Augustine
of Hippo (13 Nov 354 - 28 Aug 430), Bishop of Hippo Regius, also known
as St. Augustine or St. Austin, was an Algerian Berber philosopher and
theologian.
This
famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many years of
his life in wicked living and in false beliefs. Though he was one of
the most intelligent men who ever lived and though he had been brought
up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride darkened his mind so
much, that he could not see or understand the Divine Truth anymore.
Through the prayers of his holy mother and the marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose,
Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the one true
religion. Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he
could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men
who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Antony, and
he felt terrible ashamed of himself. "What are we doing?" he cried to
his friend Alipius. "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while
we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around
in the mud of our sins!"
Full
of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried
out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end
to my sins?" Just then he heard a child singing, "Take up and read!"
Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the
book of the Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage his gaze
fell on. It was just what Augustine needed, for in it, St. Paul says
to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did
it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.
He
was baptized, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic writer,
Founder of religious priests, and one of the greatest saints that ever
lived. He became very devout and charitable, too. On the wall of his
room he had the following sentence written in large letters: "Here we do
not speak evil of anyone." St. Augustine overcame strong heresies,
practiced great poverty and supported the poor, preached very often and
prayed with great fervor right up until his death. "Too late have I
loved You!" he once cried to God, but with his holy life he certainly
made up for the sins he committed before his conversion. His feast day
is August 28th.
Augustine
is one of the most important figures in the development of Western
Christianity. He was heavily influenced by the Neo-Platonism of
Plotinus. He framed the concepts of original sin and just war. When
the Roman Empire in the West was starting to disintegrate, Augustine
developed the concept of the Church as a spiritual City of God (in a
book of the same name) distinct from the material City of Man. His
thought profoundly influenced the medieval worldview. Augustine's City
of God was closely identified with the church, and was the community
which worshipped God.
St.
Augustine of Hippo is the patron of brewers because of his conversion
from a former life of loose living, which included parties,
entertainment, and worldly ambitions. His complete turnaround and
conversion has been an inspiration to many who struggle with a
particular vice or habit they long to break.
Agricolaus,
governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan
idols. The first time Blaise refused, he was beaten. The next time he
was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes.
Finally he was beheaded.
