Yesterday we celebrated the feast of one of the most recognizable mothers in Church history: St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. Today we celebrate the feast of this son – who was the object of her tears and prayers for over 30 years.
Unfortunately, Augustine took after his father early in life – who was not a Christian like his mother. He was a pagan nobleman who lived a life of carousing and drunkenness. Taking the example of his father, then, Augustine lived a kind of dissolute life – he even had a son out of wedlock!
Monica, however, did not give up on either one of them; and it paid off: twice! By her prayers, tears and supplications to God, her husband was converted to Christianity a year before his death; and Augustine who followed his natural truth-seeking bent – moved through a bout with the Manichaean heresy (which overexaggerated mankind's depravity) – finally to conversion to full-fledged Catholic Christianity – with the help of Ambrose the bishop of Milan. At the Easter Vigil in the year 387 he was baptized by Bishop Ambrose.
Because of his grasp of philosophy and now theology it was clear that Augustine was called to the priesthood, and not only that, but to be a bishop as well. He soon found himself to be a young bishop of Hippo. He spent his ministry preaching, writing, administering sacraments, engaging in a broad range of other pastoral activities (especially to the care and relief of the poor), presiding over synods and councils, and adjudicating civil as well as ecclesial cases – all while living ascetically in community with his clergy.
His early years of experiencing "living and sinning" now served him well as a foundation from which he could expound the true theology of "living and loving" – which we hear about in the first reading today! When we find and then remain in love, we find and remain in God – (for God is love) – and then God will remain in us!
Augustine's speculative yet so very practical writings about the mechanics of being a Christian have had an enormous influence on the shape and character of Western theology, both Catholic and Protestant – since the 4th century. They are in the same league as those of St. Thomas Aquinas who is considered the most complete and well-rounded of all! (Thomas being known as "The Angelic Doctor" – so sublime was his grasp of theology!)
Nonetheless, Augustine of Tagaste, Bishop of Hippo, Doctor of the Church is certainly a giant in the field!
What is most endearing about Augustine is that he never forgot the sinful past from which God raised him; he humbled himself every morning in prayer asking God to use him as the instrument that he had in mind for that day! And as the gospel passage promised: because his humility was real, God did raise him, and exalt him, very much so – for the benefit of the spiritual life of the Church! And for this we are all grateful this day!
In the words of St. Augustine: Lord, help us to BELIEVE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND, rather than to understand in order to believe!
WE BELIEVE, LORD!
WE BELIEVE!
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