“The Mystery of My Self,”
“The Inner and Outer Self,”
“Adam’s Loss of Self,”
“The Old Man and New Man,”
“The Cracked Self,”
“The Need for Honesty.”

Chapters in Part Two: Obstacles to Self-Discovery are:
“Earthly Attachment,”

“Concupiscence of the Flesh,”
“Avarice,”
“Concupiscence of the Eyes,”
“Worldly Ambition,”
“The ‘Make-Believe’ Self”

Chapters in Part Three: On the Road to Discovery are:
“The Grace-Filled Self,”
“The Fragile Self: Rising Smoke,”

“The Imperishable Self,”
“The Inner Self and the Flow of Time,”
“The Beauty of the Inner Self,”
“The Value of My Self,”
“The Love of Self,”
“Forgetting the Self,”
“Escaping Self”

 

Donald X. Burt, O.S.A., Ph.D., professor emeritus in philosophy at Villanova University, has published widely on the philosophy of St. Augustine. His most recent books include The Pilgrim God, and The River: Augustinian Reflections On a Flowing Life, published by The Liturgical Press.

"Don Burt captures so beautifully the journey of discovering the inner self as framed by Augustine. How we reach understanding of the grand mystery of human life, our life, is explored here in a way that offers us hope as we come to realize the sacred place God holds in our hearts. Like Augustine we come to believe that in ‘facing ourselves we will have taken the first step toward discovering God.'"

Helen Lafferty, Vice-President, Villanova University

"Fr. Burt offers here a warm and sensitive invitation to journey within, guided by Augustine of Hippo’s own journey to self-knowledge enshrined in his well-known prayer to God: Let Me Know Myself . . . Fr. Burt insightfully draws upon Augustine’s own   reflections as well as the experience of the modern self to provide not only a road map but most especially an incentive to risk making Augustine’s prayer their own. This is no easy journey, nor is it a private one - Fr. Burt’s engaging narrative makes that clear, but he offers wise counsel and practical direction for those modern pilgrims who are serious about that first interior step - and beyond."

Thomas F. Martin, O.S.A., Villanova University

"Fr. Burt weaves Augustine’s writings on the inner life of the soul into a compelling contemporary spirituality of the self without compromising the Bishop of Hippo’s thought. From his comprehensive knowledge of Augustine’s many books, sermons and letters, Burt quilts together memorable images of the bright and the dark hues of human experience. An added treat are Burt’s own translations of various passages from Augustine’s works that have the feel of someone who actually lived and conversed with the great Bishop. Fr. Burt is one of the few Augustinian scholars of today able to draw the reader into Augustine’s honest introspection and passionate desire to understand himself and God.”"
 

           Joseph T. Kelley, Director, Center for Augustinian Study and Legacy,
           Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts