St Augustine of Hippo Bishop  Saint of the Day August 28

Yesterday the mother, today the son — the story of the son’s youth up to the time of his conversion at the age of 33 has been told on 27 August, St Monica’s day. Having at last realized lhut only through Jesus Christ could he find the way to truth and eternal salvation, Aurelius Augustine, at peace with God, himself and with the world, went on to live a saintly life. His mother and his natural son having died soon after his baptism, Augustine returned to Tagaste, where he established a monastery for himself and his followers, and led a life of apostolic poverty in prayer, study and active charity among the poor. After 3 years he was, through popular insistence, ordained priest, and Bishop Valerius even asked him to preach to the people, although in Africa that was a privilege reserved solely for Bishops.

Born on 13 November 354,_Augustine was 42 when he was made Bishop of Hippo. Labouring for another 34 years, he revitalized the entire African Church, becoming the Patriarch of monasticism. He lived an austere community life with his Priests. By impressive teaching and enormous correspondence he refuted a host of powerful heresies, setting forth the Faith forcefully and accurately, always animated by a glowing love of God and a selfless, tender solicitude for his neighbour’s spiritual good “God usually deserts the negligent!” “Kill the errors, yes; but love the erring!” He knew well that hatred and spite only harden the human heart instead of winning it. The memory of his own youthful failing kept him always humble  “Take my heart, O Lord, for I cannot give it to you! Keep my heart, for I cannot keep it for you! Send me any cross that will keep me subject to your Cross, and save me in spite of myself!”

St Augustine was doubtless one of the world’s greatest thinkers; as a theologian and philosopher he is outstanding among the Church Fathers for the influence he wielded and continues to wield. Particularly famous is his system of grace, which reconciles the absolute mastery of God with the free will of man. His “Confessions”, the world’s most noted autobiography, is a memorial of his deep repentance; the “City of God” explains the Creator’s Working in history; remarkable also is his conception of the creation of the world, by which God gave to matter once for all the power and life germs which would insure the general unfolding and development of the cosmos.

St Augustine died of a fever on 28 August 430 while the Vandal invaders were besieging Hippo. He is honoured as the patron of theologians, printers and brewers, and is invoked against sore eyes. Since the 8th century his relics repose in Pavia, having been bought from the Saracens for a huge sum by the Lombard King Luitprand.