Today we celebrate the feast of St Augustine, who was born in Algeria in 354. As a young man he lived seeking pleasure to the sadness of his mother Monica who prayed for his conversion. When he was 17 he went to study philosophy in Carthage where he met a young woman with whom he had a relationship for 15 years. A son Adeodatus (gift of God ) was born, He was a brilliant student, continuing his studies, teaching and writing in Rome. Then Milan where he was influenced by St Ambrose who converted and baptised him in 386 when he was 31. He became a famous preacher with over 6,000 sermons, In 395 he became bishop of Hippo in Algeria living a life of penance and holiness and writing strongly against slavery in ''The City of God.'' To enter more into his life and thinking, let us listen to some of his quotations.
- ''You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.'' (from his autobiography, ''Confessions.)
- ''God loves each of us as if there is only one of us.'' 3) ''Pray as though everything depends on God and work as though everything depends on you.''
- ''Hear the other side.''
- ''God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.''
- ''People were made to walk erect with their eyes on heaven as though to remind us to keep our thoughts on things above.''
St Augustine, help us to choose one of your quotes to ponder and practise today.
Don Hornsey
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