God, O good Father, I beseech Thee through Christ
For this reason, as I was saying, we do measure periods of time as they are passing by. If anyone say to me: "How do you know this?" I may reply: "I know, because we do measure them, and we cannot measure things which do not exist, yet past and future things do not exist." But how do we measure present time when it has no length? Therefore, it is measured as it is passing by, when it has passed away it is not measured, for what might be measured will not then exist.
But whence, by what way, and whither does it pass, when it is measured? Whence but from the future? By what means but through the present? Whither if not into the past? From that then which does not yet exist, through that which is without length, into that which is already out of existence.
But what do we measure, if not time in some length? For we cannot talk about single, double, triple, and equal periods—and whatever else we say about time in this way —except in terms of lengths of time. In what length then do we measure time as it is passing away? Is it in the future, from which it is passing? But we do not measure a thing of no length. Is it in the past, to which it is passing? But we do not measure what is already out of existence.
My mind burns with eagerness to gain knowledge of 28. this complicated problem. Do not hide—O Lord my
God, O good Father, I beseech Thee through Christ —do not hide these familiar yet mysterious things from my desire, so that it cannot enter deeply into them; rather may they be illumined by Thy enlightening mercy, O Lord. Whom shall I ask about these things? To whom: shall I more fruitfully confess my lack of skill than to Thee, before whom my strongly burning interest in Thy Scriptures is not offensive? Grant what I love; for I do love it. And this love also Thou hast given. Grant it, O Father, who truly knoweth how to give good gifts to Thy children; grant it, for I have taken on the task of knowing it, and it is labor in my sight, until Thou dost reveal it. I beseech Thee through Christ, in the Name of Him who is most holy, let no one interrupt me. "I have believed, therefore do I speak." This is my hope, for this do I live, "that I may see the delight of the Lord." Behold, Thou hast made my days grow old and they pass away—how, I know not.
We speak of this time and that time, of these times and those times: "How long ago did he say this? How long is it since he did this?" and: "What a long time since I have seen it," and: "This syllable takes twice as long a time as that