Saint Anselm of Canterbury

10/03/2026

For if anyone doubts
that a horse is by nature better than a tree
and that a man is more excellent than a horse,
then surely this [person] ought not to be called a man.

—Anselm of Cantebury (AD 1076).
In 'Monologion'

07/03/2026

What answer ought to be given to someone who affirms of what must occur that it cannot occur—his reason being simply that he does not know how it occurs?

07/03/2026

Necessarily, man is saved through Christ.

Man's salvation can by no means occur
if we assume that Christ does not exist...

—'Why God Became a [God-]Man, Book I'; AD 1098

22/12/2025

So that our joy may be full...

Lord, You command—or, rather, You counsel—
to ask through Your Son;
and You promise that we shall receive,
so that our joy may be full. [1]

Lord, I ask for what You counsel
through our marvelous Counselor; [2]
may I receive what You promise through Your Truth,
so that my joy may be full.

God of Truth, I ask;
may I receive, so that my joy may be full.
Until then, may my mind meditate
upon what You have promised;
may my tongue speak of it.
May my heart love it;
may my mouth proclaim it.
May my soul hunger for it;
may my flesh thirst for it; [3]
may my whole substance desire it
until such time as I enter into the joy of my Lord, [4]
the trine and one God, blessed forever. [5]
Amen.

—'Proslogion'; AD 1077-1078

[1] John 16:24
[2] Isaiah 9:6
[3] Psalms 63:1 (63:1)
[4] Matthew 25:21
[5] Romans 1:25

21/12/2025

that here my joy may be great with expectancy
and there may be full in realization.

O God, I pray, let me know and love You,
so that I may rejoice in You.
And if I cannot in this life
[know, love, and rejoice in You] fully,
at least let me advance day by day
until the point of fullness comes.
Let knowledge of You progress in me here
and be made full in me there.
Let love for You grow [in me here]
and be [made] full [in me] there,
so that here my joy may be great with expectancy
and there may be full in realization.

—'Proslogion'; AD 1077-1078

20/12/2025

No eye has seen, no ear has heard—nor has there entered into the heart of man—that joy with which Your elect ones will rejoice...

Now, surely, no eye has seen, no ear has heard
—nor has there entered into the heart of man—
that joy with which Your elect ones will rejoice.*
Therefore, I have not yet said or thought, O Lord,
how much Your blessed ones will rejoice.
Surely, they will rejoice
in the degree that they will love.
And they will love in the degree that they will know.
How much will they know You in that day, O Lord?
How much will they love You?
Surely, in this life
no eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
nor has there entered into the heart of man
how much they will know and love You in the next life.

—'Proslogion'; AD 1077-1078

* 1 Corinthians 2:9

20/12/2025

My hope and my heart's joy...

My Lord and my God, my hope and my heart's joy...
Indeed, when the heart, the mind, the soul
—when the whole man—is filled with that joy,
there will still remain joy without limit.
Therefore, the whole of that joy will not enter
into those who are rejoicing;
instead, all those who are rejoicing will enter into Your joy.
Speak, O Lord, and tell Your servant in his heart
whether this is the joy into which Your servants will enter
when they will enter into the joy of their Lord.*

—'Proslogion'; AD 1077-1078

* Matthew 25:21

19/12/2025

If [each of the just] shall love God—with all his heart, all his mind, and all his soul,* but in such way that his whole heart, whole mind, and whole soul will not suffice [to fill up the measure of God's] worthiness to be loved—surely, with all his heart, all his mind, and all his soul [each] shall so rejoice that his whole heart, whole mind, and whole soul will not be able to contain the fullness of [that] joy.

Surely, each person rejoices in another's good [fortune]
to the extent that he loves this other.
Therefore, in that perfect happiness,
just as each [person] will love God
incomparably more than himself
and all those who are with himself,
so [each] will rejoice inestimably more
over the blessedness of God
than over either his own blessedness
or that of all the others who are with himself.
But if [each of the just] shall love God
—with all his heart, all his mind, and all his soul,*
but in such way that
his whole heart, whole mind, and whole soul will not suffice
[to fill up the measure of God's] worthiness to be loved—
surely, with all his heart, all his mind, and all his soul
[each] shall so rejoice that
his whole heart, whole mind, and whole soul
will not be able to contain the fullness of [that] joy.

—'Proslogion'; AD 1077-1078

* Matthew 22:37

25. The kinds and the quantity of goods for those who enjoy this [Good].

19/12/2025

Where a good of such quality and of such magnitude is present,
how rich and how intense is the joy!

But where a good
of such quality and of such magnitude is present,
how rich and how intense is the [corresponding] joy!
O human heart,
heart beset with need,
heart versed in tribulations
—yea, overwhelmed with tribulations—
how much you would rejoice
were you to abound in all these [goods]!
Ask your inmost self whether it can contain its own joy
over its own so great happiness.
Now, surely, if someone else whom you loved
in every respect as you do yourself
were also to have the same [kind of] happiness,
then your own joy would be doubled;
for you would rejoice for him no less than for yourself.
And if two or three or many more [persons]
were to have the same [kind of joy],
you would rejoice for each of them
as much as for yourself
—assuming that you loved each as you do yourself.
Therefore, in the case of that perfect love
on the part of countless blessed angels and men,
where no one [of them] will love the other
less than himself,
each [of them] will rejoice for each of the others
no differently than for himself.
If, then, the heart of man shall scarcely [be able to] contain its own joy over its own so great good,
how shall it be able to contain
so many [other] very great joys?

—'Proslogion'; AD 1077-1078

18/12/2025

Reflect attentively upon how enjoyable is that Good
which contains the joyfulness of all good things.

And now, my soul,
arouse and elevate your whole understanding;
ponder as best you can
what kind of good this is and how great it is.
For if the individual good things are enjoyable,
reflect attentively upon how enjoyable is that Good
which contains the joyfulness of all good things.
[This is] not the kind [of joyfulness]
that we have experienced in created things
but rather is as different [therefrom]
as the Creator is different from the creature.

—'Proslogion'; AD 1077-1078

18/12/2025

O that I might see the joy that I desire...

‘My soul thirsts for you,
my flesh longs after you,’ [172]
my soul thirsts for God, the fountain of life;
‘when shall I come to appear
before the presence of God?’ [174]
My consoler, for whom I wait, when will you come?
O that I might see the joy that I desire;
that I might be satisfied
with the appearing of your glory
for which I hunger; [178]
that I might be satisfied
with the riches of your house
for which I sigh;
that I might drink
of the torrent of your pleasures [180]
for which I thirst.

—'Prayers and Meditations'; AD 1070-1080+

[172] Psalm 63:1
[174] Psalm 42:2
[178] Psalm 17:15
[180] Psalm 36:8

From "Prayer to Christ"

18/12/2025

...and my joy will be full.

Most kind lover of men,
‘the poor commits himself to you,
for you are the helper of the orphan’. [159]
My most safe helper,
have mercy upon the orphan left to you.
I am become a child without a father;
my soul is like a widow.
Turn your gaze and behold my tears
which I offer to you till you return.
Come now, Lord, appear to me and I will be consoled;
show me your face and I shall be saved; [167]
display your presence and I have obtained my desire;
reveal your glory and my joy will be full.

—'Prayers and Meditations'; AD 1070-1080+

[159] Psalm 10:14b
[167] Psalm 80:3

From "Prayer to Christ"