On Aug. 28 we celebrate the feast day of one of the most intriguing and well-known saints on the calendar: Saint Augustine; a product of the Church of the 4th century.
Although from the remote Christian outpost of North Africa, he influenced the development of Catholic thought from his time until present day. We can recognize the extent of his influence by noting the number of times Pope Benedict XVI referred to him when discussing contemporary issues. Saint Augustine was a man for all times.
In his youth, Augustine was a bright student enamored by the ways of the world. He tasted the pleasurable fruits of his passions as he pursued a life of advancement, preferment and success.
But, even with all his achievements, he grew weary and remained restless. He wanted to be celebrated for his intelligence while at the same time be known as a man about town. His inner chaos was resolved when he accepted the Catholic faith and was baptized by Saint Ambrose of Milan. He attributed his conversion to the power of God’s grace working through the scriptures and the persevering prayers of his faithful mother, Saint Monica.
After his conversion, Saint Augustine lived in Hippo, North Africa, where he became the bishop. He placed his considerable talents at the service of his faith and became notable throughout the Christian world for his wisdom expressed in his vast writings.
His insights and explanations have provided the basis for theological reflection on nearly every aspect of Christian thought. He also wrote the first autobiography, “The Confessions,” which became the most popular book in the Christian world – after the Bible – for more than 1,000 years.
Augustine’s thought has gained him an unfair reputation among many for being too negative, especially concerning human sexuality. It is true; he is cautious about indulging the natural goodness of our human appetites, which is understandable due his own experience with the power of sin.
However, compared to the gritty reality of our time in which medical professionals advise the mutilation and sterilization of children in pursuit of an imagined gender identity, the somber Augustine looks increasingly sober and realistic.
His greatest insight was in parallel with Saint Paul’s. Like Paul, he was always the smartest person in the room. But, when he depended only on his own abilities, they brought him to the ruin and frustration of his ambition. It was only when he began to conform his life to the Gospel, when he gave himself to Christ, that he began to realize the promise that was his.
As Saint Paul put it so well, he became himself as he gave himself to Jesus. We are created in the image and likeness of another; it is only as we give ourselves to the other that we become what we were made to be. When Augustine surrendered himself to God’s will, he found the happiness he had been looking for. As he wrote in “The Confessions,” “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
He died in 430 as the security and stability of the Roman Empire was crumbling. And yet, amid the failure of politics, he trusted in God’s unfolding plan. Through the power of his faith, Augustine knew God was just getting started.
No matter how dark the present moment, he knew it was simply prelude to the dawn breaking. We can find encouragement in our time from his hope-filled confidence.
Lastly, after 35 years of being a bishop in Hippo, in the last year of his life, Saint Augustine had three main priorities as the head of the Church (according to biographer Peter Brown). He had to find priests who could speak the native language of the Berber tribes who were converting to the faith; he needed to raise money to build classroom buildings to accommodate the young people in his growing parishes; and he had to begin a program of education and certification for those who were the teachers of the faith. Not much has changed in the life a bishop!
Saint Augustine is a champion of restless hearts who yearn to know life in Christ. His past did not disqualify him from the love of God; it won’t disqualify any of us as we turn to Him. Saint Augustine is the great witness of hope for us all.