Word to the Wise
Monday, August 28, 2023 - Aug. 28 - St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church
[Col. 3:12-17 and John 17:14-23]I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word..... [John]
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2023 ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, bishop and doctor of the church
[Colossians 3:12-17 and John 17:14-23. These scriptures are proper to the feast of St. Augustine in Dominican locations. Reflections on the scriptures for Monday in the 21st week in Ordinary time, Year I, can be found in the search engine at my website <rbwords.com>]
I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word..... [John]
Where does anyone even begin to speak of the influence of St. Augustine of Hippo in our "western" Church. It is felt everyday in academia and in ordinary life, especially in the realm of moral theology and how we view sexuality!!!! Centuries of young folks have read and been influenced by his Confessions. The same is true for political thought from his The City of God. The life of many religious orders (Dominicans and Augustinians, for example) is shaped by his Rule of St. Augustine. His personal story is told each year in the feast of his mother, St. Monica, (Aug. 27 which got "bumped" because of Sunday) and her prayers for his conversion. He stands alongside St. Thomas Aquinas, OP, as one of the theological giants in the history and thought of Roman Catholicism.
One line from Augustine's Confessions stands out and is probably the most quoted: You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. That "restless longing" is at the foundation of all prayer. In the quote from the Gospel According to John, above, Jesus prays for those who will come to believe because of his disciples' preaching and witness. St. Augustine is a wonderful example of the effectiveness of that prayer. AMEN