ST AUGUSTINE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

St Augustine was born on November 13th, 354, in Tagaste (modern Algeria) in Africa. Despite the good example of his mother St Monica, became a Manichean and fathered an illegitimate child. He was converted at the age of thirty-three and baptised by St Ambrose in Milan. St Augustine became Bishop of Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria) and wrote and preached energetically in defence  of the faith, making him one of the most influential Doctors of the Church. His principles concerning the religious life continue to inspire Augustinian canons, friars and nuns. St Augustine died on August 28th 430.

QUOTES FROM CONFESSIONS OF ST AUGUSTINE:  CONFESSIONS IS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WORK, CONSISTING OF 13 BOOKS, BY AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. IT WAS WRITTEN IN LATIN BETWEEN AD 397 AND 400
" O Lord, ...have mercy upon me according to thy great mercy, for thy name's sake. And do not, on any account whatever, abandon what thou hast begun in me. Go on, rather, to complete what is yet imperfect in me."
   Book 10 Chapter 4

" I still thought that it is not we who sin but some other nature that sins within us. It flattered my pride to think that I incurred no guilt and, when I did wrong, not to confess it...I preferred to excuse myself and blame this unknown thing which was in me but was not part of me. The truth, of course, was that it was all my own self, and my own impiety had divided me against myself. My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think myself a sinner."

 

" In my public life I was striving after the emptiness of popular fame, going so far as to seek theatrical applause, entering poetic contests, striving for the straw garlands and the vanity of theatricals and intemperate desires"  (book 4, chapter 1)

In Greek the love of wisdom is called "philosophy", and it was with this love that that book inflamed me. There are some who seduce through philosophy, under a great, alluring, and honorable name, using it to color and adorn their own errors. And almost all who did this, in Cicero's own time and earlier, are censored and pointed out in his book"   (book 3 Chapter 4)

I did not keep the moderate way of the love of mind to mind - the bright path of friendship.   (book 2 chapter 2)
I had entreated chastity of thee and had prayed,"Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet". For I was afraid lest thou shouldst hear me too soon, and too soon cure me of my disease of lust which I desired to have satisfied rather than extinguished." (book 8 Chapter 7,p.139)