Thomas Griffin 8/28/24
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Born of a pagan father and a Christian mother, the roller coaster ride of St Augustine’s (354-430) life continues to appeal to people today. He is one of the greatest theologians in church history and he was also known for his powerful preaching. The mind of Augustine was amazing. However, it is his conversion story that peaks the interest of most people.
Augustine was interested in the finer things in life and he was interested in making a name for himself. He was driven academically and in his career. He was a master rhetorician (orator) and he traveled around during his young life seeking the popular philosophies of his day. Augustine was curious about the truth and he desired to find it. This trait, along with the insistent prayers of his mother Monica, became his defining characteristic.
He was a man of academia but he was also a person who was entrenched in the pursuit of pleasure. He desired nice things and they consumed him in many ways. He also pursued women and later admitted that he was driven by lust. It had a hold of him and he could not break free.
Augustine’s pursuit of worldly pleasures and prestige make him relatable to people of all ages because we are all tempted to do the same thing. To be known by others, to be a part of the “in crowd” or to pursue comfort or sinful inclinations rather than see the other as a person of infinite dignity and value. These are all real temptations that we all experience. Augustine’s witness today is so powerful because he gave into these temptations just like we do. He was a sinner just like you and me, and yet, God pulled him out of his sinful ways.
After jumping around to many different schools of thought and living a life attached to worldly pleasures, Augustine encountered a bishop named Ambrose of Milan. He was captivated by his words and witness. Augustine later wrote in his Confessions, “To Milan I came, to Ambrose the Bishop… To him was I quietly led by You, that by him I might knowingly be led to Thee. That man of God received me as a father… .I hung on his words attentively.”
Two qualities of Ambrose stood out to the curious Augustine who was seeking truth and seeking real fulfillment: he spoke of God and he welcomed him like a father. These are two qualities that appeal to the human heart, no matter where we come from or what our past is. We all desire to know about the absolute things in life. Even though we don’t spend a lot of time contemplating theology books we desire to know about spiritual affairs. When others speak in an authentic way about God, the human heart listens.
We also desire to be accepted by father figures. No matter how great, or not so great, our own father was, we can always learn from other father figures who imitate the Father. Augustine met Ambrose and was captivated by him because of what he said but also because of how he said it. Then, upon meeting him, he saw that this holy man also welcomed him as a son.
Over time, Augustine began to realize that all of the aspects of other philosophies that were true were glimmers of the Truth that was found in the Catholic Church. Even more so, he found that having a relationship with this God changed everything. He sought the truth and found it inside of the heart of Jesus Christ. It was this relationship that would define his life.
For this reason, one of his most famous quotes is the following: “You move us to delight in praising You; for You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” The restless Augustine found peace and rest in encountering Jesus Christ – the only one that can bring us true delight (happiness) and true rest (fulfillment).
As we remember Augustine today, may we be moved to admit our own “confessions” like he did. May we be moved to return back to the sacrament of Confession, especially if it has been a long time. So that we can encounter the love and forgiving heart of God as Father. May we also seek to find the truth about spiritual realities and in seeking may we come face-to-face with Christ, who sets all hearts ablaze with is love.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and two sons. He has a masters degree in theology and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine. He is the author of Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World.
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