Today is a day of joy for Catholics: It’s the Feast of Saint Augustine, a rebellious young man who became a Doctor of the Church! The famous phrase is his:

“He who sings prays twice”

HISTORY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE

We celebrate today the memory of the great Bishop and Doctor of the Church who fills us with joy, for with the Grace of God he became a model Christian for all. Augustine was born in Tagaste, in North Africa, in 354, the son of Patrick (a convert) and the Christian Saint Monica, who prayed for 33 years for her son to belong to God.

It so happened that Augustine had a great intellectual capacity and a profound mind; however, he preferred to satisfy his heart and seek answers in passions, as well as in various philosophical currents, which is why he became a member of the Manichaean sect.

With the death of his father, Augustine sought to deepen his studies, especially in the art of rhetoric. Thus, after passing through Rome, he became a professor in Milan, where, influenced by the intercession of Saint Monica, he ended up frequenting, because of the oratory, the profound and famous Sermons of Saint Ambrose. It was through the announced Word that the Truth began to change his life.

His conversion process received a “push” when, in his struggle against the desires of the flesh, he accepted the invitation: “Take and read,” and thus found in the Word of God (Romans 13, 13ff) the strength for his decision for Jesus: “…clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ… do not make provisions for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Saint Augustine, who entered Heaven at the age of 76 (in the year 430), converted at 33, when he was catechized and baptized by Saint Ambrose. After “losing” his mother, he returned to Africa, where he founded a Christian community dedicated to prayer, the study of the Word, and charity. This continued until he was ordained a Priest and Bishop of Hippo, a holy, wise, apologist and fruitful philosopher and theologian of Grace and Truth.

Saint Augustine, pray for us!