Word to the Wise
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - St. Augustine of Hippo - Bishop and Doctor of the Church
[1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 and Matthew 23:23-26]But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not s trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts.
Those words from the first scripture of the day would describe St. Augustine. He was someone who spoke passionately even when what he was discussing was highly intellectual! He seemed to take everything personally. His was the zeal of a convert! Even today, his famous CONFESSIONS continue to inspire those who struggle with faith in God. His THE CITY OF GOD is a classic in political philosophy. Much of Roman Catholic moral theology has its foundation in his teaching - sometimes for better and sometimes for worse! It would be difficult to escape his influence in the Western Church. The celebration of the feast of St. Augustine is a reminder to us that we stand on the shoulders of some giants. Indeed Augustine was indebted to such Greek philosophers as Plato, Plotinus and Aristotle as well as to the scriptures. His influence on St. Thomas Aquinas was profound and much of the shape of Roman Catholic moral theology comes down to us through Augustine's adoption of concepts in Greek philosophy. All of this, in turn, was passed on through theologians, philosophers, and pastors taught by them. Although every age produces its teachers and interpretors of the gospel, these teachers were themselves formed by their own teachers. One need look no further than the writings of Pope John Paul II, who was strongly influenced by existentialist and personalist philosophers as well as by Thomistic tradition. All of us have been shaped by culture and events, which, in turn shapes the way in which we understand the Gospel and the Church. Those of us who grew up in the Cold War era, or the Vietnam War era and knew the Church as it existed prior to the Second Vatican Council can appreciate these formative experiences. Augustine was similarly shaped by cultural and historical events. His passionate pursuit of truth is summed up in his famous statement from the CONFESSIONS: "You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts cannot find rest until they rest in you." AMEN
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