SAINT  AUGUSTINE 

A  REAL  SAINT 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Saint Augustine: A Real Saint.”

Many lives of saints edit out some of their struggles and sins.

For example, in Ida Gorres’ biography of St. Therese of Lisieux, The Hidden Face, she  points out that Therese’s sister Pauline edited into her autobiography some “extra” stuff and edited out some of the characteristics they she wanted in and wanted out of  her autobiography.

They are also working on the beatification and then possible canonization  process for Dorothy Day in New York.

Cardinal Spellman is supposedly to have said about pushing the cause for the eventual canonization of Dorothy Day,  “Over my dead body.”

He’s dead too.

I would like to see her canonized to help all people who have had an abortion like she did - to have faith in recovering - as well as give good example to all those who want to help the poor like she did.

ST AUGUSTINE

Saint Augustine in his writings tells us of his sins. His Confessions and some of his other writings give us the real deal.

In his  Confessions  he said his worst sin was stealing pears and throwing them to the pigs. He and a group of kids went on a damaging property spree. They stole  the pears. He said his motive was to do evil. They did it out of spite and stupidity and non-thinking.

Everyone remembers Augustine’s prayer: “Lord make me chaste, but not yet.”

He started living with a  gal when he was 17 - and was faithful to her for the next 15 years. They had a son - Deodatus - Gift of God or Godsend.

He tells us about the power of humility being the foundation of human growth. The word  “humility” is from the word for humus - or earth.  We are made of the clay of the earth - to which we will return.

He admitted when he was dirty.

He struggled with his dirt.

He admits to loving God, but so, so late. We all know his comment, “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient and ever new! Late have I loved you! And, behold, you were within me, and I out of myself, and there I searched for you.”

He said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” So he traveled the Mediterranean basin and learned so much.”

But he also traveled within - writing in his Confessions about the inside of his life. He wrote later on, “People  go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.”

He wondered about himself and learned about God. He said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

HOW TO READ AUGUSTINE

Read his Confessions.

Read Gary Wills book about Augustine. It's title is, Saint Augustine.

To become a saint takes time. It takes a lot of conversions.

Read the lives of saints. Read the Confessions of Augustine for  starters.

To learn takes reflection. Read Augustine and try to figure out what happened for him to say the things he said, to write the things he wrote.

For example, what happened for him to write, “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”

Or what was going on for him to write, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Or “If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, don't accept, because you will lose one friend; on the other hand, if two strangers come with the same request, accept because you will gain one friend.”

Or, “He who is filled with love is filled with God himself.

Or The words printed here are concepts. You must go through the experiences.

I love this comment by Augustine. It is so real. "I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all you who labor and are heavily burdened."

CONCLUSION

The title of my thoughts was,  “Saint Augustine: A Real Saint.”

It seems that people can relate better to saints who are human and not angels. 

I think that's why folks like Pope Francis - and saints like Augustine.

Notes: the painting on top is entitled, "Augustine of Hippo - comissioned by the the NY Times to illustrated a book review by the Times