When we speak of prominent figures in Catholic Theology, St Augustine is one of the first who comes to mind. We often referred to quotations from this Doctor of the Church.
However, it would be a mistake to think that this saint led an easy and trouble-free life, quite the opposite. In fact, it took him many years to come to know God, and, as we read in his work The Confessions, he openly admits to having committed many sins.
Augustine was born in 354AD in Hippo, located in present-day Algeria. His father was a pagan, while his mother, Monica, was a devout Christian. His father encouraged him to continue his studies in the hope that he would one day become a lawyer. However, this focus on academic success came at the cost of Augustine’s holistic development and did not set a good moral example. Augustine confesses that, as a youth, he struggled with the sin of fornication. At times, he even stole from his parents to buy satff from other children. At the age of sixteen, when he went to study in Carthage, he describes himself as becoming involved in ‘many illicit relationships’. By the time he was eighteen, he had fathered a son, Adeodatus, with a woman to whom he was not married.
Although Augustine became aware of the need to reform his life, he initially turned to Manichaeism, a sect that taught a form of dualism, in which the universe was seen as a battleground between the forces of good and evil. The Manichaeans believed that wisdom alone was sufficient for salvation. During this period, Augustine taught philosophy and rhetoric in Carthage, Rome, and later in Milan. There, he came into greater contact with Christian thinkers. Through the persistent prayers and encouragement of his mother, he eventually agreed to listen to the sermons of St Ambrose. This holy bishop had a profound influence on him, and not long afterwards, during the Easter Vigil of the year 386, Augustine was baptised along with his son.
A few years later, Adeodatus died, and Augustine resolved to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. In 391AD, he was ordained after being recommended to priesthood by many.
St Augustine went on to become one of the most influential figures in the Catholic Church. He authored over one hundred books, two hundred letters, and left us with around five hundred recorded homilies. From a youth immersed in selfish and worldly pursuits, he came to know God and became a powerful witness to the Catholic faith. His life also demonstrates the power of prayer, particularly that of his mother, as a means of discerning God’s will for our lives.
Jake Bezzina
SDC Candidate