Living Catholicism: The Hopefulness of St. Augustine

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September 1, 2005

The Hopefulness of St. Augustine

When you read the lives of Saints, it is often striking how holy they were – even from a young age. These men radiated holiness and likely never committed a mortal sin. So the question is: can I, considering my past, still become a Saint?

The answer is Saint Augustine. A man who lived an extremely sinful life, but suddenly turned it around and became one of the greatest Saints. St. Augustine, as Jesus asked, was never lukewarm, but always either hot or cold. He did have much passion, which drove him to holiness once he had decided that God and the Catholic Church were real. His transformation is explained in detail in his Confessions and he inspires us all to do the same. We too, like Augustine, can become the faithful followers of Christ that go directly to heaven. We must just decide to do so as we pray often and try hard.

Saint Augustine also provides hope to parents. His mother, Saint Monica, was a faithful woman whose son began living a very sinful life. Her answer was simple and profound: she prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more. She begged priests and religious to pray for her son. She constantly begged God to bring her son home. Sure she talked to St. Augustine about it, but her central way of conversion was prayer. And her prayers can certainly be tied directly to Augustine’s transformation. As parents this can give us hope if our children go astray. We start at the simple point of prayer – and include Eucharistic Adoration – and we can have the hope of Saint Monica that our children will come home to us. Also pray to Saint Monica for assistance; with her past she’s sure to fly to your aid.

And this is why I view St. Augustine as the Saint that gives us the most hope. A normal man living a sinful life is completely changed by God. We all must strive for this transformation in our lives and in the lives of our children.

God bless,
Jay

Posted by jay at September 1, 2005 8:26 AM