Saint Augustine, Bishop
First Point
Once Saint Augustine had been converted to God through the prayers of his holy mother and the powerful and effective instructions of Saint Ambrose, he withdrew to the countryside, where for three years he led an extremely solitary and penitential life. Here he learned to enjoy the presence of God and to practice with perfection the rules of the holy Gospel, which were the subject of his meditation. Here he often poured out his heart in the presence of his God. He could not console himself at the thought of his former disorderly life. Whenever he considered the enormity of his sins, he became so overwhelmed by the love of God for him that he could not sufficiently admire and give thanks for the extraordinary goodness that this God of love had shown to him. Sometimes deeply touched by the greatness and the incomprehensibility of God and of God’s gifts to all people, his heart would melt and soften, then burst forth in leaps of love for his God.1 In holy seclusion this saint became a new man, a man of God; there, after being converted, he prepared to labor effectively for the conversion of others. You cannot become capable of laboring usefully in your work except in seclusion and in prayer. These are the two means at your disposal by which you can become entirely free from the world and from inclination to sin and be consecrated entirely to God.
Second Point
This saint was ordained priest, despite his reluctance, by the bishop of Hippo, who decided that he was able to do great service for the Church. Along with several other clerics, he then led a very regulated life, separated from all dealings with the world. In this way he acquired a great reputation, not only because of the eminent virtue that he practiced while living in community with much edification but also because of his great knowledge, the soundness of his mind, and the marvelous power with which he fought the Arians, Manicheans, and other heretics, both in his sermons and in his writings. Just as grace had done much in him for his own conversion, so it likewise brought about through him surprising results in the conversion of others. This grace, combined with his natural intelligence and his profound learning, silenced all the arguments of the most obstinate heretics and those most capable of giving some semblanceof truth to their opinions.In your work you do not have to war against heretics but against the immature inclinations of children that urge them strongly to evil. You will not overcome these by merely natural learning but by the Spirit of God and the fullness of his grace. You will not draw this grace on you except by the power of prayer. Be very faithful to prayer, then, so that enlightened by the graces of the Holy Spirit, you will silence the evil inclinations in these little souls and drive far from them all the suggestion of the devil.
Third Point
Having become bishop of Hippo, Saint Augustine devoted himself with all possible zeal to the guidance of his diocese, but God did not restrict his zeal to so limited a field. Because God had given his spirit a generosity at least equal to the depth of his knowledge, God made him useful to the whole Church. Saint Augustine was consulted by Popes and Councils and by nearly everyone in the world, even by several unbelievers to whose conversion he contributed a great deal. From all sides, people came to him to ask for clerics formed under his guidance to become pastors of the Church. Yet, so holy a manner of life was strongly opposed and condemned by the heretics, who considered him as their greatest enemy, the one among the Doctors of the Church whom they feared the most. They said everything they could against him to ruin his reputation, but because it was founded on the solid base of piety and humility, they were never able to do him any harm. He showed, in fact, extraordinary humility in leaving an account of his sins to posterity. Our Community can be very useful to the Church, but be convinced that it will be so only to the degree it is based on these two foundations, piety and humility, which will make it indestructible.
Historical Context
Augustine (354–430) was born at Tagaste, in Numidia, now called Souk-Ahras, in Algeria. It is believed that his parents were Berbers. His father, Patricius, a pagan, was a small landowner and town councilor who was converted at the end of his life by Saint Monica, his wife. De La Salle has also written a meditation on Saint Augustine’s conversion (May 5) through the prayers of his mother. His Baptism was postponed to avoid the risk of post-baptismal sin. He was eventually baptized by Saint Ambrose after his conversion at the age of 32. He has described his wayward life prior to Baptism in his Confessions, which he wrote to give praise to God. After returning to Africa from Italy, he was ordained a priest at the age of 37 and was consecrated bishop of Hippo four years later. He labored during the next 35 years as a devout bishop for his people, as the leader of a community of priests, monks, and nuns (for which he wrote the Rule of Saint Augustine), and as a profound theologian, writing and debating powerfully against the Manichean, Donatist, and Pelagian heretics. He died on August 28, 430.
Scripture Citation
- Lam 2:19